Google's Preferred Sources Feature Hits 600k Unique Source Selections

Google has updated its Preferred Sources feature, allowing readers to select their preferred sources directly on publishers' pages. This change aims to help publishers build stronger connections with their readers and increase engagement.

The new implementation removes friction from the process, as readers can now add a site as a Preferred Source without leaving the publisher's page. The effect of this designation shows up in three places: Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.

According to Google, more than 600,000 unique sources have been selected since the feature was released globally in December 2025. This is a sixfold increase over eight months, with most of the growth occurring after the expansion into AI surfaces in late May.

The Preferred Sources feature has been available in all supported languages since early 2026, and Google confirmed that this rollout was complete by spring. The company also notes that selection numbers are not necessarily indicative of engagement, as a single source picked by one reader contributes the same amount to the total as a source picked by a million readers.

Google frames the feature as a way for publishers to make their content more discoverable and build stronger connections with their audience. The company claims that when someone picks a preferred source, they click on that site twice as much on average.