Key takeaways
- As of Oct. 29, 2026, Google describes RAG as another name for grounding in its Search guide. [1]
- Google documents source-linked annotations for successfully grounded Gemini API responses. [3]
- Google-Extended and the Search generative AI control govern different documented uses of publisher content. [2][4]
Definition: In Google’s documented usage, grounding supplies information from external content when generating a response; its crawler documentation specifically describes providing Search-index content to a model at prompt time. [1][2]
Where does the term appear?
As of Oct. 29, 2026, Google uses grounding in its Search optimization guide, its crawler documentation, and its Gemini API documentation. [1][2][3] These sources document Google’s usage, rather than establishing the term’s historical origin. [1][2][3]
How does it work?
Google’s Search guide describes retrieving relevant pages and using their information in responses with supporting links. [1]
The Gemini API documentation describes a workflow in which the system can generate searches, process results, and return a grounded response with inline source annotations. [3] Google presents improved factual accuracy and access to current information as benefits of this feature. [3]
Those are provider claims; the cited documentation does not supply an independent comparative evaluation of factual accuracy. [3]
Which publisher controls apply?
As of Oct. 29, 2026, Google-Extended manages specified training uses and grounding in Gemini Apps and Grounding with Google Search on Vertex AI. [2] Google says the token does not affect inclusion or rankings in Google Search. [2]
The separate Search generative AI control governs whether a site’s links and content can appear in covered Search features or help ground their responses. [4] Google says this control does not affect AI training. [4]
| Question | Documented distinction |
|---|---|
| Does Google-Extended remove a site from Search? | Google says it does not affect Search inclusion. [2] |
| Can publishers exclude content from covered Search AI features? | Google documents a Search Console control for that purpose. [4] |
| Does a citation prove source influence? | AVJ’s methodology explicitly cautions against that inference. [5] |
How can it be observed?
As of Oct. 29, 2026, Google’s Gemini API documentation says URL citation annotations connect portions of a response to source URLs. [3] These are observable attributions, not a complete account of everything that influenced generation. [5]
Related terms
RAG · AI Overviews · Citation
How this was made: AVJ used AI tools to help draft this definition and compare it with the cited sources. Nhi Phan reviews the published version.
Sources
[1] Google Search Central. Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search. Updated July 10, 2026; accessed Oct. 29, 2026. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide
[2] Google. List of Google’s common crawlers. Updated Oct. 15, 2026; accessed Oct. 29, 2026. https://developers.google.com/crawling/docs/crawlers-fetchers/google-common-crawlers
[3] Google AI for Developers. Grounding with Google Search. Gemini API documentation; updated Oct. 28, 2026; accessed Oct. 29, 2026. https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/google-search
[4] Google. Search generative AI control. Search Console Help; accessed Oct. 29, 2026. https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16908024
[5] AI Visibility Journal. AVJ Citation Index — Methodology. Methodology v0, published Oct. 23, 2026; accessed Oct. 29, 2026. /index/methodology/