Google is running a pilot programme to pay website owners whose content feeds into AI-generated answers. According to Digiday, as reported by Search Engine Journal on 14 September 2026, the test operates through Google Search Console. It covers responses across three products: Gemini, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.
You get paid only when your text helps build the response itself during generation—setting the substance, timeliness, or accuracy of the answer. Citations or links added after generation just to verify facts do not qualify.
If you run an estate agency in The Hague, for instance, and the model uses your explanation of local housing rules to compose its answer, that usage counts towards your payout.
Insights in Search Console
Participants can view a new panel in Search Console that displays estimated monthly earnings. One participating publisher calls the payout formula a black box, as Google does not explain how it calculates the figures. Another source describes early payouts as tiny compared to ad revenue.
Google lists several details in its help documentation:
- You can opt out of the test through your Search Console settings at any time.
- The actual money transferred to your account might differ from reported earnings because of tax rules or payment limits.
- Generative AI performance reports, available worldwide since 31 August, track impressions rather than clicks.
The test signals that Google may be willing to pay directly for publisher content in AI answers. Check Search Console regularly for an invite and review the terms carefully before joining.
Source: Search Engine Journal
