TL;DR Summary:
Sources Button Disabled: Google is testing a Discover change that stops the sources button in AI summary cards from opening linked articles.Publishers Face Losses: The button was one of the few remaining paths from AI-generated summaries to original publisher content, making its removal a potential traffic blow.Limited Test So Far: The change is unconfirmed, may affect only select users or regions, and has no announced rollout timeline.Watch Traffic Closely: Publishers should monitor Discover referrals and AI citations for shifts if the test expands or becomes permanent.Why can’t you click on sources in Google Discover anymore? Google is testing a change that disables clicks on the sources button inside AI summary cards on Discover, and the shift to Google Discover disabling clicks in sources section has publishers worried about losing even more traffic. The test appeared this week, and it matters now because Discover already sends a large share of visits to news sites.
What Google Discover Disabling Clicks in Sources Section Actually Changes
Normally, when you tap the sources button at the bottom of an AI summary card in Discover, it opens a mini-feed. That mini-feed lists the articles Google used to build the summary, with links to each one. Damien Andell, who tracks changes to Google Discover closely, spotted a test where this tap no longer does anything. He posted about it on X on October 23, 2026. Andell found a flag in the code called “disable_aio_sources_button_tap” that controls this behavior. When the flag is active, tapping sources does not open the mini-feed anymore.
How the Sources Button Worked Before This Test
Before this test, the sources button gave you a direct path to the original articles behind an AI summary. You could see which outlets contributed to the summary and click through to read the full stories. This mattered to publishers because it gave their content a chance at a click, even when Google’s AI summary already answered the question. Google added these AI summaries to Discover in 2025, and many publishers complained at the time that summaries reduced the need to click through at all. The sources button became one of the few remaining paths from a summary to the original article. As changes like this chip away at referral traffic, platforms such as Nuwtonic SEO have become relevant for publishers trying to monitor how often their content is cited in AI summaries versus how often that visibility actually translates into clicks.
Why the Test May Signal More Changes to Google Discover
Barry Schwartz, reporting on this test, tried to replicate it himself and could not. This tells you the test is not live for everyone. It may be running for a small group of users, or it may only affect certain regions or devices. Google has not confirmed the test or explained why it is running. No percentage of users affected has been shared, and no timeline for a wider rollout exists. Because of this, you should treat the change as unconfirmed rather than a finished product decision.
What This Means If You Publish Content on Discover
If this test becomes permanent, it removes one more way for readers to reach your site from an AI summary. Publishers already saw fewer clicks after Discover added AI summaries in 2025. A disabled sources button means readers see the summary, see the list of source names, but cannot tap through to read any of them directly. Andell’s post was directed at other people who track Discover for a living, including tagged accounts such as @gaganghotra_, @rustybrick, and @nicola_agius, suggesting this is being watched closely by people who monitor Google’s search and Discover changes for their job.
What to Watch Next With Google Discover Disabling Clicks in Sources Section
Keep an eye on whether Google confirms this test publicly or responds to publisher concerns. Check your own Discover traffic data over the coming weeks for any drop tied to AI summary cards. If the sources button stays disabled for you or your readers, report it, since public pressure from site owners has changed Google’s Discover behavior before. As Discover and AI summaries continue reshaping how traffic reaches publishers, tools like Nuwtonic SEO can help site owners track citation gaps and AI visibility trends so they can react to these platform shifts with data instead of guesswork.
