Google is rolling out Preferred Sources for the Top Stories module in Search to English users in the United States and India. The feature lets people prioritize selected news outlets in Top Stories results, with availability expanding over the coming days.
Preferred Sources for Top Stories in Search
Users can select one or more outlets to see more often in the Top Stories module. When relevant coverage exists, a "From your sources" section appears within Top Stories. Results continue to include reporting from other outlets.
Outlets surface more frequently only when they publish fresh, relevant content for the query. The feature affects only the Top Stories module, not the broader mix of sources on the page. The control to manage selections appears to the right of the Top Stories header. Users can search for outlets, then update or remove selections at any time.
Refreshing results updates the mix from preferred outlets. Selections from the Search Labs experiment carry over to this rollout. In early testing, more than half of participants selected four or more sources.
Key details
- Product name: Preferred Sources for Top Stories in Google Search
- Markets: United States and India - English only at launch, expanding over the coming days
- Applies to: Top Stories within Google Search results
- UI: Selection control to the right of the Top Stories header with searchable outlet list
- Presentation: A "From your sources" section appears when applicable
- Ranking: Preferred outlets surface more often only with fresh, relevant coverage
- Carryover: Selections from the Search Labs experiment automatically transfer
- Testing: Over half of early testers chose four or more sources
Background
Top Stories surfaces recent reporting for news-related queries. Preferred Sources first appeared as a Search Labs experiment and is now moving to general availability after testing. Google says Top Stories will continue to present a mix of sources, with selected outlets appearing more often when relevant - not excluding other publications.
For more detail on how the feature is rolling out, see Google's announcement that it is launching. Publishers can review Google's help center resources for guidance.
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