Google has expanded global access to the “Preferred Sources” feature, a tool that gives users greater control over the content displayed in the Top Stories section. Agora available for all searches carried out in English, the functionality allows readers to manually select their favorite media outlets, ensuring that their publications appear more prominently in search results on current topics.
The initiative comes at a time of transformation in the search ecosystem, marked by the growing prominence of summaries generated by artificial intelligence. With the new tool, users can prioritize journalism from sources they consider most trustworthy, actively personalizing the carousel of news they consume daily.
Since the announcement of the expansion, several news portals around the world have started campaigns to guide their readers on how to activate the functionality. Essa mobilization reflects the strategic importance of the tool for media outlets, which seek to strengthen relationships with their audiences and ensure the visibility of their original content amid changes in algorithms.
What changes in practice for the reader
For the end user, the main advantage of “Preferred Sources” is the ability to create a news feed more aligned with their interests and reliability criteria. When selecting one or more sites as favorites, the Google algorithm starts to give priority to them whenever a relevant search triggers the Top Stories carousel. Isso means that, instead of receiving a selection of news based exclusively on algorithmic signals of relevance, the user now receives a hybrid curation, which combines the platform’s automation with their personal and direct choice.
This layer of personalization represents a significant advance in the information consumption experience. In a saturated digital landscape, where the distinction between quality content and misinformation becomes increasingly complex, the tool returns part of the control to the reader. Ele can, for example, choose to follow vehicles specialized in certain niches, such as science, economics or sports, or prioritize local newspapers and international portals, actively shaping their gateway to the day’s news.
A response to the age of artificial intelligence
The global implementation of “Preferred Sources” cannot be analyzed in isolation. Ela takes place in a context where Google has invested massively in AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, which provide direct answers at the top of the results page, often lessening the need to click on external links. Estudos Independent and media reports point to significant drops in organic traffic since the expansion of these summaries, with some analyzes indicating reductions ranging between 30% and 60%, depending on the sector and type of query. Nesse scenario, the preferred fonts tool serves as a strategic counterweight. At the same time that AI synthesizes information, Google offers a way for users to reaffirm their preference for original and in-depth content, strengthening the direct connection with producers of journalistic content. The measure is seen as a way to balance technological innovation with the sustainability of the news ecosystem, which fundamentally depends on clicks to generate revenue and continue producing quality reports.
How to configure your preferred fonts
The process for customizing Top Stories was designed to be simple and intuitive, integrated directly into the search interface. The first step is to perform a search on Google about a current event or topic that naturally displays the news carousel. Next to the title “Top Stories”, the user will find a personalization icon, usually represented by three dots or a similar symbol.
When you click this icon, an options menu will open, presenting font management functionality. Dentro of this area, there will be a search bar that allows the user to type the name of any media outlet they wish to add to their preference list. The platform will display the corresponding results instantly.
After finding the website you want, simply select the checkbox next to the name to add it to the list of preferred sources. You can add multiple vehicles, creating a diverse selection of sources. The steps can be summarized as follows:
* Pesquise for a news topic on Google.
* Localize the “Top Stories” section in the results.
* Clique in the personalization icon next to the section title.
* Utilize the search bar to find the name of the media outlet.
* Marque the box to confirm your choice.
Once the selection is confirmed, the Google algorithm will begin to prioritize the content of these sites in future searches, making the news search experience immediately more personalized. The change is dynamic and can be reversed or modified at any time by following the same procedure.
Opportunities for media outlets
For publishers, the “Preferred Sources” tool represents a valuable opportunity to build audience loyalty and mitigate the negative effects of algorithmic changes. Ser marked as a reader’s preferred source creates a more stable and direct distribution channel, increasing the likelihood that your content will be seen and accessed, even with strong competition in search results. Niche Veículos that cultivate an engaged community can especially benefit as their readers tend to be more proactive in personalizing their information sources.
This new dynamic also encourages news sites to invest in direct engagement strategies, actively communicating to their readers about the existence of the tool and the benefits of using it. Guias, tutorials and banners on their own websites have become commonplace, transforming resource configuration into a concrete action to support the journalism that readers value. The functionality, therefore, not only changes the display of content, but also reinforces the importance of the brand and trust in the relationship between the vehicle and its audience.
The feature implementation trajectory
Development of the “Preferred Sources” functionality followed a gradual timeline, allowing Google to collect data and improve the tool before a full-scale release. The initial testing phase began in mid-2025, restricted to selected markets such as Estados Unidos and Índia, where the company was able to observe user behavior and the impact on publishers in a controlled environment.
Following the positive results of this pilot phase, global expansion to all searches in English was implemented in December of the same year. Essa expansion reached millions of new users, establishing the tool as a standard feature of the Google search experience. The choice of English as the first language for global expansion reflects its predominance on the internet, but the expectation is that the functionality will be extended to other languages in the platform’s next update cycles.
Management and flexibility
One of the tool’s strengths is its flexibility. A reader’s interests may change over time, and the system allows the list of preferred sources to be adjusted as easily as it was created. Acessando the same personalization menu in the Top Stories carousel, the user can view all the sites they have previously bookmarked.
On this management screen, you can deselect any source that is no longer of interest, removing it from the priority list. Essa continuous management ensures that the news feed always remains relevant and aligned with the user’s current preferences, preventing personalization from becoming obsolete.
Future of personalization in search
The introduction of “Preferred Sources” signals a growing trend toward giving users more granular tools to control the algorithms that shape their online experience. Google continues to monitor adoption and feedback on the feature to guide future developments, which may include its integration into other areas of search or into Google Discover, in addition to the aforementioned expansion into more languages.