Google Preferred Sources: Help Readers Add Your Publication
Google Preferred Sources is a reader choice, not a ranking switch
Google Preferred Sources lets a reader select a publication they want to find more easily in Google Search. For a reader who has made that choice, the publication’s content is more likely to appear in Top Stories with a preferred badge. Google also says the badge can appear in AI Mode and AI Overviews where those features are available.
That is useful for publishers with an existing audience, but it is not a ranking guarantee, a replacement for technical SEO, or evidence that every article will be shown. Keep the work focused on helping a willing reader complete a choice they already want to make.
Check eligibility before adding a promotion
Preferred Sources is available globally in Top Stories in languages where Google Search is available. Google limits the selectable site to a domain or subdomain: example.com and news.example.com can qualify, while example.com/blog cannot.
Use Google’s source preferences tool to search for the exact domain or subdomain first. Do not present an add button or deeplink as proof that the site is eligible; the reader must still be able to find and confirm the source in Google’s flow.
Use the standard interactive button when JavaScript is appropriate
Google’s recommended implementation loads its Preferred Sources library and places a declarative button container on the page:
<script async src="https://news.google.com/swg/js/v1/publisher.js"></script>
<div google-add-preferred-source-btn></div>
The standard button is localized automatically and returns the reader to the page after the selection flow. It can use a light or dark theme, and a site can override the displayed language when that is genuinely necessary:
<div google-add-preferred-source-btn data-theme="dark" data-lang="en"></div>
Add it only where the prompt is relevant—such as a publication landing page or a subscribed-reader surface. Test it on mobile and desktop, verify that it does not disrupt consent or performance controls, and keep it out of unrelated conversion paths.
Choose a deeplink when the button cannot be embedded
If the CMS or page architecture cannot run the interactive button, use a clear text link or accessible image link instead:
https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=example.com
Replace example.com with the eligible domain or subdomain. A deeplink can also be used in newsletters and social posts, but it should describe the reader action accurately—for example, “Add us as a preferred source”—rather than promise a search-ranking result.
Measure the right outcome
Preferred Sources is optional. Google does not require any of these promotions for a site to appear as a preferred source. Treat it as an audience-choice experiment, with a small implementation and a documented review date.
| Check | What to verify | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | The domain or subdomain appears in Google’s source preferences tool | That a subdirectory is selectable |
| Interaction | The button or deeplink completes the reader flow and returns cleanly | That every click becomes a saved preference |
| Search appearance | A preferred badge appears for a reader who selected the source, where the feature is available | A universal Top Stories or AI-feature placement |
| Site health | Articles remain crawlable, useful, and technically sound | That the button improves rankings, E-E-A-T, or Core Web Vitals |
For the broader publishing baseline, use Technical SEO, structured data, Googlebot, and Core Web Vitals. They address discoverability and page quality independently of an individual reader’s source preference.
Implementation checklist
- Search the exact domain or subdomain in Google’s source preferences tool.
- Select the standard interactive button or, where JavaScript is unsuitable, a deeplink.
- Use copy that explains the voluntary reader choice and avoids ranking promises.
- Test the flow, language, theme, return journey, mobile layout, and any consent/performance impact.
- Record the placement and review reader feedback or attributable traffic before expanding it.
Google’s Preferred Sources documentation is the implementation source of truth. Its August 20, 2026 update added the custom interactive-button guidance; check that documentation before changing the integration.
