For website owners and digital marketers, Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential tool for tracking how well their site performs in Google Search and Discover. However, recent reporting bugs in the Discover performance report have caused significant concern among publishers and SEO professionals, leading to confusion about traffic drops and data accuracy.
The Current Crisis: June 2025 Data Reporting Issues
The most recent and significant bug affecting Google Search Console's Discover performance report began on June 5, 2025. Publishers worldwide have reported dramatic drops in their Discover metrics, with many seeing their clicks and impressions data either drop to zero or show significantly reduced numbers compared to historical performance.
This issue has particularly impacted news publishers who rely heavily on Google Discover for traffic distribution. The sudden disappearance of data has caused panic among content creators and marketing teams who depend on these metrics for performance analysis and strategic decision-making.
After widespread reporting of the issue, Google acknowledged the problem by adding an annotation to the Discover performance charts, indicating that there are known issues with data from June 5th onward. This acknowledgment came after the issue was first highlighted by industry publications and SEO communities.
Historical Context: A Pattern of Recurring Issues
There have been serious issues with Google Search Console's Discover performance report before. The platform has a documented history of reporting anomalies that have affected publishers' ability to accurately track their Discover performance.
Previous Notable Incidents
October 2024 Panic: In late October 2024, another major bug caused widespread concern when the performance report showed incorrect data, leading to what industry observers described as "panic" among publishers who thought they had experienced massive traffic drops.
November 2022 Reporting Bug: A significant reporting bug occurred on October 23, 2022, which affected the accuracy of Discover performance data. Google made it clear that this was only a reporting problem and had no bearing on user experience or actual search results.
August 2022 Data Loss: Publishers experienced another reporting issue in August 2022, where Discover data was either missing or significantly underreported, creating challenges for marketers trying to analyze their content performance.
Interface Glitches
Beyond data reporting issues, the Discover performance report has also experienced interface bugs. In May 2025, users reported a peculiar bug where a blue notice prompt would appear with a mysterious hashtag, accompanied by "Learn more" and "Got it" text options. While this was clearly identified as a user interface bug, it added to the frustration of users already dealing with data accuracy concerns.
Impact on Publishers and SEO Professionals
The recurring bugs in Google Search Console's Discover performance report have created several significant challenges for the digital marketing community:
Decision-Making Complications
To make well-informed decisions regarding content strategy, resource allocation, and performance optimization, publishers rely on Discover performance data. When this data is inaccurate or missing, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish between actual performance changes and reporting errors.
Analytics Integration Issues
Many organizations integrate Google Search Console data with other analytics platforms and business intelligence tools. Reporting bugs can cascade through these systems, leading to incorrect insights and potentially misguided strategic decisions.
Client and Stakeholder Communication
SEO professionals and digital marketing agencies face challenges when explaining performance fluctuations to clients and stakeholders. Distinguishing between actual traffic changes and reporting bugs requires constant vigilance and deep platform knowledge.
Understanding Google Discover's Volatility
It's important to note that Google Discover traffic is inherently volatile by design. The platform is engineered to surface timely, relevant content to users based on their interests and search behavior. This means that significant fluctuations in Discover traffic are normal and expected, even without reporting bugs.
This natural volatility makes it particularly challenging to identify when drops in reported metrics are due to actual performance changes versus technical reporting issues. Publishers must develop sophisticated approaches to data analysis that account for both the platform's inherent variability and potential reporting anomalies.
Google's Response and Transparency
Google has generally been responsive to reports of major bugs in Search Console, typically acknowledging issues and providing updates through official channels. The company maintains a dedicated page for "Data anomalies in Search Console" where it documents known issues and their resolution status.
However, the recurring nature of these problems suggests that the Discover performance reporting system may have underlying technical challenges that require more comprehensive solutions.
Best Practices for Publishers
Given the history of reporting issues, publishers should adopt several strategies to mitigate the impact of potential bugs:
Diversified Analytics Approach
It can be problematic to rely only on Google Search Console for tracking Discover Performance. Publishers should implement multiple tracking methods, including:
- Server-side analytics tracking
- Google Analytics integration
- Third-party traffic analysis tools
- Direct traffic monitoring through web server logs
Historical Data Preservation
Maintaining independent records of performance data can help identify discrepancies when reporting bugs occur. Regular data exports and archival practices ensure that historical context remains available even when platform reporting fails.
Community Monitoring
Staying connected with SEO communities and industry publications helps identify widespread reporting issues quickly. When multiple publishers report similar problems simultaneously, it's often indicative of a platform-wide bug rather than individual site issues.
The Broader Context of Search Console Reliability
While Google Search Console remains an essential tool for SEO professionals and publishers, the recurring issues with Discover performance reporting highlight the importance of maintaining realistic expectations about platform reliability. Google continues to invest in improving data freshness and reporting accuracy, including recent improvements that have reduced average data delay by almost half.
The introduction of new features like the 24-hour performance view demonstrates Google's commitment to enhancing the platform's capabilities. However, publishers must balance their reliance on these tools with independent monitoring and verification methods.
Conclusion
The ongoing challenges with Google Search Console's Discover performance report underscore the complex technical requirements of accurately tracking and reporting content performance across Google's ecosystem. While these bugs create significant challenges for publishers and SEO professionals, understanding their historical context and implementing robust monitoring strategies can help mitigate their impact.
As Google continues to refine its reporting systems, publishers should maintain diverse analytics approaches and stay informed about platform updates and known issues. The volatile nature of Discover traffic, combined with periodic reporting bugs, requires a sophisticated understanding of both the platform's intended behavior and its technical limitations.
References
- Search Engine Land. (2025). "Bug with Google Search Console Discover performance report." Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/bug-with-google-search-console-discover-performance-report-456772
- Search Engine Roundtable. (2025). "Google Search Console Discover Report Flatlining - Might Be A Reporting Bug." Retrieved from https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-console-discover-report-flatlining-39551.html
- Search Engine Land. (2024). "Google Search Console performance report bug causes panic." Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/google-search-console-performance-report-bug-causes-panic-447812
- Search Engine Roundtable. (2025). "Google Search Console Discover Performance Report Hashtag Notice Bug." Retrieved from https://www.seroundtable.com/gsc-discover-performance-report-hashtag-notice-bug-39463.html
- Google Support. (2025). "Data anomalies in Search Console." Retrieved from https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6211453?hl=en
- Search Engine Land. (2022). "Google Search Console reporting bug with Discover performance report." Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/google-search-console-reporting-bug-with-discover-performance-report-389521
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