Google Search Console Discover Report Bug Explained
▼ Summary
– Google Search Console has a bug affecting the Google Discover performance report, causing clicks and impressions data to drop to zero or significantly decrease since June 5th.
– Google acknowledged the issue by adding an annotation to the chart, but the linked support document currently provides no details about the problem.
– The bug impacts all news publishers using the Discover report in Google Search Console, as shown by multiple examples of similar data drops.
– It remains unclear whether the lost data can be restored or backfilled by Google.
– Publishers should be aware this is a reporting bug and not an actual sudden decline in Discover traffic.
A technical issue in Google Search Console has caused unexpected data drops in the Discover performance reports, affecting numerous news publishers since June 5th. The problem manifests as dramatically reduced or zeroed-out click and impression metrics, creating confusion among website owners monitoring their traffic sources.
Multiple reports confirm the anomaly appears consistently across all news publishers using the Discover performance tracking feature. Google has acknowledged the problem by adding an annotation marker to affected charts, though detailed explanations remain unavailable at this time. The annotation links to a support document that currently lacks specific information about this particular issue.
Website administrators should note this appears to be a system-wide reporting glitch rather than an actual traffic loss. Historical data shows the sudden drop occurs precisely on June 5th across all affected accounts, suggesting a backend processing error rather than changes in user behavior or algorithm updates.
The temporary nature of this reporting issue becomes evident when comparing earlier screenshots without Google’s annotation to current versions. While the company hasn’t provided an estimated resolution timeline, similar past incidents suggest data restoration typically follows acknowledgment.
For digital marketers and publishers, the key takeaway is understanding this represents a measurement problem rather than performance decline. Google Discover traffic naturally experiences significant fluctuations, but the current complete absence of data points to technical difficulties. Monitoring official communications from Google will provide updates on whether historical data will be restored or if reporting will resume normally moving forward.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
