Google expands Preferred Sources to prioritize outlets in Search

Google is expanding personalization in its Search results with a new feature called Preferred Sources, designed to let users prioritize specific outlets so their articles appear more prominently in Top Stories and a dedicated From your sources section. The rollout is live today for English-language users in the United States and India, with a broader rollout in those markets over the coming days. The update preserves the wider mix of sources for users while giving favored outlets more visibility when fresh, relevant coverage is available.

The mechanism is straightforward. When a topic is searched, users can click the icon to the right of the Top Stories header and search for the outlets they want to prioritize. Selected sources will be labeled and shown more frequently alongside other results, and refreshed results will reflect the updated prioritization. If a user previously participated in an early test through Google Labs, those preferences carry over automatically. Participants in the earlier testing tended to pick multiple sources, suggesting a desire for both trust and breadth in the news they see. Importantly, Google emphasizes that the Top Stories page will still...