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- Why setting a preferred source matters for your Google feed
- Where you can add a preferred source: Discover, News, and Search
- Step-by-step: Add a preferred source in Google Discover
- Step-by-step: Add a preferred source in Google News
- Manage and refine your source preferences
- Tips to avoid over-optimizing your feed
- How publishers can become a preferred source
- Troubleshooting: When adding a source doesn’t work
- Privacy and control: What Google uses from your choices
Choosing where your news and updates come from shapes what you see every time you open Google. Adding a favored publisher as a trusted source focuses your feed on outlets you trust, reduces noise, and helps Google surface more relevant stories. This guide explains what “preferred source” means, how to add one across Google products, and practical tips for readers and publishers.
Why setting a preferred source matters for your Google feed
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Google learns from signals you give it. When you mark a publication as preferred, the algorithm treats that signal as a stronger indicator of relevance.
- Better relevance: More stories from outlets you trust appear in Google Discover and Google News.
- Reduced clutter: Fewer random or low-quality pieces show up.
- Faster updates: Breaking news from your chosen source can surface sooner.
Where you can add a preferred source: Discover, News, and Search
Google offers multiple entry points to declare preferences. Each product stores signals slightly differently, but they all influence the stories you see.
- Google Discover on mobile devices
- Google News (web and app)
- Personalized search results and topic preferences
Step-by-step: Add a preferred source in Google Discover
Follow these steps on Android or iOS to prioritize a publisher in Discover.
- Open the Google app on your phone.
- Find a story from the outlet you want to prioritize.
- Tap the three-dot menu next to the story.
- Select Follow or Add as preferred source if available.
- Confirm your choice to let Google place more content from that outlet into your feed.
Step-by-step: Add a preferred source in Google News
On desktop or the Google News app, you can follow specific publications or topics.
- Open news.google.com or the Google News app.
- Search or navigate to the publisher page.
- Click or tap Follow to add the source to your favorites.
- Manage followed sources under the Following tab.
Manage and refine your source preferences
Preferences are not permanent. Here are quick ways to tweak them.
- Visit the Following or Settings area in Google News or the Google app.
- Unfollow or mute outlets you no longer want to prioritize.
- Use the feedback buttons on individual cards to tell Google if a story is irrelevant.
Use feedback to improve results
Tap “Not interested” or “Less like this” on story cards. That direct feedback refines the feed faster than passive behavior alone.
Tips to avoid over-optimizing your feed
- Follow a mix of national and local outlets for balanced coverage.
- Include specialist publications for niche topics you care about.
- Periodically review followed sources to prevent echo chambers.
How publishers can become a preferred source
Publishers want to be selected by users. These tactics improve the chances.
- Publish accurate, timely reporting regularly.
- Use clear headlines and structured metadata for Google indexing.
- Earn trust through transparency and attribution.
- Engage readers on-site so users choose to follow your publication.
Troubleshooting: When adding a source doesn’t work
Sometimes a follow action seems ignored. Try these fixes.
- Make sure the Google app is up to date.
- Clear app cache or sign out and back in.
- Confirm you’re following the official publisher page, not a topic or aggregated feed.
- Check account-level settings and personalization toggles.
Privacy and control: What Google uses from your choices
When you follow or add a preferred source, Google uses that signal to personalize content. You always control these preferences and can revoke them at any time.
- Local device settings: Some personalization is stored locally.
- Account-level controls: Manage personalization in your Google Account settings.
