Google Tests "Dive Deeper" AI Topic Overviews Inside Discover Feed
Google is experimenting with a "Dive Deeper" feature in Discover that opens an AI-generated topic overview directly from a feed card, potentially keeping users on Google-owned surfaces before — or instead of — visiting a publisher's site. The test begins with video content and raises new measurement questions for publishers tracking the gap between AI impressions and actual referral clicks.
Google has begun testing a feature called "Dive Deeper" inside its Discover feed that allows users to open an AI-generated topic overview without immediately navigating to the publisher or creator responsible for the original content, according to a report published by TechWyse on September 21, 2026.
The feature surfaces as a button beneath participating Discover cards. When tapped, it opens a Google-hosted overview rather than directing the user off-platform. Google Search Vice President Robby Stein described the experiment on September 18 as "a new way to make exploring a topic and discovering related web content easier in Discover." Stein said the experience provides "a short topic overview with prominent links to related stories, community reactions & original reporting." Google will initially test the feature with videos and plans to experiment with multiple designs in the weeks ahead.
The AI-generated overview includes a notice warning that the generated information can contain mistakes, according to TechWyse. Publisher links remain present within the expanded view, but they now sit alongside an information layer that may address a reader's immediate questions before an off-platform visit occurs.
Context: Zero-Click Search Trends
TechWyse notes that the experiment extends a pattern already visible in Google Search. The outlet previously reported that "68% of U.S. Google searches ended without a click during the first four months of 2026," based on SparkToro analysis of Similarweb clickstream data. TechWyse explicitly cautions, however, that search behaviour and Discover behaviour are not interchangeable, so that figure cannot be applied directly to predict outcomes inside Discover.
Google has argued that its AI experiences can expose users to a wider range of websites and help them find original content, and the company has been expanding direct source links across generative Search experiences.
Measurement Gap for Publishers
Google completed the worldwide rollout of dedicated Search Console reporting for generative AI features in Discover on August 31, giving site owners the ability to see which URLs are being surfaced inside AI-powered Discover experiences. The report tracks impressions, pages, countries and dates.
TechWyse identifies a significant limitation: the dedicated Discover AI report currently covers impressions rather than clicks for individual generative AI features, and does not provide a Dive Deeper-specific breakdown. This makes the relationship between AI visibility and actual referral traffic harder to diagnose for publishers and SEOs.
TechWyse recommends that publishers compare conventional Discover clicks and click-through rates against generative AI impressions, rather than treating additional AI visibility as equivalent to traffic. The outlet also notes that Search Console now supports platform properties for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and X, allowing creators to monitor how social and video content appears across Search and Discover.
Scope and Status
Google has not announced when Dive Deeper will expand beyond video content, how large the current experiment is, which markets are included, or whether the format will become a permanent Discover feature. Google itself acknowledges that Discover traffic "can be less predictable than keyword-driven Search traffic" and recommends treating it as supplemental to search referrals.
Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
