Why doesn't Google's AI Overview show my page?
Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet to show up in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and no other technical requirements apply. The usual blockers are a noindex rule, a nosnippet or max-snippet limit, or a robots.txt rule that stops Google seeing those rules. Remove the blocker, then give Google time to recrawl.
Free to read, no signup. Nova checks your key pages for indexing and snippet limits.
What Google says makes a page eligible
Straight from Google's documentation. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee a page is shown.
Indexed and snippet-eligible
To appear in AI features, Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Search with a snippet. It lists no additional technical requirements, and notes that meeting them doesn't guarantee crawling, indexing or serving.
AI features and your websitenosnippet covers AI Overviews
Google says nosnippet applies to web search, AI Overviews and AI Mode, and keeps the page's content from being used as direct input for them. max-snippet set to 0 works like nosnippet.
Robots meta tag specificationsGoogle must be able to read the rules
These rules only work if crawlers can access the page, so a robots.txt block means Google can't see them. When rules conflict, the more restrictive one applies.
Robots meta tag specificationsFive steps to make a page eligible
Do it by hand with these steps, or hand the whole thing to Nova.
Check the page is indexed
Use Search Console's URL Inspection tool on the page. If it isn't indexed, fix that first.
Nova: lists which of your key pages show as indexed.
Look for noindex
Check the page's meta robots tag and its HTTP headers for noindex. It keeps a page out of search results altogether.
Nova: finds noindex tags and headers on your key pages.
Look for snippet limits
Search for nosnippet, max-snippet:0 and data-nosnippet. Decide whether each is intended, since they limit what Google can show.
Nova: finds snippet limits and shows what each one blocks.
Check robots.txt
Confirm robots.txt isn't blocking the page. If it is, Google can't read the page or its rules.
Nova: checks your robots.txt against each page.
Fix, then wait and recheck
Remove unintended blockers, request a recrawl and allow time. Check again in a few weeks.
Nova: drafts the fixes for approval and re-checks later.
Short on time? Nova, your AI brand visibility expert, runs this Maneuver on your brand and tracks the result.
Take it to NovaEvery page, its blocker and the fix
| Page | Indexed | Blocker found | Intended? | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /product | Yes | None | Not applicable | None |
| /pricing | Yes | max-snippet:0 | Check | Remove if unintended |
| /guide | No | noindex | No | Remove noindex, request crawl |
Nova then re-checks the pages after each change, so you see which are now eligible.
Take this Maneuver into your own AI agent
Get snippet-eligibility.md, a ready-to-use skill file with an eligibility checklist, a blocker table and a re-check routine. Drop it into Claude, Cursor or any agent that reads SKILL.md files.
Skill file for Claude, Cursor and other agents
- An indexing and snippet checklist
- A blocker table per page
- A recrawl and re-check routine
Questions, answered.
Relevant reads
All articlesLet Nova check what blocks your pages
Nova opens with this Maneuver loaded. You approve every change before it ships.