To find queries where AI Overviews are taking your clicks, compare two periods in Google Search Console and look for queries where impressions and average position stayed about the same but click-through rate fell sharply. That pattern means people still see your result but click it less, which is what happens when an AI summary answers the question above the links. Search Console does not label AI Overviews per query, so confirm the suspects by searching them yourself.
Why clicks fall even when rankings do not
A 2025 Pew Research Center study of US adults’ browsing found that when a Google search showed an AI summary, people clicked a traditional result in 8% of visits, against 15% when no summary appeared. They clicked a link inside the summary in about 1% of visits.
Clicks on Google results with and without an AI summary
Share of search visits in which the user clicked a link, US adults, March 2025
- Traditional result, no AI summary15%
- Traditional result, AI summary shown8%
- Link inside the AI summary1%
Source: Pew Research Center, browsing data from 900 US adults, published July 2025. Bars are scaled to the largest value.
Your position in Search Console can stay the same while this happens, because the AI Overview sits above the results. The loss shows up in click-through rate.
Step 1: export two comparable periods
- Open Search Console, go to Performance, and choose Search results.
- Click Date, then Compare. Choose two equal periods, for example the last three months against the same three months a year earlier. Comparing with the same season avoids mistaking seasonal changes for AI Overview effects.
- Turn on all four metrics: clicks, impressions, CTR and position.
- Open the Queries tab and export the table.
Step 2: filter for the pattern
In the exported sheet, keep queries that meet all of these conditions:
| Metric | Condition | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions | At least 100 in both periods | Small numbers are too noisy |
| Impressions change | Between -20% and +50% | Demand stayed roughly stable |
| Position change | Less than 1 place | Rankings did not drop |
| CTR change | Fell by 30% or more | People clicked much less |
With the earlier period in columns B to E and the later period in columns F to I (clicks, impressions, CTR, position), this formula in a new column flags candidates:
=AND(C2>=100, G2>=100, G2/C2>=0.8, G2/C2<=1.5, ABS(I2-E2)<1, H2/D2<=0.7)
The thresholds are starting points, not rules. Loosen them for a small site and tighten them for a large one.
Step 3: confirm by searching
Search Console does not show which queries triggered an AI Overview. For each flagged query, search it in Google from the country you target, in a private window, and note whether an AI Overview appears and whether your page is cited in it. Some rank-tracking tools also record AI Overview presence, which saves time for long lists.
Step 4: decide what to do with each query
| What you find | What to do |
|---|---|
| AI Overview appears and cites you | You are still visible; make the page worth clicking with detail the summary lacks |
| AI Overview appears and cites competitors | Rewrite the section that answers the query so it is direct, specific and self-contained |
| AI Overview appears for a simple factual query | Accept lower clicks; focus effort on queries that need more than a summary |
| No AI Overview appears | Look for other causes: new SERP features, competitors, snippet changes |
What not to conclude
- A fall in total clicks is not proof of AI Overviews. Check rankings, seasonality and technical issues first.
- Blocking Google from using your content in AI Overviews is only possible with nosnippet, which also removes your normal snippets. For most sites that costs more than it saves.
- Lower clicks do not always mean lower value. Some queries that lost clicks were never going to convert.
Frequently asked questions
Does Search Console have an AI Overviews filter?
Google has said AI Overviews and AI Mode activity is counted in the Search Console performance report, but there is no filter that separates it by query in the standard report.
How often should I run this check?
Every quarter, and after any sudden drop in clicks.
Can I win clicks back?
Sometimes. Being cited in the AI Overview keeps your brand visible, and pages with detail, data or tools that a summary cannot replace still earn clicks. See zero-click searches and 10 before-and-after rewrites.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, "Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results", July 2025
- Google Search Central, "AI features and your website"
- Google Search Console Help, "Performance report"