In short. A zero-click search ends without a click on any result, including when the searcher changes the query or ends the browsing session.
Definition: A zero-click search is a search that ends without a click on any result. It includes searches followed by another query or by the end of the browsing session, as described in SparkToro's definition.
Key facts
- SparkToro's June 2026 study reports that 68.01% of US Google searches in its desktop and mobile web panel end without a click during the first four months of 2026.
- Pew Research Center's July 2025 analysis finds traditional-result clicks on 8% of visits with an AI summary, compared with 15% without one, using browsing activity from March 2025.
- As of 17 October 2026, Google's measurement documentation counts a click from an AI Overview when someone follows a link to an external page.
- Google's AI features documentation places traffic from AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search Console's Performance report under the Web search type.
What counts as a clickless search?
In SparkToro's study definition, a searcher can leave satisfied, leave frustrated, or change the query. Each outcome can end without a result click. A zero-click observation alone therefore leaves the searcher's satisfaction unresolved.
The 2026 study counts clicks to Google properties, organic website links and advertisers in its clicked-search category. A click to YouTube therefore counts as a click even when an independent publisher receives no visit. Reports about traffic reaching independent websites measure a different outcome from searches ending without any result click.
How are the estimates measured?
SparkToro's methodology uses Similarweb's desktop and mobile web panel. For mobile behavior, it treats ten seconds of inactivity as the end of a search session. The coverage excludes Google's mobile search application. Its historical comparisons also draw on different panels and devices, which matters when interpreting changes between studies.
Pew's methodology follows browsing activity from 900 US adults and collects the corresponding search results in April 2025. It matches the next visited URL against result links to classify subsequent actions. The study also finds clicks on links inside AI summaries in 1% of visits to pages containing a summary. These figures describe observed behavior associated with different search-page types.
What can a website measure?
Google's Performance report documentation defines click-through rate, abbreviated CTR, as the click count divided by the impression count. An impression records an appearance of the site in search results. The documented calculation is:
CTR = click count / impression count
This denominator concerns appearances of the measured site. A zero-click study follows the outcome of the whole search, including whether another result receives a click.
The report groups data by query, page, country and device. Comparing those groups over a defined period helps locate changes in a site's search performance. Google's AI features guidance also recommends tracking conversions and time spent on the site alongside Search Console data.
Related terms
FAQ
Does zero-click mean the searcher found the answer?
SparkToro's definition includes satisfied searchers, frustrated searchers and people who change their query. Those outcomes share the absence of a result click.
Can a page appear as a source without receiving a visit?
Yes. Google's AI Overview measurement rules count an external-link click when someone follows the link. Source display and a visit are separate events.
How should you use a headline zero-click percentage?
Read it with its study coverage. For example, SparkToro's 2026 methodology covers desktop and mobile browser activity and excludes the Google mobile search application.
Sources
- SparkToro, "2024 Zero-Click Search Study", 1 July 2024
- SparkToro, "In 2026, Less than One Third of Google Searches Still Send a Click", 8 June 2026
- Pew Research Center, "Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results", 22 July 2025
- Google, "What are impressions, position, and clicks?", accessed 17 October 2026
- Google Search Central, "AI features and your website", updated 10 December 2025
- Google, "Performance report (Search results): Overview and basic setup", accessed 17 October 2026
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