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- What the “Add as preferred source on Google” prompt actually does
- How to add a site as your preferred source — quick steps
- Why this matters for readers and content discovery
- Tips for publishers: how to encourage readers to prefer your site
- Privacy, account ties, and visibility control
- Common questions and troubleshooting
- How the prompt looks and where you’ll find it
Google has added a small but powerful prompt that lets users mark a site as a preferred source for their feed. The badge, decorated in Google’s familiar color palette, appears near articles and pages and invites readers to “Add as preferred source on Google.” It’s a quick way to influence what shows up in Google Discover and News, and it’s worth knowing how it works and what it means for readers and publishers.
What the “Add as preferred source on Google” prompt actually does
The prompt is a user-facing control to signal trust and interest. When you choose a preferred source, Google can weigh that preference when curating content for your Discover feed and News highlights.
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Preferred sources do not guarantee that every article from the site will appear. They do increase the chance Google surfaces content from that publisher for you.
How to add a site as your preferred source — quick steps
- Spot the badge near an article or in a site’s header. It uses Google’s colors and a small icon.
- Click or tap the prompt that reads “Add as preferred source on Google”.
- Confirm your choice when prompted. Google will save the preference to your account settings.
- To remove a source later, open Google Discover or News settings and manage your selected sources.
Why this matters for readers and content discovery
Adding preferred sources gives you more control over the stories you see. It can make your feed more relevant without complete manual curation.
- Personalization: Your interests shape Discover and News recommendations more quickly.
- Trust signals: Marking reputable outlets helps filter out low-quality or irrelevant sources.
- Content diversity: You can balance your feed by adding sources from different perspectives.
Tips for publishers: how to encourage readers to prefer your site
Publishers can make small UX changes to guide readers toward the prompt. But avoid aggressive prompts that degrade the reading experience.
- Keep the page load fast and content readable.
- Offer clear branding so users can recognize and trust your site.
- Use metadata and structured data so Google understands your content category.
- Encourage subscriptions and account sign-ins to strengthen reader relationships.
Privacy, account ties, and visibility control
Preferences are tied to your Google account. They are part of personalization settings and can be changed any time.
- Google stores these preferences to tailor Discover and News.
- You can review and remove preferred sources in Google settings.
- Marking a source does not share private browsing history with the site.
Common questions and troubleshooting
What if the prompt doesn’t appear?
- Make sure you are signed into your Google account.
- Check that the content is eligible for Discover or News features.
- Clear cache or update the Google app to the latest version.
Why don’t I see more articles after adding a source?
Google balances many signals. Adding a preferred source nudges recommendations but does not override relevance, timeliness, or diversity rules.
How the prompt looks and where you’ll find it
The control usually appears as a compact badge near article headers or site toolbars. It pairs an icon in Google’s signature colors with the label “Add as preferred source on Google.”
- Visible on mobile and desktop in many contexts.
- Placed to be noticeable but unobtrusive.
- Designed for quick interaction with minimal steps.
