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- Why mark a preferred source on Google Search and Google News
- How to add a preferred source in Google News
- How to influence Google Search results toward a chosen site
- Choosing the right sources to prioritize
- Fixes for common problems when adding a preferred source
- Privacy and personalization settings to check
Want to shape the news and search results you see on Google? You can prioritize a favorite publisher or website so its stories and pages appear more often. This guide walks through how to add a preferred source on Google, with clear steps for Search and Google News, tips for selection, and fixes for common problems.
Why mark a preferred source on Google Search and Google News
Prioritizing a source helps you get more content from outlets you trust. It improves relevance in your feed and can reduce noise.
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- See trusted reporting first: Your preferred sources surface more often in the Discover feed and News tab.
- Faster access: New articles from that publisher are more likely to appear in your results.
- Personalized experience: Google tailors recommendations based on your chosen sources.
How to add a preferred source in Google News
Google News makes it easy to follow publishers and prioritize sources for news updates.
On mobile (Google News app)
- Open the Google News app on your phone.
- Search for the publisher or article you want to prioritize.
- Tap the publisher’s name or logo to open its page.
- Tap Follow or the star icon to add the source to your list.
- Visit Settings > Your interests to adjust how frequently you see this source.
On desktop (news.google.com)
- Go to news.google.com and sign in to your Google account.
- Search for the publisher and open its profile.
- Click Follow to add the source to your followed list.
- Manage followed sources via the Left menu under Following.
How to influence Google Search results toward a chosen site
Search doesn’t offer a direct “preferred source” toggle like News, but you can push results toward a site.
- Use the site: operator in search queries, for example: site:example.com topic.
- Bookmark and regularly open the site to increase its signal in your activity.
- Sign in to your Google account and engage with its content—clicks and time on page help personalization.
- Use browser extensions or custom search engines if you need persistent, prioritized search from a single source.
Choosing the right sources to prioritize
Pick publishers that match your values and information needs. Consider trust, coverage breadth, and relevance.
- Reputation: Does the outlet follow journalistic standards?
- Topical fit: Is the publisher known for the topics you care about?
- Local vs. national: Do you want local reporting or wide-ranging analysis?
- Diversity: Follow multiple sources to avoid filter bubbles.
Fixes for common problems when adding a preferred source
If a source doesn’t appear or doesn’t stick, try these quick remedies.
- Not seeing Follow button: Ensure you’re signed into the correct Google account.
- Source not prioritized: Clear app cache or reload the web page and sign in again.
- Content still missing: Check the publisher’s availability in your country.
- Unwanted personalization: Review activity controls in your Google account and pause Web & App Activity if necessary.
Privacy and personalization settings to check
Your Google account controls how much personalization affects news and search. Review these settings regularly.
- Web & App Activity: Turn this on to improve personalization.
- Ad Settings: Manage ad personalization if you want less targeted promotions.
- Manage interests: In Google News, adjust topics and followed sources to fine-tune your feed.
- Use My Activity to review what signals Google uses to personalize content.
