Google pilots enhanced Discover profiles for 54 U.S. publishers

Image credit: Abondance

Google launched an unannounced pilot program providing 54 selected U.S. publishers with enhanced profiles on its Discover platform since March 2026, allowing for significant content customization.

The initiative enables these publishers to feature custom banners, configure specific featured links, and pin articles directly to their profiles, a strategic move to empower content creators and bolster local news outlets.

Unlike standard Discover profiles that state ‘Profile generated by Google‘, these enhanced versions offer publishers greater control over their digital presence, including the order of social links and tabs, according to an analysis by 1492.vision.

1492.vision, an organization that monitors 47,000 Discover profiles, identified the 54 publishers involved in the program, which includes a diverse mix of national, regional, local, and specialized news organizations.

The selection heavily emphasizes local journalism, a sector that has faced significant challenges in recent years, as noted by organizations like Pew Research.

Prominent participants include national outlets such as Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, New York Post, and New York Magazine, alongside regional and local news providers like The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe, SFGate, KTLA, PIX11, MyFox8, WSMV, Gothamist, and THE CITY.

Specialized publishers like Delish, Country Living, The Dodo, House Beautiful, and The Athletic are also part of the pilot program.

Major media groups such as Hearst, Dotdash Meredith, and Dow Jones, which includes Barron’s and Mansion Global, have publishers participating in the program.

Forty-one of the 54 publishers have already implemented custom banners, signaling an investment in design and varied visual strategies, including brand patterns and editorial content, 1492.vision reported.

The enriched profiles represent a shift in how Google interacts with select publishers, offering them more tools to differentiate their content within the Discover feed.

Google has not publicly announced the program, which appears to be a targeted effort to test new features with a limited group of content providers.

Source: Abondance