Google cut the follower count publishers need to qualify for a Search Profile, the shareable identity card that can appear next to a site in Google Search. The company lowered the bar on three platforms while leaving a fourth exactly where it was, according to updated Google help documentation.
A creator or publisher previously needed at least 100,000 subscribers or followers on one of YouTube, Instagram, X, or TikTok to qualify. The threshold on YouTube, Instagram, and X now stands at 35,000. TikTok’s requirement was left at 100,000, unchanged from the prior rule.
Robby Stein of Google confirmed the update on X, saying the company is “lowering the follower thresholds” to let more creators and publishers qualify, and that eligibility will expand to more countries soon. A Search Profile lets visitors follow a publisher, view a header image, browse linked social accounts, and see recent articles in one place.
Cutting the bar to roughly a third of its old level turns a Google-controlled distribution surface, previously reachable only by the largest accounts, into a realistic target for far more creators and personal brands.
Search Engine Roundtable’s Barry Schwartz reported the update on August 13, 2026, citing Google’s help documentation and Robby Stein’s post on X.
