Google is testing a Discover feature called “Dive deeper” that opens an AI-generated topic overview instead of taking readers straight to a publisher page. Search Engine Land reported the test on 20 September 2026, and PPC Land covered it a day earlier.
If Discover sends you visits, this is worth a quick check this week. It is a test, not a rollout, so the goal is awareness and a small amount of preparation.
In short
Google is testing a Discover button that opens an AI-generated overview before any publisher page, so check your Discover clicks in Search Console now and do not rely on that traffic.
What Google is testing in Discover
According to PPC Land, a new button on Discover cards opens a Google-created topic summary, with links to related stories and publisher reporting underneath. Google's Robby Stein described it as "a new way to make exploring a topic and discovering related web content easier", and said the test starts "on videos to start", with "multiple designs" to be tried.
Google's own line, quoted by Search Engine Land, is: "By tapping 'Dive deeper,' you'll see a short topic overview with prominent links to related stories, community reactions & original reporting." Search Engine Land's concern is that readers who get a good summary may not click through, and it calls Discover "the only significant source of Google traffic to publishers these days".
What the Dive deeper test means for your traffic
The trade-off is simple: Discover can still show your content, but the reader may meet an AI summary first. Neither source publishes click data for the new button, so nobody outside Google knows yet how much traffic it moves.
For a small site, the practical risk is dependence. If Discover is one of your bigger traffic sources, a design change you do not control can shift your numbers overnight.
What to do this week
Open Search Console, go to Performance, and check the Discover report if your site has one. Note your clicks over the last three months so you have a baseline before any change reaches you.
Then reduce the exposure. Publish pages with something a summary cannot replace, such as original data, a local example or a tool, and give each page a next step like an email sign-up. Track Discover clicks weekly so a drop does not go unnoticed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dive deeper live for everyone?
No. Google describes it as a test that starts on videos, with several designs planned over the coming weeks, so what you see may differ from what your readers see.
Will Google's overview still link to my page?
Google says the overview has prominent links to related stories and original reporting. Whether readers click those links instead of stopping at the summary is the open question, and the reports so far do not include click data.
Can I opt out of the Dive deeper button?
The sources I read do not mention an opt-out for this test, so I would not assume one exists. Watch Google's Search Central channels for any controls if the test becomes permanent.
Sources
- Search Engine Land, "Google testing "Dive deeper" for Google Discover - it's not good for publishers", 20 September 2026.
- PPC Land, "Google Discover test button sends readers to AI overview, not publisher", 19 September 2026.
Related guides in this series
- Google's AI Overviews now auto-expand, here's what to check this week
- Google's preferred sources button: what small publishers should do this week
- Google's new AI search toggle: should you opt out?
- Google's September 2026 spam update: what to check during the two week rollout
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Published: September 2026 | Author: Minh Pham | Drafted with AI, fact-checked and edited by Minh Pham
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