The team at Twenty-First Digital says if you block Google-Extended, you’re not actually at risk of anything, it only limits Gemini training and grounding uses and doesn’t touch Search or AI Overview visibility at all. If you use the new Search Console generative AI exclusion instead, you’re at risk of losing AI Overviews, AI Mode, and generative Discover entirely, with zero traffic or impressions from any of those features. Before opting out of anything, pull actual AI Overview and Discover performance data first, and test on one section rather than sitewide, since Google hasn’t confirmed what happens to your standalone Top Stories eligibility once you’re excluded. Read more.