A lot of publishers believe Top Stories is decided entirely by Google's algorithm, and that readers have no say in it. Since August 2025, that is no longer completely true. With Preferred Sources, readers can star the news outlets and sites they like, and Google will show those sources more often in Top Stories when they have fresh, relevant coverage.
It is not a classic algorithm update. No ranking factor was announced and no sites were demoted. But it adds a user-chosen layer on top of ranking, and Google itself has given publishers a tool to ask readers to pick them. For any site that depends on news traffic, that is a big deal.
Let me explain how Preferred Sources launched, how it works for readers, what Google has said about its effect, and what publishers can do. For other changes around the same time, see our timeline of Google algorithm updates.
Preferred Sources at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Search Labs test | Announced 26 June 2025 (US and India) |
| Public launch | 12 August 2025, English-language users in the US and India |
| Global expansion (English) | Announced 10 December 2025 |
| All supported languages | Rolled out from late April 2026 |
| Type | User-controlled personalization layer for Top Stories (not a ranking update) |
| Confirmed by Google? | Yes |
| Where it shows | Top Stories, plus a "From your sources" section; Google later said it applies across Search and AI Mode |
| Who is affected | News publishers, local outlets, niche blogs that publish timely content |
From a Search Labs test in June 2025 to launch in August
Google first tested Preferred Sources as a Search Labs experiment, announced on 26 June 2025, for users in the United States and India. According to PPC Land's report, people who joined the test kept their selections when the feature launched publicly.
The public launch came on 12 August 2025, again for English-language users in the US and India. Google's product manager Duncan Osborn explained the thinking in the launch post:
“Everyone has their own preferences about where and how they get their news”
— Duncan Osborn, Google, as quoted by PPC Land, Google's Preferred Sources goes global with doubled click rates
Google also shared one early number from the Labs test. According to 9to5Google, Google said "people really value being able to select a range of sources — with over half of users choosing four or more." That matters, because it shows readers did not just pick one favorite outlet and ignore the rest.
How readers pick their preferred sources
The process is simple, which is part of why it matters. Here are the steps as described at launch:
- Search for a news topic in Google so a Top Stories block appears.
- Tap the star icon to the right of the Top Stories heading.
- Search for the outlets or sites you want.
- Tick the ones you prefer. You can select as many as you like.
- Refresh the results to see the change.
Once chosen, a preferred source gets a star next to its name on news cards. It can also appear in a smaller "From your sources" carousel. Importantly, other sites still appear. Google said preferred sources show up when they have "published fresh and relevant content for your search." So picking a site does not hide everyone else, and it does not help a source that has nothing recent on the topic.
Google's documentation also warns that "Sources that aren't updated regularly may not be available," as PPC Land reported. Sites that rarely publish may not even appear in the selection list.
What Preferred Sources changes in Top Stories visibility
Here is the simplest way I can explain it. Before Preferred Sources, every user saw roughly the same Top Stories for a query, adjusted for location and freshness. Now, a reader who has starred your site may see you there even when the general ranking would have put a bigger outlet first.
| Situation | Before Preferred Sources | With Preferred Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Reader has not picked any sources | Standard Top Stories | Standard Top Stories |
| Reader picked your site, and you have fresh coverage | You appear only if you rank | You appear more often, with a star, or in "From your sources" |
| Reader picked your site, but you have no recent story | Not shown | Still not shown |
| Reader picked a competitor | Normal competition | Competitor gets a boost for that reader |
Google has shared one strong number on the effect. Nick Fox, Google's SVP of Knowledge and Information, said in December 2025: "We've found when people select a preferred source, they click to that site twice as often." Google repeated the "twice as likely to click" figure when it expanded the feature to all languages in April 2026, as 9to5Google reported. This is Google's own data and has not been independently verified, so I treat it as direction rather than a guaranteed result.
Example (hypothetical): a regional news site gets 100,000 Top Stories impressions a month from readers who have starred it, with a 4% click-through rate, so 4,000 clicks. If Google's "twice as often" pattern held for those readers, the same impressions might bring closer to 8,000 clicks. The real figure will vary a lot by site and topic, but the potential gain from loyal readers is clear.
The global expansion in December 2025 and April 2026
Preferred Sources did not stay limited to two countries for long. According to PPC Land, Google announced on 10 December 2025 that English-language users worldwide would get access "in the coming days," with all supported languages to follow in early 2026. At the same time, Google said preferred sources would show more often across Search and AI Mode, and announced a feature that highlights links from users' news subscriptions in the Gemini app, AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Then on 30 April 2026, 9to5Google reported that the feature was "now available globally in 'all supported languages.'" Google also said people had selected "over 200,000 unique sites," from niche local blogs to global news desks.
