Publishers can use targeted regex filters in Google Search Console to identify long-tail and question-based queries likely triggered by AI Mode or AI Overviews. While not foolproof, these methods offer a practical workaround for tracking AI-driven search activity.
Google’s introduction of AI Mode and AI Overviews has left publishers looking for ways to figure out which search queries are actually showing their content in these new formats. Since Search Console doesn’t report AI-triggered impressions directly, digital teams have had to improvise to get a clearer picture of their reach and adjust their content strategies.
One practical method is to use regular expressions (regex) in the Search Console Query filter. For example, filtering for queries with eight or more words using ^([^ ]+ ){7,}[^ ]+$ helps surface long-tail searches, which are more likely to trigger AI Overviews. You can also filter for question-based queries-those starting with words like "как", "что", "почему", and other Russian interrogatives-using ^(как|что|почему|зачем|где|когда|можно ли|нужно ли|какой|какая|какие|сколько)(\s|$). These often signal searches that prompt AI-generated summaries.
"Google began rolling out dedicated generative AI performance reports in Search Console on June 3, 2026, with global availability announced by August 31, 2026."
- Search Engine Journal
Other filters, like 'site:' or 'site:[^\s]*\.gov', can help spot queries tied to specific domains or government sites, which are also more likely to be handled by AI features. These regex tactics aren’t perfect, but they make it easier to flag search activity that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Keep in mind that Google applies privacy filtering to some queries, so not all of them appear in Search Console. This has been the case since before AI features were introduced and still limits what publishers can see. For those following AI’s role in search, the recent rollout of link carousels in AI Mode-covered in this analysis-shows how quickly the search experience is changing, even as click data remains out of reach.
In June 2026, Google added new Search Console reports for AI Overviews, AI Mode, and generative AI in Discover. These reports show impressions, but not clicks, CTR, or query-level data for AI surfaces. According to Search Engine Journal, the reports break down data by page, country, device, and date, so site owners can see which URLs appeared in AI answers, but not the exact queries that triggered them.
"The new AI performance reports in Search Console do not include historical backfill-data collection starts only from the launch date, making it impossible to retrospectively analyze AI visibility. Additionally, if a site has too few AI impressions, the reports may remain empty, which is important for interpreting missing data."
- SearchPrex
For content creators and SEO teams, these workarounds don’t replace direct analytics, but they do offer a way to spot patterns in a data-poor environment. Without detailed AI Mode reporting, publishers have to rely on inference and technical filters to optimize for visibility and revenue. As Google adds more AI-driven features without full transparency, publishers need to keep experimenting, adapt quickly, and push for better data access. Those who learn these filtering techniques and stay alert to platform changes will have the best shot at capturing AI-driven traffic and holding onto their audience in a search landscape that’s getting harder to track.
Google has also added a new control in Search Console that lets site owners decide whether their content can be used for grounding answers in AI Overviews, AI Mode, and generative Discover. This setting could affect both visibility and traffic, as reported by Search Engine Land. As AI features evolve, industry reviews note that publishers are now watching not just traffic, but also whether their brand or pages appear in AI-generated answers (SearchPrex).
