Google Rolls Out ‘Preferred Sources’ to Personalize Top Stories Experience
Google is letting users customize their Top Stories with favorite publishers—reshaping how visibility works in news search.
2 min readHighlights
Google now lets users select favorite news sources in Top Stories through Search Labs.
Selected articles are marked with a star but do not replace algorithm-driven results.
Trusted publishers may benefit most, while smaller outlets face discoverability challenges.
Image Source: Designed by Martech Scholars using Canva Pro. Visualizes Google’s personalized Top Stories with user-selected news sources.
Google’s “Preferred Sources” Personalizes Top Stories Carousel
Google is testing a feature that could shift how users experience news in search—“Preferred Sources.” This personalization option allows people to choose their favorite publishers for the Top Stories carousel on search results pages.
Currently in experimental mode via Search Labs in the U.S. and India, the feature introduces a new layer of user control—highlighting a possible evolution in how visibility and trust intersect in Google’s news ecosystem.
How “Preferred Sources” Works
When users activate the experiment, a star icon appears in the Top Stories section. Clicking it reveals an option to mark publishers as preferred. Stories from these sources will then be prioritized—appearing more prominently when relevant, but not replacing Google’s default ranking algorithm.
Google may also present a secondary carousel titled “From your sources” underneath the standard Top Stories, giving selected publishers even more real estate in the SERPs.
Why This Matters for Publishers
This change favors publishers with strong brand loyalty. If users repeatedly select them, their stories are more likely to appear in prime locations. It’s a new form of earned visibility—one that rewards trust and direct audience engagement.
However, this shift also raises concerns for emerging news outlets. Without an established user base, they may find it harder to compete, as personalization leans toward legacy brands and familiar names.
Personalization vs. Algorithmic Discovery
The test aligns with Google’s push toward giving users more control over their experience, while still preserving algorithmic curation. Users can turn personalization off entirely by clicking “Try without personalization”—a transparency feature Google says will remain in place.
If fully implemented, Preferred Sources could redefine SEO strategy for news publishers—blending brand marketing with technical search optimization like never before.
