Preferred sources is a Google Search feature that lets signed-in users pick the news sites they want to see more often. Google applies the choice to the Top Stories section and, according to its help page, to AI Mode and AI Overviews.
How does it work?
Users add sources in their Google Account under Search personalization and Source preferences, or by clicking the star icon next to the Top Stories heading. After that they see those sources more often in Top Stories when the sources publish fresh content related to the search. Google notes that sources that are not updated regularly may not be available for selection.
Google announced the feature on August 12, 2025. Search Central now describes it as available globally for Top Stories in all languages where Google Search is available.
What can site owners do?
Site owners cannot make a user choose them. Google documents three ways to point visitors to the setting: a JavaScript snippet that renders a localized button, an advanced JavaScript integration, and a plain deeplink. Only domains and subdomains qualify, not subdirectories.
Google does not document how much extra traffic a selection brings or how strongly it shifts AI Mode and AI Overviews.
Example
A deeplink for the domain example.com follows this pattern:
https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=example.com
A news site can place it behind a button labeled “Add as preferred source on Google”.
FAQ
Does it change rankings for everyone? Google describes it as a personal setting for the user’s own results. It does not state an effect on general rankings.
Where does it apply? Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews, per the Google help page.
Sources
- Preferred sources – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Set your preferred sources – Google Search Helpsupport.google.com
- Preferred Sources in Google Search – Google Blog, 12 Aug 2025blog.google
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