Google’s AI Overviews, designed to provide concise summaries in search results, have recently been observed including content from websites under manual action penalties. Manual actions are imposed by Google when a site violates its guidelines, typically resulting in reduced visibility in search results. However, instances have emerged where such penalized sites still appear in AI-generated overviews.
SEO professionals Lily Ray and Glenn Gabe highlighted this issue in January 2025. Ray noted that pages affected by manual actions continued to feature in AI Overviews weeks after being demoted in organic search. Gabe corroborated this, observing that even deindexed directories from penalized sites appeared in AI-generated content. Search Engine Roundtable
This situation raises questions about the integration between Google’s manual action enforcement and its AI systems. Typically, manual actions are intended to demote or remove non-compliant content from search results. The inclusion of such content in AI Overviews suggests a potential disconnect between manual penalties and AI content generation.
Google has not yet provided an official explanation for this discrepancy. It remains unclear whether this is a temporary oversight or indicative of a broader issue within the AI Overview system. Given Google’s emphasis on content quality and adherence to guidelines, it is anticipated that the company will address this anomaly to ensure consistency across its search features.
For webmasters and SEO practitioners, this development underscores the importance of maintaining compliance with Google’s guidelines. While AI Overviews may currently display content from penalized sites, relying on this exposure is not advisable. Sustained visibility and performance in search results are best achieved through adherence to best practices and quality standards.
In summary, the appearance of penalized sites in Google’s AI Overviews highlights a potential gap in the enforcement of manual actions within AI-generated content. As Google continues to refine its AI capabilities, it is likely that measures will be implemented to align AI Overviews with existing content policies, ensuring a cohesive and reliable search experience for users.
