Google has expanded its Preferred Sources feature to all supported languages, extending the personalization tool it introduced to Top Stories in Google Search.
What changed
Preferred Sources, which lets users star news outlets and websites to see them more often in Top Stories, is now available in every language Google Search supports. The feature was previously limited to a smaller set of languages after Google began testing it and then launched it in select markets.
Google also released publisher tools through its Help Center that allow news outlets to encourage readers to add them as a Preferred Source.
How Preferred Sources fits into Google Search
The expansion comes as Google continues to roll out AI-powered features across Search. AI Overviews and AI Mode generate automated responses at the top of results pages, which has raised concerns among publishers about traffic diversion. Preferred Sources operates separately from these AI features, giving users a way to signal which news outlets they want to see in Top Stories.
The feature does not affect how content appears in AI Overviews or AI Mode. It applies specifically to the Top Stories section of search results, where users can personalize which outlets appear based on their selections.
Google has not disclosed adoption figures for Preferred Sources or how the feature has affected traffic patterns for participating publishers since its initial launch.
Recap
What is Google Preferred Sources?
Preferred Sources is a Google Search feature that lets users star news outlets and websites they want to see more often in Top Stories. Google initially tested the feature in select markets before launching it more broadly, and has now expanded it to all supported languages.
How does the Preferred Sources expansion affect publishers?
Google released publisher tools through its Help Center that allow news outlets to encourage their readers to add them as a Preferred Source. Publishers can use these tools to promote adoption of the feature among their audiences.
How does Preferred Sources relate to Google's AI search features?
Preferred Sources operates alongside Google's AI-powered search features like AI Overviews and AI Mode. While AI features generate automated responses at the top of search results, Preferred Sources gives users a way to signal which publishers they trust for news content in Top Stories.
