Google dropped the follower count needed to claim a Search profile from 35,000 to 10,000 on September 16, the third eligibility change since the feature launched in June. The company also began letting media groups run profiles for several publications from one Google Account, and refreshed how articles look on profile pages.
The company's blog post carried the announcement under the byline of Ibrahim Badr, a product manager on Google Search. Search profiles are verified pages that gather a publisher's or creator's articles, social accounts and links into a single destination on Google. The feature remains limited to the United States.
The new bar is 10,000 followers on YouTube, Instagram, X or TikTok. Search Engine Journal reported that the count works per account, so a publication clearing 10,000 on any single platform qualifies. When profiles launched on June 4, applicants needed 100,000 followers on YouTube, Instagram or X, or 300,000 on TikTok. Robby Stein, VP of product for Google Search, said on August 12 that lower thresholds were coming, and Google's help page still listed 35,000 for all four platforms on the morning of the announcement. By Search Engine Journal's count, that makes three different thresholds in 15 weeks.
Google also removed a requirement to use a separate Google Account for every profile. Badr wrote that media organizations running multiple publications can now "claim and manage Search profiles for all of your sub-brands from a single login." Search Engine Roundtable reported that one Google Account can hold up to 10 profiles. The announcement refers to media companies and their sub-brands but does not say whether individual creators managing several profiles have the same option, Search Engine Journal noted.
Google also reworked the article module on profile pages. Headlines display at greater length and thumbnails are optimized, per Badr's post, which offered no pixel dimensions or character counts.
One item never made the blog post. Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google quietly published a guide for adding a Search profile badge to a publisher's own website, letting visitors follow the profile without leaving the site. The brand rules require clickable targets of at least 48 by 48 dp on Android and 44 by 44 px on iOS and the web, forbid distorting the "Super G" icon, and say that a site pairing the badge with a Preferred Sources badge should use the labeled Search profile button for distinction.
Google's documentation, cited by Search Engine Journal, says creating a profile does not directly affect Search rankings. People who follow a profile may instead see more of that source in their Discover feed.
In a separate Search Engine Journal article, Roger Montti argued that the badge program responds to publisher traffic losses as AI answers keep users on Google. He views profiles and badges as signs that Google is moving toward follower-driven distribution because AI search sends fewer clicks to publishers. Google has not confirmed that interpretation.
Account transfers remain unresolved. Search Engine Roundtable's Barry Schwartz found that profiles he claimed under a second Google Account cannot be moved to his main one. Stein replied on September 17 that affected users should contact a support email while the team develops a simpler transfer process. Google also recently added the ability to edit a profile's handle.
The lower threshold changes eligibility for marketing and audience teams. A U.S. publisher with 12,000 followers on one platform could not apply in June but can claim a profile now. Google says followers may see more content from that source in Discover, though it has published no data on the effect. Montti's claim that AI-driven traffic losses prompted the change also remains unconfirmed. Media groups can now consolidate sub-brand profiles under one login, and publishers can add the new follow badge to their sites. Google has changed the threshold three times in 15 weeks, so applicants should check the help page before assessing eligibility.