Google lets people choose the websites they want to see more of. It is called Preferred Sources, and it changes what readers see in Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews. If you have searched for “how to add a preferred source on Google”, this post shows the steps. If you own a website and want readers to choose you, it also shows what makes a site eligible and how to ask for the click.
We use it on zunelo.in, so we checked every step against Google’s own pages on 2 October 2026. Google updated its guide for publishers on 18 September 2026, so older posts about this feature may be out of date.
Quick summary, if you’re short on time:
- A preferred source is a website a reader has chosen in Google’s source preferences tool. Google then shows that site’s content more often to that reader, with a “preferred” badge.
- It works across Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews. It is a personal setting, not a ranking boost for everyone.
- Readers can add a source in a few clicks from their Google account settings, or from the Top Stories box.
- Only domain-level and subdomain-level sites are eligible. A subdirectory such as a blog folder is not. For the AI features, your site must also be included in Search generative AI features in Search Console.
- Site owners can ask readers to choose them with a button, a custom button, or a plain link. None of these is required to appear as a preferred source.
Jump to a section:
- What Google Preferred Sources are
- How to add a preferred source on Google
- Who is eligible, and the catch most posts skip
- Three ways to ask your readers to choose you
- The two lines of code for the button
- Where it shows up in Google Search
- How we set it up on this site
- A prompt to plan your own setup
- Questions about Preferred Sources
What Google Preferred Sources are
Google’s source preferences tool lets a person pick the publications and websites they trust. When a reader selects your site, Google says your content is more likely to appear in Top Stories, highlighted with a “preferred” badge. In AI Mode and AI Overviews, your content can also be highlighted with a “preferred” badge for users who have selected your site.
The setting belongs to the individual reader. It tailors what that person sees across Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews, so choosing a source in one place also changes the others. If a reader is signed in to their Google Account when they save, the setting follows them to every browser they sign in on.
It is available worldwide for Top Stories, in every language where Google Search is available. In AI Mode and AI Overviews, it applies in the languages and locations where those features are available.
How to add a preferred source on Google
If you are a reader and want more of a site in your results, there are two routes. Both come from Google’s own help page.
From your account settings (AI Mode and AI Overviews):
- Open Google Search and select your profile picture or initial at the top right.
- Go to Search personalization, then Source preferences.
- Search for the site you want, and select its checkbox.
- Save your choice at the bottom of the screen.
From Top Stories:
- Search for something that has happened recently, so the Top Stories box appears.
- Click the star icon on the right of the Top Stories heading.
- Search for the source, tick its checkbox, and click Reload results.
Google adds that sources that are not updated regularly may not be available to pick. So a site that publishes fresh content is easier to find in the tool. You can come back and untick a source at any time.
Who is eligible, and the catch most posts skip
Adding a button to your site does not make you eligible. Your site needs to appear in Google’s source preferences tool. To check, type your domain into the tool’s search box.
- Domain or subdomain only. Google gives examples: https://www.example.com/ and https://code.example.com/ are eligible, but the subdirectory https://www.example.com/blog is not. A blog folder on someone else’s domain cannot be a preferred source by itself.
- For AI Mode and AI Overviews, Google says you must make sure your site is included in Search generative AI features in Search Console. Check that report in your own Search Console.
- The button is optional. Google calls the methods below examples of how to build your audience. They are not required to appear as a preferred source.
We checked zunelo.in in the tool before we added anything, and it is listed there. Only then did we set up the button. Do the same: two minutes of checking saves you from building something that does nothing.
Three ways to ask your readers to choose you
If your site appears in the tool, Google describes three ways to guide readers to select you as a preferred source.
| Method | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard JavaScript button | Two lines of HTML. Google draws a button that adds your site and returns the reader to your page. | Most sites. Google recommends it. |
| Advanced JavaScript | Your own button design, wired to Google’s library with code. | Developers who want full control of the design |
| Deeplink | A plain link or image that opens the tool with your site ready to select. | Sites that cannot run JavaScript, plus emails and social posts |
The deeplink format is https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q= followed by your domain, for example example.com. You can use it as a text link, a clickable image, in newsletters or in social posts. Google also provides downloadable button images if you do not want to design your own.
