What Is Google Testing in Discover?
Google is testing a “Dive deeper” button on some Discover cards that opens an AI-written overview of the topic. Discover is Google’s personalised feed of content “such as articles and videos.” Publishers cannot submit to it: Google says content is “automatically eligible to appear in Discover if it is indexed by Google and meets Discover’s content policies” (Google Search Central; see how Discover eligibility works).
Robby Stein, Google’s vice president of product for Search, announced the test on X at 4:13 p.m. Eastern on Friday, September 18, 2026. His post reads in part: “By tapping “Dive deeper,” you’ll see a short topic overview with prominent links to related stories, community reactions & original reporting. We’ll test this experience on videos to start, and experiment with multiple designs in the weeks ahead (example below) as we iterate to learn what works best” (Robby Stein on X).
The post does not say which countries, languages or share of users are in the test, as Search Engine Journal noted (Search Engine Journal). We found no Google blog post, help page or Search Central documentation describing the feature as of October 20, 2026, and no announcement that the test has become a general rollout.
What Does the Example in Google’s Post Show?
The example image shows three phone screens, and the publisher link moves further from the top on each one. We describe it as published; Stein calls it an example, and Google says the design will change.
| Screen | What appears | Where the publisher sits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discover card | A KCRA 3 weather video from YouTube, a headline and a three-sentence summary labelled “Generated with AI, which can make mistakes,” then a “Dive deeper” button | Source names and logos below the button |
| 2. Topic overview | The video, the headline, the AI summary again, then a card linking to a kcra.com story and a longer AI-written paragraph | One link card under the summary |
| 3. “Explore more stories” | Further AI-written paragraphs on related events, each followed by one-line descriptions of publisher stories | Named links under each paragraph, including the San Francisco Chronicle |
Source for the table: the example image in Robby Stein’s X post, September 18, 2026, viewed October 20, 2026. Two of the outlets named in the example, “The Local Tribune” and “The Daily Evening,” appear to be placeholder names in a mock-up; we do not read the image as a record of real traffic or real story choices.
Why Do Publishers Worry It Will Cost Them Clicks?
Because the button sends the reader to Google’s summary first, and a reader who gets the gist there has less reason to open an article. That is the argument trade commentators made the day the test was announced.
Barry Schwartz, executive editor of Search Engine Roundtable, wrote: “I am not sure I like this, it will probably lead to even less traffic from Google to publishers.” He argued that the AI overview gives readers the context and little reason to click through (Search Engine Roundtable).
Stein’s post presents it the other way: as a way to make “discovering related web content easier,” with “prominent links” to stories (Robby Stein on X). Both positions are claims about behaviour that no one outside Google can yet measure. Google has published no click-through figures for the test, and we found none from publishers.
Has Google Put AI Summaries in Discover Before?
Yes. “Dive deeper” is the latest of several AI features Google has added to Discover, each moving more of the reading onto Google’s own page.
| When | Feature | As reported by |
|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | AI previews on trending topics in Discover, expandable with links to the web, launched in the US, South Korea and India | Search Engine Journal |
| June 2026 | AI-written summaries of about two sentences grouping several publishers’ stories, seen sporadically; Google said readers can use “the cluster of related stories at the bottom of an Discover AI Overview” | Press Gazette |
| September 18, 2026 | “Dive deeper” button opening a topic overview, tested on video cards first | Robby Stein on X |
Press Gazette’s June report described an example in which 14 publishers were grouped under one story and, at first, only one was clickable (Press Gazette). That is one observed case, not a measured pattern, but it shows the concern: when a summary credits many outlets, each one may receive a smaller share of the clicks.
Can a Publisher Opt Out, and Will Its Reports Show the Effect?
Partly, and not clearly. Google’s Search Console has offered a control since August 31, 2026 that lets a site decide whether it appears in “generative AI Search features (like AI Overviews, AI Mode or AI Overviews in Discover)” (Google).
Google says that “Sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from our generative AI features,” and that the control “will not be used as a ranking signal for search results outside of these generative AI Search features” (Google). Neither that post nor Stein’s says whether a “Dive deeper” overview counts as an AI Overview in Discover for this purpose. Our guides on what Google pays publishers for AI Overviews and snippet and AI Overview controls cover the toggle in more detail.
On reporting, Google’s Discover documentation says the Search Console Performance report for Discover “shows impressions, clicks, and CTR for any of your content that has appeared on Discover in the last 16 months,” and that it “fully tracks a site’s Discover traffic across all surfaces where users interact with Discover” (Google Search Central). The page, last updated March 9, 2026, does not say how an impression or click inside a topic overview is counted, so a publisher cannot yet separate “Dive deeper” traffic from the rest of its Discover numbers.
