What Are Preferred Sources on Google?
If you are a news publisher or simply have a website that produces relevant, high-quality content, you can be eligible to appear within Google News and its related features within Google Search like top stories, AI Mode, and AI Overviews.
However, getting your articles to appear in Google can be difficult, especially for smaller publishers.
Additionally, users of Google News and search products are demanding more customization of what publishers they prefer to see. In response, Google rolled out a feature that allows users to select preferred sources in 2025. Originally this feature was only focused on Google News. However, Google has since expanded the preferred sources impact to other Google products including Google Search's Top Stories, AI Mode, and AI Overviews.
This article guides you through how preferred sources work and why this new tool is such a significant improvement for both publishers and Google users.
Table of Contents
What Is a Publisher?
You may have noticed that Google uses the term publisher frequently throughout its documentation. At first glance, one might assume a "publisher" is a traditional news publisher that releases news articles on various topics.
However, we believe Google defines a publisher more loosely as an individual, organization, or company that has a website and regularly produces original content for a public audience.
In other words, if you're a small business, and you post your own thoughts on relevant topics via regular blog posts, you're a publisher too!
As such, the preferred sources option can apply to large news organizations and small businesses alike.
How Preferred Sources Boosts Visibility of Select Publishers
Traditionally, it can be quite difficult for a smaller publisher to compete with larger, well-established publishers who command a significant amount of authority and credibility in Google’s eyes.
However, readers may greatly prefer a smaller brand's articles and unique insights over a large, traditional news outlet.
That’s exactly where Preferred Sources can level the playing field. If a user sets certain organization as a preferred source (regardless if they are large or small) this can directly impact what sources appear within that specific user's Google feeds.
Essentially, the preferred sources selected will now show more frequently for that particular user. We also believe that an organization with a significant base of users selecting it as a preferred source may influence its perceived authority and boost visibility for other users as well. Google might not be considering that signal yet, but it would be a signal worth adding in the future as this feature gets wider adoption in our opinion.
Encouraging users to set your organization as a preferred source can have a direct impact on your visibility within Google News and other associated Google products.
What Google Platforms Does Preferred Sources Impact
Currently, the preferred source option directly impacts Google News, which appears within the News tab on Google Search and within the Google News app.
Additionally, the “Top stories” feature can be triggered within Google Search and is ultimately driven by Google News. Thus, Google Search can also be impacted by setting preferred source for queries that trigger the Top Stories carousel.
These stories can also be cited with Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews, further extending the visibility of preferred sources.
If a preferred source is shown, Google may label the preferred source with a special badge.
Google Preferred Sources Impact Google Discover Visibility
When preferred sources was originally released (the first version of this article), setting a preferred source only impacted Google News, not Google Discover.
However, in Google's February 2026 Disocver Core Update, the documentation stated “We’ll continue to show content that’s personalized based on people’s creator and source preferences.” As a result, preferred source also impacts Google users' Discover feeds.
How to Add a Preferred Source on Google
The following are steps for how a user can select a preferred source on Google:
- Navigate to Google Search
- Search for a topic that is in the news and click on the icon to the right of top stories.
- Using the dialog box, search by the name or website of your preferred source.
- Select the checkmark beside your desired preferred source
- Click the reload results button.
How to Encourage Your Audience to Add Your Organization As a Preferred Source
Most of your audience likely does not yet know the preferred sources feature exists. As such, it’s helpful to promote this new feature and guide your audience through the steps of adding your website as a preferred source.
Google has multiple supported methods for making it easy for your audience to add you as a preferred source. We've created a guide on how to add a preferred source button to your website and cover each implementation method in detail.
Where to Use the Preferred Source Button or Deeplink
There are many places you can use the preferred source button or deeplink that automatically navigates your users to add you as a preferred source. The following are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Add a secondary call-to-action at the bottom of your articles.
- Add the preferred source deeplink within your email newsletters.
- Promote adding your organization as a preferred source via your social media channels.
We hope this article helps you understand the advantages of preferred sources. If you liked this content, consider subscribing to our free monthly newsletter filled with web, SEO, and marketing tips. Oh, and you can always add Igniting Business as a preferred source on Google too! We’d appreciate it.