The two lines of code for the button
For the standard button, Google says to add the library script to your page, preferably in the head:
<script async src=”https://news.google.com/swg/js/v1/publisher.js”></script>
Then add this where the button should appear in the body of the page:
<div google-add-preferred-source-btn></div>
Two optional settings help. Add data-theme set to light or dark to match your design. The default is light. Add data-lang with a language code, such as en, to fix the button language. Without it, the button uses the reader’s browser language.
If you want to use your own design assets, the advanced route lets your own code load Google’s library and start the flow when a reader clicks your own button. That one is for a developer.
Where it shows up in Google Search
Google ties the feature to three places: Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews. Top Stories appears when Google detects a news-style search and matches it with relevant, high-quality, fresh content. That is why publishing regularly matters for a preferred source.
It is not a ranking factor in the usual sense. It does not push your site up for everyone. It tells Google that one reader wants more of you, and Google then highlights your content for that person. No one can promise it will bring traffic, and nothing in Google’s guide says it guarantees a citation in AI answers.
How we set it up on this site
We run the button on every blog post through a small WordPress plugin. The plugin loads Google’s script once in the page head. On desktop, the button sits in a card in the sidebar. On mobile, it shows in a bar at the bottom of the screen that a reader can close. Google does not set a fixed place for the button, so use whichever spot fits your design.
We put it on blog posts because that is where a reader is judging whether to trust us. Our post on how AI tools choose sources covers why trust matters at that moment.
A prompt to plan your own setup
Checking eligibility is a manual search, with no AI shortcut. Once you know you qualify, an AI tool can help you decide where the button should go. Use your real details and check anything it says against Google’s guide.
Act as a website advisor. Help me decide how to ask my readers to choose my site as a Google preferred source.
About my site:
– Domain: [your domain, with no folder path]
– I checked and my site appears in Google’s source preferences tool: [yes or no]
– Type of site: [blog, business site with articles, news publisher]
– How I publish: [how often I add new content]
– My CMS: [WordPress, Shopify, custom code, other]
– Can I add JavaScript to my pages: [yes, no, not sure]Please do the following:
1. Tell me whether to use the standard button, a custom button, or a plain link, and why.
2. Suggest the one page template where the button belongs.
3. List 3 checks I should do before I add it.Rules:
– Only use the details I gave you. Do not invent features or promise traffic.
– If my site is not in the tool, tell me not to add the button yet.
– Write in plain, simple English.
If the answer does not match what Google’s guide says, trust the guide.
Questions about Preferred Sources
What is a Google preferred source?
It is a website a reader has chosen in Google’s source preferences tool. Google then highlights that site’s content with a “preferred” badge for that reader, in Top Stories, AI Mode and AI Overviews. It is a personal setting for one reader, not a label that applies to everyone.
How do I add a preferred source on Google?
Open Google Search, select your profile picture, then go to Search personalization and Source preferences. Search for the site, select its checkbox, and save. You can also click the star icon beside the Top Stories heading and pick sources there. Sites that are not updated regularly may not be available.
Which websites are eligible to be a preferred source?
Domain-level and subdomain-level sites that appear in Google’s source preferences tool. A subdirectory such as a blog folder is not eligible. For AI Mode and AI Overviews, your site must also be included in Search generative AI features in Search Console. To check, type your domain into the tool.
Are preferred sources a ranking factor?
Not in the usual sense. The setting belongs to one reader and changes what that person sees. It does not raise your position for everyone, and Google does not say it guarantees a citation in AI answers. Treat it as a way to earn repeat attention from people who already trust you.
Do I need the button to appear as a preferred source?
No. Google says the button, the custom version and the deeplink are examples of how to build your audience, and are not required. Readers can find your site in the source preferences tool without them, as long as you are eligible.
Where does the Preferred Sources button go on a page?
Anywhere in the body of the page. The library script goes in the head, preferably, and the button div goes where you want it to show. Google sets no fixed position. Choose a spot where readers decide whether to trust you, such as near the author line or in a sidebar card.
Where this matters
Preferred Sources reward sites that readers trust and that publish fresh content. The button only makes it easier to act on that trust, and you can only use it if your domain is already in Google’s tool. Check that first, then add the button where your readers are making up their minds.
Not sure whether your site qualifies, or where the button would help? Our SEO service includes this check, along with the rest of your search setup.
