Google has resolved an issue with Google Discover that was preventing large image previews from being displayed for non-AMP pages. This update follows a previous report from April where Google acknowledged the issue and was working on a fix. Vahan Petrosyan, the lead developer at Search Engine Journal, who initially reported this problem to Google, has confirmed the resolution.
This update benefits all non-AMP sites eligible to appear in Google Discover, as they now have the potential for increased visibility in users’ feeds. However, there are specific criteria that must be met to display large image previews in Google Discover.
For those unfamiliar, here’s some background information: In Google Discover, which is the content feed beneath Google’s search bar, web pages can display either thumbnail-sized images or large image previews. Larger images naturally attract more attention. The issue was that regular web pages were not consistently displaying large image previews, even when they met Google’s official criteria.
After three months, the problem is now resolved, and Google Discover is displaying large image previews for non-AMP pages consistently, based on testing by our developer. There has been no official statement from Google regarding this fix.
With this resolution, site owners can now benefit from the same visibility for non-AMP pages in Discover that AMP pages receive, provided all the necessary criteria are met.
### How to Display Large Images in Google Discover
All content indexed in Google Search can appear in Discover, as long as it adheres to Google’s content policies. By default, Discover showcases small thumbnails unless certain criteria are met for large image previews. To display large image previews, web pages must contain an image that is at least 1200 pixels wide. Additionally, non-AMP pages need to enable large image previews using the max-image-preview:large setting. This step is not required for AMP sites, as large previews are automatically enabled if the image is at least 1200 pixels wide.
Content publishers should avoid using a logo as the main image if they aim to be featured in Discover. Instead, they should use images that are compelling, high-quality, and unique.
