Google Lowers the Follower Bar for Search Profiles

Updated Oct. 26, 2026, 6:56 a.m. ET: Adds that Google later cut the TikTok threshold to 35,000 as well.

Claiming a Google Search profile just got easier. Google has cut the minimum audience needed to qualify from 100,000 followers to 35,000 on YouTube, Instagram or X, Search Engine Roundtable reported after spotting the change in Google’s help documents. TikTok stayed at 100,000.

Google’s Robby Stein confirmed the move on X: “We’re lowering the follower thresholds so more creators and publishers can set them up.” He added that Google is “also expanding them to more countries soon.” Profiles launched in the U.S. only.

What a Search profile does

Google describes Search profiles as “a dedicated, shareable space to highlight content across platforms, and help audiences find accurate, up-to-date information about sources on Search,” in its launch post. A profile collects a publisher’s or creator’s latest articles, videos and social posts in one place, with an avatar, bio, website and links to their other platforms.

People reach a profile through the knowledge panel on mobile, by tapping a source’s name in Discover, or through a direct URL. Claiming one can also trigger the creation of a knowledge panel for eligible sources, and an existing panel gets the updated avatar, recent content and a profile link.

The follow button is the point

The feature that matters most for marketers is the follow button. People who follow a source from its profile are “more likely to see that content on Discover,” Google says, referring to the feed on the Google app’s home screen.

That’s why the launch drew attention beyond creators. Variety framed it against publishers’ frustration that Google’s AI summaries have cut the referral traffic they get from search. A follow relationship in Discover is one of the few channels Google offers where a publisher can build a direct audience inside Google’s own surfaces.

What to do now

If your brand, newsletter or channel cleared 35,000 followers on one of the eligible platforms, it’s worth claiming the profile and filling it in properly: a clear avatar and bio, the right website, and every social account you want linked. Treat it like a business profile for content. And since Google ties follows to Discover visibility, it’s worth putting a “follow us on Google” prompt wherever your audience already finds you.