Google’s rollout—or as of August 12, 2025, begun rolling out—a new feature called Preferred Sources in Search that will give you more control over the Top Stories section when searching for news. It lets you choose which news sources you’d like to hear more from—without entirely eliminating other voices.
Imagine this: You’re browsing through a breaking news story, e.g., news in your own community or a tech conference. Instead of scrolling endlessly past clickbait or sources you don’t have faith in, your trustworthy publications—your go-to local newspaper, tech blog, or lifestyle site—now take center stage when they’ve got coverage that matters to you.
A personalized “From your sources” section can also appear, offering you a focused view just from the outlets you selected.
How to select your preferred sources in Top Stories in Search
- Search for a topic that’s in the news and click on the icon to the right of Top Stories.
- Tap the icon to the right of the Top stories header.
- Search for and select the outlets you want to prioritize.
- Refresh your results and see more from your favorite sites.
As you select your sources, they will appear more frequently in Top Stories or in a specific “From your sources” section on the search results page. You’ll continue to see content from other sites and can change your selections at any time.
You can select as many sources as you’d prefer, and we found through our first Labs users that people actually like having the option to select a cluster of sources — with over half of all users selecting four or more. If you have already signed up in Labs, your selections will be transferred automatically, and you’ll see more of those sites in Top Stories.
As noted by Matt G. Southern in Search Engine Journal, Google’s Preferred Sources aims to give users more control over the Top Stories they see in Search.
Why It Matters—To You, and to Publishers
- For You: It’s a breath of fresh air in a search environment crowded with AI summaries, low-quality posts, and algorithm-driven noise. A writer from Android Authority put it simply:
“Finally having some real control over what you see is mighty powerful.”
For Publishers: This tool offers a direct, opt-in route to loyal readers—by encouraging them to mark your site as a preferred source, you could consistently reach your most engaged audience. Google has even released resources and a “deeplink” button publishers can use to easily guide users to add them as preferred sources.
A Gentle Warning: Don’t Let Your Information Bubble Get Too Cozy
While personalized content is great, a helpful voice from PhoneArena reminds us:
“Preferred Sources is great… but if you only read from your favorites, how do you know you’re getting the full story? … peek outside your comfort zone every once in a while.”
This feature doesn’t replace diversity—it layers in your preferences, but others’ perspectives remain part of the mix. Still, it’s wise to remind yourself to explore once in a while.
About the Author: Patrick Panayotov
