Show summary Hide summary
If you want Google to surface stories from one outlet ahead of others, you can nudge the system by prioritizing that publisher in Google Discover and Google News. This guide walks through why it helps, how to set a preferred news source on mobile and desktop, and what to do if the change doesn’t seem to stick.
Why prioritize a news publisher on Google
Hilary Swank’s husband Philip Schneider: inside the businessman behind the star
Polska pregnant and betrayed by a close friend: she is very, very shocked
Prioritizing a publisher helps Google tailor results and recommendations to your interests. Instead of hunting for a specific site, you get more timely coverage from an outlet you trust.
- Faster access to stories from that publisher in your feed.
- Consistent coverage on topics the outlet specializes in.
- Cleaner feeds by reducing unrelated sources.
How to set a preferred source in Google Discover and Google News
Google’s apps let you select publishers directly from articles, search results, or the app settings. The steps differ slightly by platform.
- Open the Google app or Google News on your phone or tablet.
- Find an article from the publisher you want to prioritize.
- Tap the three-dot menu near the article or the publisher name.
- Select the option to prioritize, follow, or mark as preferred.
- Confirm the selection when prompted.
On Android and iOS devices
- Open Google Discover via the Google app to see recommended stories.
- In Google News, use the publisher card or article menu to follow or prioritize.
- If you don’t see a “prioritize” label, choose Follow or Show more stories like this.
From a desktop browser
- Visit news.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
- Search for the publisher or open an article, then use the site controls to follow or prioritize.
- Changes sync across devices tied to the same Google account.
Tips to manage and fine-tune your preferred sources
Use these tactics to keep your feed relevant without losing variety.
- Follow a mix of local and national outlets to balance perspectives.
- Review your followed and prioritized sources in the app settings occasionally.
- Use “See less” or “Hide” on stories you don’t want, so the algorithm adapts.
- Unfollow or deprioritize sources that no longer match your interests.
What Google considers when showing prioritized publishers
Google balances your preferences with relevance signals. Prioritizing a source is a strong signal, but it does not override everything.
- Timeliness and breaking-news relevance still influence placement.
- Local relevance and topic matching affect whether a prioritized source appears.
- Personal settings and browsing history also shape recommendations.
Privacy and account notes
Prioritizing a publisher is tied to your Google account. Actions stay private to your profile unless you share them.
- Manage personalization in your Google account to control how much the service uses your activity.
- You can clear or pause activity if you want less personalization.
- Signed-out sessions will not reflect your saved preferences.
Troubleshooting when a preferred source doesn’t appear
If your chosen publisher seems absent from results, try these steps.
- Confirm you are signed into the same Google account on all devices.
- Check that the outlet still publishes frequently and covers your topics.
- Update the Google app and clear its cache, then restart the app.
- Revisit the article menu and reselect the priority option if needed.
- Review any site-blocking or content settings that might filter that publisher.
