# Google's AI opt-out setting may cost publishers Top Stories placement

Published: 2026-07-28T21:31:38.616Z · Source: Search Engine Journal (https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ai-opt-out-may-cost-publishers-a-top-stories-spot/584016/)
Source date: 2026-07-28
Flags: single-source — confirmation pending
Entities: ai-overviews, google, search-console

An analysis by NewzDash founder John Shehata, reported by Search Engine Journal, finds Google now places Top Stories carousels inside AI Overviews on roughly 15.5% of U.S. and 17.5% of U.K. news searches — meaning publishers who use Google's Search Console AI opt-out to exclude their content from AI Overviews may also lose Top Stories carousel placement. Shehata calls the link high-confidence but says it isn't yet confirmed by Google.

Why it matters: Google's opt-out control now conflates two once-separate surfaces, raising the real cost of resisting AI Overviews for news publishers.

## What this answers

**Does opting out of Google AI Overviews affect Top Stories placement?**

It might — an analysis flagged by Search Engine Journal finds Google now places Top Stories carousels inside AI Overviews on a share of news searches, so excluding a site from AI Overviews could also exclude it from Top Stories there. Google has not confirmed the link.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-07-28-google-s-ai-opt-out-setting-may-cost-publishers-top-stories-placement/
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