Google Blocks Discover Data Hack in Search Console | How It Was Found and Why It Matters

Google has long used Discover as a means to surface personalised content directly within its mobile ecosystem, drawing heavily from a user’s interests and browsing behaviour. Recently, however, it has begun experimenting with bringing Discover to the desktop version of its home page. While the official rollout has not yet occurred, Google has actively tested this feature across selected regions and devices.

This shift marks a significant change in how Google curates and distributes content to users. It also reflects a broader intent to unify the mobile and desktop user experience. Bringing Discover to desktop could increase visibility for publishers and generate new user engagement trends that mirror or diverge from mobile patterns.

Although we are yet to see a public timeline for this rollout, signs suggest that Google is laying the groundwork behind the scenes. These tests have implications not just for user experience, but also for SEO professionals, digital marketers and publishers who rely on Discover as a traffic source.

How the Community Uncovered Desktop Discover Metrics

Even though Google Search Console gives performance reports for Google Discover, showing how many times your content appears, how many clicks it gets, and the click-through rate (CTR), it only shows this data for mobile users. Up until recently, there wasn’t an official way for users to see Discover performance specifically for desktop versus mobile.

However, Brodie Clark, a well-known expert in the SEO field, found a clever trick. He figured out a way to separate the desktop and mobile data for Discover within Search Console. He shared this method on LinkedIn, and it quickly became popular among people in the digital marketing world.

The trick involves manually changing the web address (URL) of a Discover performance report in Search Console. By adding a specific piece of text to the end of the URL—&metrics=CLICKS&compare_device=MOBILE&device=DESKTOP—users could, for a while at least, see their Discover data broken down by whether it was viewed on a desktop computer or a mobile device.

Following this discovery, John Shehata shared some initial findings based on this manipulated data. His analysis looked at how desktop and mobile Discover performed across billions of impressions. This made the trick more than just an interesting find; it became a temporary way to do research and get new insights into how people were interacting with Discover content on different types of devices.

Analysing Early Data from the Discover Hack

Although unofficial, the early data obtained through this clever workaround offered a fascinating peek into how Google Discover might be performing on desktop devices. John Shehata’s analysis of approximately 9.6 billion impressions revealed several noteworthy trends.   

Firstly, the data suggests that Google has been experimenting with integrating Discover onto desktop platforms for well over a year and a half. These weren’t isolated tests; rather, they hinted at a longer-term strategic initiative aimed at a more comprehensive integration of Discover into the way users interact with search on their computers.   

The data also showed some interesting spikes in desktop impressions, particularly around late July 2024 and again in October of the same year. However, these increases didn’t last, and there hasn’t been a clear, sustained rise in impressions since Google publicly acknowledged they were testing Discover on desktop. This might indicate a gradual rollout plan or that Google is selectively testing the feature in specific markets.   

Looking at geographical distribution, the data revealed that Discover desktop traffic didn’t appear in a significant number of countries – 87 out of the 280 listed in Search Console’s reports. This absence could point to either deliberate regional limitations or a phased implementation strategy where certain user populations are being prioritized.   

Finally, in terms of how well it performed, mobile Discover significantly outperformed the desktop version. In almost every region analysed, the click-through rates on mobile were nearly double those on desktop. In the United States, desktop impressions only accounted for about 4 percent of the mobile figures. An interesting exception to this trend was New Zealand, where desktop traffic reached approximately 18 percent of the mobile volume, suggesting that New Zealand might be serving as a key test market for this new functionality.

Google Disables the Workaround and Closes Access

Despite the buzz and the temporary insights that clever trick provided, Google quickly moved to close that back door. The method of changing the URL to see the desktop data was disabled without any official announcement or update to their help documents.

Google’s decision to shut down this workaround shows they knew people were using it and made a deliberate choice to restrict access to that specific data. While Google has always kept a close eye on the information they share through Search Console, this event highlights just how tightly they control their data environment.

It’s still uncertain if the data we got from that trick was completely accurate. Because it wasn’t an official method, there was always a chance that the results didn’t perfectly match how Google’s systems process and index data. However, many SEO professionals found the glimpse it provided valuable, especially considering Google is increasingly testing features that work across different devices.

Anticipated Introduction of Desktop Filters in Search Console

The temporary workaround that allowed users to see desktop data in Google Discover reports, while now disabled, highlighted a significant need within the SEO community: the ability to segment Discover performance by device type. Understanding the differences in engagement between mobile and desktop users offers valuable strategic insights for content creators, SEO professionals, and businesses.

As Google continues to explore the integration of Discover into the desktop experience, it’s logical to anticipate the eventual introduction of an official desktop filter within Google Search Console. This feature would not only validate the data glimpsed through the recent hack but also bring the tool in line with contemporary user behaviour across devices.

Implementing a desktop filter would empower website owners with a clearer understanding of where their audience actively engages with Discover content. This, in turn, would facilitate more effective targeting strategies, inform device-specific content formatting decisions, and refine campaign design. For instance, insights could reveal a preference among desktop users for longer, more detailed content formats, while mobile audiences might show a stronger affinity for concise, visually rich materials.

Why This Matters to Publishers and SEO Professionals

From an industry standpoint, this event reflects a broader trend in how Google manages transparency and accessibility within its tools. The disabling of the workaround may frustrate some users, but it also signals that official solutions are likely in development.

In the meantime, marketers and publishers must continue to navigate a Discover ecosystem that is rich in potential but still somewhat opaque in its reporting. As Google expands the presence of Discover across device types, it becomes increasingly important to monitor how content performs on each platform.

The core lesson here is that Search Console remains a curated experience. While workarounds may occasionally surface, lasting insights will come only when Google chooses to support them officially. Until then, SEO professionals must focus on optimising content quality, relevance and visual presentation to make the most of existing Discover opportunities.

Publishers should also watch for any regional trends or updates, particularly in countries like New Zealand where early testing seems to be more prominent. Being among the first to adapt to a shift in platform behaviour can provide a temporary but valuable edge.