The concept was devised by Simon Cowell, who first proposed it to British network ITV in 2005 with a pilot judged by himself and Piers Morgan among others.

A British edition was originally planned to air between 2005 and 2006, hosted by Paul O'Grady, but was suspended after O'Grady got into a contract dispute with ITV and left for another network.

After suspending the British version, Cowell pitched the format to NBC in America, agreeing to produce fifteen episodes for the 2006 summer schedule, with Cowell choosing to be executive producer rather than a judge.

The first season's premiere drew more than 12 million viewers, surpassing the premiere ratings of American Idol in 2002 and becoming one of the most-watched U.S. programs at the time.

Early advertisements for the first season implied the winner would headline a Las Vegas show, but this was dropped in favor of a $1 million cash prize due to concerns about awarding such a prize to a possible minor winner.

The judging panel and hosts have changed frequently over the show's history, including Brandy Norwood leaving due to a legal matter, Sharon Osbourne departing after a dispute with NBC in 2012, and Nick Cannon resigning in 2017 following backlash over comments made in a Showtime comedy special.

The 'Golden Buzzer' feature, which lets a judge send an act directly to the live shows, was first introduced on Germany's Got Talent before being adopted into the American version in its ninth season.

Season twelve was marked by the death of contestant Brandon Rogers, an American physician who had been discovered via YouTube by Boyz II Men and died in a car accident shortly after securing his spot; his audition was later aired as a tribute.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, season fifteen faced production delays and suspensions after judge Heidi Klum fell ill, forcing changes such as filming at Universal Studios Hollywood, using a virtual audience, and condensing the Judge Cuts round into a single episode.

Prior to the first quarter-final of season fifteen, Simon Cowell was seriously injured in an accident and was absent for the remainder of that season, with guest judges filling in for some episodes.