Google Removes “Follow” Feature From Discover: What This Update Really Means (Nov 19, 2025)
On November 19, 2025, Google quietly announced an update:
they have removed the “Follow” feature from Google Discover, and therefore deleted all related documentation from their official Search guidelines.
While the announcement sounds technical, the impact is actually very small — but still important for SEOs to understand clearly.
What Exactly Did Google Change?
Google has confirmed two things:
- The Follow button is no longer available inside Google Discover.
- All guidance, help pages, and SEO references to this feature have been removed.
Previously, users could tap “Follow” to get more updates from specific websites.
With this change, that capability has fully disappeared from Discover.
Does This Affect Rankings, Algorithms, or Traffic?
No — this update does NOT affect rankings, traffic, or Discover optimization.
Google’s Follow feature was only a user-side personalization tool, not a ranking factor.
Removing it does not influence:
- How Google ranks pages in Discover
- How much traffic a site gets
- Google’s algorithmic decisions
- Site authority or trust signals
- Publisher visibility
Meaning:
Your Discover performance will remain exactly the same as before.
This update is simply the removal of a user UI feature — nothing connected to SEO signals.
So Why Did Google Remove It?
Google hasn’t given a deep explanation, but the official reason is simple:
“The Follow feature is no longer shown in Google Discover.”
This suggests that Google is deprecating certain personalization elements and moving toward other behavior-based signals rather than user-follow actions.
What Should SEOs or Website Owners Do?
Nothing special.
You don’t need to:
- Add or remove any markup
- Change any settings
- Update sitemap or feeds
- Optimize specifically for this feature
Just continue focusing on the longstanding factors that matter for Discover:
- Strong visuals
- High-quality content
- E-E-A-T
- Engaging topics
- User intent satisfaction
Final Word
This is a small update from Google — but it’s still good to stay informed.
The removal of the Discover Follow feature might simplify things, but your SEO strategy remains the same.
If you want, I can now also write a LinkedIn post summarizing this update in a short, viral-style format.
FAQ
No. This feature was not part of Google’s ranking systems. Removing it doesn’t impact rankings or visibility.
Not at all. Discover traffic is driven by content quality and user engagement, not by the Follow feature.
Google hasn’t given a detailed reason, but they stated that the feature is “no longer shown” in Discover. It appears to be a UI retirement.
No changes are required. There is no markup or technical setting related to the Follow feature.
No. Focus on what still matters: visuals, topical relevance, E-E-A-T, and user engagement. Those signals continue to drive Discover visibility.
AUTHOR
Harshit Kumar is an AI SEO Specialist India and the founder of kumarharshit.in, with 7+ years of experience in technical SEO, AI integration, and performance-driven organic growth. He actively tracks Google search updates, industry shifts, and algorithm changes to help businesses stay ahead in search.
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