What This Means for Anyone Buying a Placement
Discover visibility for an article is worth less if more readers stop at Google’s summary, and a placement’s value rests more on what the article says than on how many clicks it draws. The checks below are our recommendations, not Google rules.
- Do not treat Discover traffic as part of the deal. No outlet can promise Discover distribution, which Google decides, and nothing in this test changes that.
- Make the article worth the click. Stein’s post says the overview links to “original reporting.” An article with first-hand detail, data or a named interview gives the reader a reason to leave the summary; a rewritten press release does not.
- Ask the outlet what it measures. If a publisher reports Discover clicks to you, ask whether it has seen changes since September and whether it has opted out of Google’s AI features, which would also remove it from AI Overviews in Discover.
- Read the summary, not only the story. An AI overview can describe a company in words the article never used. Check how a story about you is summarised if it appears in Discover, and keep a dated screenshot.
- Keep paid content labelled. A paid article is advertising and should carry a sponsored label and typically sponsored or nofollow links. Discover allows sponsored content only when it is disclosed (does Google Discover carry sponsored content?). Payment buys no Discover placement, AI citation or ranking.
Methodology and Limitations
Four limits apply. First, the feature is a test, and Google has said its design will change, so the example image may not match what any reader sees. Second, two trade reports on the test (Search Engine Land and Android Authority) refused our requests, so we do not cite them. Third, the October 2025 trending-topics launch is taken from Search Engine Journal’s report; we did not reopen Google’s original announcement. Fourth, no one outside Google has published click data for the test, and we ran no tests of our own.
Conclusion
Google’s “Dive deeper” test puts an AI summary between a Discover reader and the article, and keeps the publisher links below it. Google calls that easier discovery; publishers’ advocates call it fewer clicks; neither side has published numbers. For a buyer, the practical point is the same either way: a placement is worth what it says, not the Discover traffic it might draw, and an article with original reporting is the kind Google’s own post says it will link to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “Dive deeper” in Google Discover?
It is a button Google began testing in Discover in September 2026. Tapping it opens a short AI-generated topic overview with links to related stories, community reactions and original reporting, according to Google’s Robby Stein.
When did Google announce the Discover “Dive deeper” test?
Robby Stein, Google’s vice president of product for Search, announced it on X on September 18, 2026. Google said the test starts on video cards and that it would try multiple designs.
Is “Dive deeper” available to everyone?
No public rollout has been announced. Google’s post does not name the countries, languages or share of users in the test, and Google’s Discover documentation, last updated March 9, 2026, does not mention it.
Will “Dive deeper” reduce traffic to publishers?
Google has published no click data. Search Engine Roundtable’s Barry Schwartz wrote that it will likely send less traffic to publishers because the overview gives readers the context without a click; Google says the overview carries prominent links to stories.
Can a site opt out of AI overviews in Discover?
Google’s Search Console control lets a site opt out of generative AI features, including AI Overviews in Discover, and Google says opted-out sites will not receive traffic or impressions from them. Google has not said whether the control covers “Dive deeper.”
Does a paid placement get into Google Discover?
No. Discover selects content automatically, and Google says content is eligible if it is indexed and meets Discover’s content policies. A paid article must still be disclosed as sponsored, and payment buys no Discover distribution.
Sources and Methodology
This guide is built from Google’s own announcement and documentation and three trade-press reports, all read on October 20, 2026. The buyer checklist is our recommendation, not a Google rule. We did not see the feature live and ran no traffic tests.
- official Robby Stein (Google), post on X announcing the “Dive deeper” test, September 18, 2026, with example image. Supports the announcement, its wording, the video-first test and the example screens. Read October 20, 2026.
- platform documentation Google Search Central, Get on Discover, last updated March 9, 2026. Supports the eligibility sentence, the Discover Performance report wording and the absence of any “Dive deeper” reference. Read October 20, 2026.
- official Google, New opportunities, control and insights for website owners, June 3, 2026, updated August 31, 2026. Supports the Search Console AI-features control and its wording. Read October 20, 2026.
- trade press Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Roundtable, Google Discover Tests Dive Deeper Feature, September 18, 2026. Supports the traffic concern. Read October 20, 2026.
- trade press Matt G. Southern, Search Engine Journal, Google Discover Test Adds Topic Overviews, Starting With Videos, September 18, 2026. Supports the missing country, language and scale details and the October 2025 trending-topics launch. Read October 20, 2026.
- trade press Charlotte Tobitt, Press Gazette, Google AI changes could deal further blow to publisher Discover traffic, June 29, 2026, updated July 13, 2026. Supports the June 2026 grouped-summary example and Google’s response. Read October 20, 2026.