Taboola launches DeeperDive, an AI tool for publisher-hosted search responses

Taboola has announced the launch of DeeperDive, a generative AI-powered answer engine designed to operate directly on publisher websites, using their own content to provide responses. The tool aims to connect readers with content from the same site, offering context and story depth beyond a single summary.

The tool is being positioned by Taboola as a response to concerns within the publishing industry over generative AI search engines that scrape publisher content without permission, resulting in traffic loss and no compensation. DeeperDive is intended to provide publishers with a competing solution on their own platforms.

Using DeeperDive, readers can type questions into a conversational interface and receive AI-generated responses based on the publisher’s own archive of editorial content. The system also recommends follow-up queries and surfaces related stories from the same site, aiming to keep users engaged within the publisher’s ecosystem.

In a statement, Taboola said DeeperDive draws from “proprietary, real-time, high-quality content created by journalists and editors,” and is intended to mirror the now-familiar experience of GenAI search tools, but within a publisher-controlled environment.

The feature also offers context-rich answers that draw from specialist reporting, including areas such as travel or sport, while remaining tied to the brand and editorial standards of the hosting site. The company says the tool is meant to help publishers address changing user expectations in digital consumption and provide a modern user experience without relying on third-party AI tools.

Key Features

• The engine, is designed to offer multifaceted, real-time responses to user queries based on content from the hosting publisher’s site. The company says the feature is informed by user behaviour across its global network, citing data from more than 600 million daily active users and 9,000 publisher partners. Unlike conventional generative AI engines that rely on static data sets, Taboola claims DeeperDive adapts to ongoing trends and reader interest to provide more relevant, up-to-date answers.

• The system also suggests related questions and content, reflecting current engagement patterns. According to Taboola, this creates a more “human” experience that reflects what readers are actually looking for in real time, with all results confined to content hosted on the publisher’s own platform.

• For publishers, DeeperDive is intended to increase both time spent on site and overall content engagement by linking AI responses to related articles from across their own domains. The tool aims to drive deeper content discovery while maintaining user attention.

• In addition to enhancing reader engagement, Taboola plans to monetise DeeperDive by integrating contextually targeted advertising directly within the AI results page. This model is positioned as a way for publishers to generate search-like advertising revenue on their own sites, particularly across high-intent user categories such as travel, sport, and finance.

  The feature is part of a broader trend of publishers seeking more control over how their content is surfaced, monetised, and experienced in AI-powered digital environments.

“Taboola’s DeeperDive is an exciting win for our audience and the publishing industry at large. We’re thrilled to be the first to roll out this technology in the U.S. within USA TODAY. Taboola is a longtime partner that has shown an unwavering commitment to helping us accelerate audience development and unlocking growth. With DeeperDive, we see an opportunity to give our readers an innovative new way to explore our trusted content on our properties. DeeperDive combines the high-caliber reporting that the USA TODAY Network is known for with the AI technology and expertise that only Taboola can deliver,” said Michael Reed, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gannett | USA TODAY Network.

“Taboola continues to be a key partner for our growth,” said Christian Broughton, CEO at The Independent and Independent Media. “The Independent is innovating and investing in AI across our business, and recently launched Bulletin, a new service dedicated to serving busy readers who want truly independent, trustworthy news. We are delighted to be design partners on DeeperDive, which we will be using across The Independent and Bulletin. It has the potential to amplify the agenda-setting journalism we produce, build deeper engagement, and allow us to build even deeper relationships with our audience."

“Today marks a major step forward for the open web,” said Adam Singolda, CEO and Founder of Taboola. “With DeeperDive, we’re giving publishers the power to join the GenAI revolution on their own terms - creating richer, more trusted experiences for users and unlocking search-like monetization opportunities that were previously out of reach. Over time, this means enabling publishers to own high-intent moments with AI agents across categories like travel, finance, sports, and commerce where users make meaningful decisions on platforms they already trust. It’s the shift from 50 cents per click to $500 per conversion, right on the publisher’s site. This is a big day not just for Taboola, but for the entire industry - and I believe it will change how billions of people discover and decide online.”

“The open web thrives when innovation and fairness go hand in hand. It’s simply not sustainable for GenAI engines to rely on publisher content while sending little traffic and compensating only a select few. That’s not innovation, it’s exploitation. Today is a moment for unity and clarity: publishers deserve real value in return for their work. It’s time to build a future where AI helps drive the open web, not drain it, by generating meaningful traffic, sharing value, and respecting the creators who make the internet worth exploring,” continued Singolda.