Google has rolled out a full-width redesign of its Google Discover feature, but the change is causing issues for publishers whose images are being cropped to fit the new layout. Gagan Ghotra, who noticed the problem, pointed it out on X and shared an image that shows one of his own stories with the hero image cropped.
The issue affects not just text-based content but also featured images in the Discover feed, including those used for Search Engine Results (SER) pages. Users are reporting blurry images due to over-stretching, which could impact click-through rates (CTR).
Ghotra reached out to Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, for comment but has yet to receive a response. The issue is also being discussed on X Forum, where Ghotra suggested that Google’s help documentation should be updated to reflect the new design requirements.
The Discover documentation currently states that large images need to be at least 1200 pixels wide. However, the recent redesign appears to have changed this requirement, and it remains unclear whether this is a deliberate choice by Google or an error on their part.
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-discover-full-width-redesign-cropping-images-39255.html