Google's spam policies now cover AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google added 'manipulating generative AI responses' to its definition of spam. What changed, what counts, and what to do if you work on AI visibility.
In mid-May 2026 Google added "attempting to manipulate generative AI responses in Google Search" to the definition at the top of its spam policies. Every existing spam rule (scaled content abuse, cloaking, link spam, doorway pages and the rest) now explicitly applies to AI Overviews and AI Mode, not just to rankings.
What changed#
The opening definition of spam in Google's Search spam policies used to talk about manipulating search rankings. The new wording adds manipulating generative AI responses alongside it. Search Engine Roundtable spotted the edit by comparing the page with a copy from May 13, 2026. Google said it wanted to make "it clear that the spam policies apply to all of Google Search, including generative AI responses."
What it means#
Nothing that was allowed before is now banned; the change closes a gap in wording. Tactics that were already spam for rankings are now explicitly spam when aimed at AI answers too. That includes:
- Mass-producing thin pages to get mentioned in AI answers
- Self-serving "best of" lists created mainly to be quoted
- Fake mentions, reviews or listings meant to make a brand look more cited
- Hidden text or cloaked content written for AI systems
Writing clear pages that answer questions, using structured data, and letting crawlers in are not manipulation. Google's own guidance is that normal SEO is what gets content into its AI features.
What to do#
Audit anything you have built specifically "for AI": pages that exist only to be quoted, programmatic pages, or lists that rank your own product first without saying so. Keep what helps readers, and remove or rewrite what doesn't.
Sources: Search Engine Roundtable, PPC Land.
What to do about it
Writing pages AI assistants can quote
2 min readPut a direct answer to the page's main question in the first few sentences, give each section a heading that says what it answers, and back claims with specifics you can stand behind. That's ordinary good writing, and it's what assistants quote.
Does blocking AI crawlers hurt your Google rankings?
2 min readNo. Blocking AI training crawlers, including Google's own Google-Extended token, doesn't change your Google rankings, and it doesn't remove you from AI Overviews or AI Mode. Only blocking Googlebot does that, and that removes you from Google Search altogether.