That last number is encouraging for smaller publishers. Readers are not only picking the biggest brands. They are choosing local outlets, sports blogs and specialist sites too.
What publishers can do to get chosen
This is the practical part. Google has made it fairly easy for publishers to ask readers to select them. According to PPC Land, Google encourages publishers to "direct your readers to select your publication in 'Preferred sources'," and its help center offers downloadable buttons.
The key tool is a deep link. The format is:
https://google.com/preferences/source?q=yourwebsite.comWhen a reader clicks that link, it opens the Preferred Sources setting with your site ready to select. Here is how I would use it:
- Add a "Pick us on Google" button to your article pages, ideally near the top or after the first few paragraphs.
- Include the link in your newsletter. Newsletter readers already like you, so they are the most likely to say yes. Our guide to building an email newsletter people read can help here.
- Share it on social media with a short explanation of what it does.
- Mention it after big stories, when readers are most engaged.
- Explain the benefit to readers: they see more of your coverage when they search news topics.
Two things to keep in mind. First, PPC Land reported that at launch, users outside supported regions got 404 errors on the preference pages, including from publisher deep links. That should no longer apply after the global rollout, but test the link in your main markets. Second, Preferred Sources only helps if you publish fresh, relevant content. It rewards loyal readers, not inactive sites.
How Preferred Sources fits with other news updates
News publishers have had a rough few years with Google. Core updates, AI Overviews and Discover changes have all shifted traffic. Preferred Sources is one of the few changes that gives publishers something they can directly influence. I cover the broader picture in how Google updates affect news publishers and in our 2025 algorithm updates review.
If your problem is Discover rather than Top Stories, see our guide to diagnosing a Google Discover traffic drop. And for the basics of getting into news results at all, our guide to Google News SEO is a good starting point.
Preferred Sources also continues a trend. In 2023, Google's hidden gems ranking work pushed first-hand content from forums and small sites. A few weeks after Preferred Sources launched, Google dropped the num=100 parameter, which changed how impressions are reported in Search Console. Keep both in mind if you are reading 2025 data.
Measuring the effect on your own site
Google does not show "preferred source" traffic as a separate line in Search Console. So you have to measure it indirectly. Here is what I suggest:
- Add an annotation in your reports for the date you added the Preferred Sources button or promoted the link.
- Watch Top Stories and news clicks in Search Console's performance report, filtered to the News search type where relevant.
- Track clicks on your "Pick us on Google" button in GA4 as an event.
- Compare click-through rates on news queries before and after your promotion.
- Treat results as direction. Many other things affect news traffic at the same time.
If you are new to reading Search Console, our Learn SEO lesson on Google Search Console explains the main reports.
Questions publishers ask about Preferred Sources
Is Preferred Sources a ranking factor?
Not in the normal sense. It does not change how Google ranks your site for everyone. It changes what individual users see, based on the sources they chose.
Does it only work for big news brands?
No. Google said readers had picked over 200,000 unique sites by April 2026, including niche local blogs. Any site that publishes timely content regularly can be chosen.
Can I ask readers to choose my site?
Yes. Google encourages it and provides a deep link format and downloadable buttons for publishers.
Where is Preferred Sources available now?
It launched in the US and India in August 2025, expanded to English users worldwide from December 2025, and reached all supported languages from late April 2026.
Will picking my site hide my competitors?
No. Other sources still appear. Preferred sources simply show up more often when they have fresh, relevant coverage.
How I would use Preferred Sources this week
In brief: Preferred Sources gives your loyal readers a way to see more of you in Top Stories, and Google says they click twice as often when they do. Add a simple button, put the link in your newsletter and social posts, and keep publishing fresh coverage.
If you run a news or content site and want help growing search visibility, our SEO services and content writing teams work with publishers. Or simply get a quote.
Google updates around the same time
Before this update:
- Google's June 2025 Core Update: Partial Recoveries and Big Swings (Jun 2025)
- Google's March 2025 Core Update Explained (Mar 2025)
After this update:
- Google's August 2025 Spam Update: A Nearly Month-Long Rollout (Aug 2025)
- Google Drops the num=100 Parameter (September 2025): Why Impressions Fell (Sep 2025)
Or browse every Google update on one timeline, newest first.
Sources for this Preferred Sources guide
- 9to5Google: Google Search Preferred Sources launch (12 August 2025)
- PPC Land: Google launches Preferred Sources feature in Top Stories
- PPC Land: Google's Preferred Sources goes global with doubled click rates (December 2025)
- 9to5Google: Preferred Sources global language expansion (30 April 2026)
- Search Engine Journal: Google algorithm history
