Google is testing a new feature that could shift how news surfaces in its search results, giving people more control over which publishers appear when they look for the latest headlines.
The feature, called Preferred Sources, is currently being trialed through Search Labs in the U.S. and India. It gives users the option to flag their favorite news outlets so stories from those publishers are more likely to show up in the Top Stories section.
Those who join the test will see a small star icon within the Top Stories carousel. Tapping the icon brings up a list of news publishers that users can prioritize. If a preferred outlet has relevant coverage on a topic, its article is more likely to appear near the top, marked with a star to signal it was a user-picked source.
This doesn’t fully override Google’s usual ranking systems. Instead, it adds a layer of personalization. In some cases, Google may also add a separate section labeled “From your sources” just below the main news block.
This feature isn’t Google’s first move toward tailoring results around individual habits. Search already factors in things like recent queries and frequently visited sites. But with Preferred Sources, the control is more direct.
Importantly, users can still opt out of personalization. A “Try without personalization” option remains at the bottom of the results, giving people the choice to switch back to a neutral, algorithm-only view.
For outlets with a strong following, this could be a welcome change. If readers begin selecting them as trusted sources, it might improve their visibility on high-traffic search topics. That kind of user-driven boost could help solidify loyal audiences and bring in more clicks over time.
But it’s a mixed bag. Smaller or lesser-known publishers could get pushed further out of sight, especially if users tend to favor bigger, more established names. In that sense, the new system may deepen existing gaps in visibility.
The change also signals something larger: brand loyalty and direct audience connection are becoming more critical for media outlets hoping to survive in the algorithm era.
Google’s experiment seems to reflect a broader shift toward letting users take more control over the digital content they see. Rather than removing algorithmic curation, it’s layering personalization on top of it, something that may appeal to people who want news from sources they already trust.
If the feature becomes permanent, it could influence how publishers think about distribution and how much effort they put into building direct relationships with their readers.
Whether it benefits or complicates the search experience long-term, Preferred Sources shows that even in an AI-driven search world, individual choice still matters.
Read next: As Search Traffic Declines, Google Offers Publishers a New Revenue Lifeline
The feature, called Preferred Sources, is currently being trialed through Search Labs in the U.S. and India. It gives users the option to flag their favorite news outlets so stories from those publishers are more likely to show up in the Top Stories section.
Those who join the test will see a small star icon within the Top Stories carousel. Tapping the icon brings up a list of news publishers that users can prioritize. If a preferred outlet has relevant coverage on a topic, its article is more likely to appear near the top, marked with a star to signal it was a user-picked source.
This doesn’t fully override Google’s usual ranking systems. Instead, it adds a layer of personalization. In some cases, Google may also add a separate section labeled “From your sources” just below the main news block.
This feature isn’t Google’s first move toward tailoring results around individual habits. Search already factors in things like recent queries and frequently visited sites. But with Preferred Sources, the control is more direct.
Importantly, users can still opt out of personalization. A “Try without personalization” option remains at the bottom of the results, giving people the choice to switch back to a neutral, algorithm-only view.
For outlets with a strong following, this could be a welcome change. If readers begin selecting them as trusted sources, it might improve their visibility on high-traffic search topics. That kind of user-driven boost could help solidify loyal audiences and bring in more clicks over time.
But it’s a mixed bag. Smaller or lesser-known publishers could get pushed further out of sight, especially if users tend to favor bigger, more established names. In that sense, the new system may deepen existing gaps in visibility.
The change also signals something larger: brand loyalty and direct audience connection are becoming more critical for media outlets hoping to survive in the algorithm era.
Google’s experiment seems to reflect a broader shift toward letting users take more control over the digital content they see. Rather than removing algorithmic curation, it’s layering personalization on top of it, something that may appeal to people who want news from sources they already trust.
If the feature becomes permanent, it could influence how publishers think about distribution and how much effort they put into building direct relationships with their readers.
Whether it benefits or complicates the search experience long-term, Preferred Sources shows that even in an AI-driven search world, individual choice still matters.
Read next: As Search Traffic Declines, Google Offers Publishers a New Revenue Lifeline
