Google AI Overviews is OFF in Romania as of August 8, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Valahia News is the first Romanian media outlet to announce that Google’s AI Overviews no longer appear for specific searches in Romania, as of August 8, 2025.

In a move that has surprised many digital marketers and publishers, Google’s AI Overviews—the AI-powered summaries that appear at the top of specific search results—are no longer active in Romania.

Live testing carried out by Valahia News on August 8, 2025, early in the morning, using tens of queries that previously triggered AI Overviews, confirms the change. Searches such as “how to make a sourdough starter step by step” and “why is the sky blue” now return the traditional Google results layout, with no AI-generated answer box.

There are hundreds of specific queries tested, but the above are among the classic examples. No query is still bringing AI Overviews results on top of the classical feed – instead, only snippet features or organic results.

What AI Overviews Are

Launched globally in May 2025, AI Overviews quickly became one of Google’s most talked-about features. By synthesising information from multiple sources, they provided users with a concise answer directly in the search results, often reducing the need to click through to individual websites.

While convenient for users, AI Overviews had a significant impact on SEO strategies and organic traffic, as many websites saw a drop in clicks when answers were displayed directly in the SERPs.

Impact on Romania’s Digital Landscape

With the removal of AI Overviews, at least for now, Romanian businesses, publishers, and content creators may see a rebound in organic traffic. More searchers will have to click on actual web pages to get the information they need, returning visibility to websites that were previously pushed further down the page.

Recently, a study on the traffic drop for news platforms in Romania showed between 40 and 70% loss in organic traffic for famous online platforms, including ziare.com, click.ro or even stiripesurse.

Expert Opinion on AI Overviews Removal – Is It Temporary?

To understand the potential implications, Valahia News spoke with Adam C., founder of TUYA Digital – SEO & Digital Marketing.

This is a significant shift. We’ve spent months advising clients on how to adapt to the reduced visibility caused by AI Overviews, with this feature gone, even temporarily, the playing field changes. Websites have a chance to regain some of the traffic they lost. It’s hard to say if it’s temporary or not or if it’s for all queries or specific ones. Google runs a lot of regional tests. This might be temporary, due to the recent launch of ChatGPT 5, or it could be connected to ongoing discussions in the EU around AI transparency and copyright. Either way, smart marketers will use this time to double down on organic SEO.

Adam C., TUYA Digital – SEO & GEO on the removal of the AI Overviews feature in Romania on August 8th

Google has not issued an official statement regarding the removal of AI Overviews for Romanian users or the European markets. It could be a glitch in the Matrix or a temporary decision based on the recent effects of the Google July algorithm update. Until then, the change remains unexplained.

Valahia News will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates if Google confirms whether this is a temporary test, a compliance-related pause, or a permanent removal.