Google gives no date for AI clicks in Search Console report
Gary Illyes said Google has nothing to announce about adding click and query data to the Search Console AI report. For now it shows impressions only, though a UK CMA deadline of Dec. 3 may force change.
- Google's Gary Illyes says there is nothing to announce on clicks or queries in the Search Console AI report.
- AI Overviews and AI Mode clicks stay blended into the standard Performance report, so true AI CTR is invisible.
- Build AI reporting on impressions now and watch the UK CMA's Dec. 3 compliance date.
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Google has no announcement on adding click or query data to the Search Console AI report. Gary Illyes said the team is interested in giving more data, but only data “that makes sense”, after an anonymous quote suggested clicks and queries were on the way. The story was reported by Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Roundtable.
What does Google say about clicks in the Search Console AI report?
Illyes replied on LinkedIn that he didn’t think Google had phrased it the way a post claimed, and that there is nothing to announce yet. The post, by SEO professional Rajeev Lekhwar, attributed the quote to unnamed Google staff; its hashtags point to Search Central Live in Bengaluru on Oct. 30, per Search Engine Journal. John Mueller wrote on Bluesky that there is lots of helpful data not currently in Search Console, according to the same report.
Today the Generative AI Performance report counts impressions for AI Overviews and AI Mode together, with breakdowns by page, country, device and date. Clicks sit inside the standard Performance report with all web results.
Why can’t I see AI Overviews clicks in Search Console?
Because Google doesn’t separate them. AI clicks are counted in the regular Performance report, and none of its Search Appearance types covers AI Overviews or AI Mode. You can see how often you appear, but not what share of web clicks came from AI features. That means no AI-specific CTR, and no way to tell whether visibility there helps or cannot offset lost clicks.
Our read: Illyes’ wording is a non-denial, not a rejection, and Mueller’s comment suggests the door isn’t closed. Treat any timeline as unknown.
Will the UK CMA force Google to add AI clicks and CTR?
Possibly, for UK users. Search Engine Journal reports that the CMA’s rules require Google to give publishers metrics on impressions, clicks and click-through rate aggregated across AI features, and give Google until Dec. 3 to comply. The CMA’s notes also call for per-publisher breakdowns and a way to distinguish AI feature appearances from organic results, via a platform such as Search Console. Google may comply another way if it shows the CMA that it does. Google’s first compliance report covers June 3 to Dec. 3 and is due Jan. 3, 2027.
Whether that data would reach sites outside the UK is not stated in the sources.
How to report on AI Overviews and AI Mode performance now
- Report AI visibility on impressions from the Generative AI Performance report, by page, country and device.
- Export that data regularly so you keep a baseline before any new metrics appear.
- Don’t claim AI-specific clicks or CTR from Search Console; say clearly that they are blended into web results.
- Compare AI impressions with your overall web clicks per page to spot pages where visibility rises but traffic doesn’t.
- If you serve UK users, watch for Google changes around Dec. 3.