Google's John Mueller explained when Google will count an impression for a web page within the generative AI features in Google Search. In short, there needs to be a link to your site being shown in AI Overviews / AI Mode for it to show as an impression in the new Google Search Console AI performance reports.
Nicola Agius asked John on Bluesky:
1. Does total impressions include AI impressions?2. If your article isn't shown, but your icon is on the main feed combined card, is that an impression?
3. If your article has been grouped in a cluster, but your icon doesn't show in the main feed, is that an impression?
4. Does total impressions include X posts?
John Mueller replied:
The impressions are based on links to your site being shown in AI Overviews / AI Mode. I don't know if just a favicon would be linked, but if it's linked to a page on your site, that would count. If something needs to be "activated" to see the link, it would only count when users do that.
This is the same logic Google documented in its Performance report (Search results): About the data but this would apply to the AI performance reports. Google recently expanded access to the AI performance reports, so more and more are interested in how these metrics are counted.
Forum discussion at Bluesky.
Update: Similar answer here:
@johnmu.com Hi John, I don't think there's an answer in the official documentation. Will all the URLs (even those behind "Show more" record an impression in both Search and AI Features reports in Search Console?
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty.bsky.social) July 1, 2026 at 1:50 PM
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When a link to the site is shown (for example, if someone clicks the expansion element), it'll be counted. This is in line with other features that allow some kind of interaction.
— John Mueller (@johnmu.com) July 1, 2026 at 1:58 PM
