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- Why designate a preferred source on Google Discover and Google News
- How to add a preferred source on Google — step-by-step for readers
- What publishers should do to become a preferred source
- Optimizing content so Google favors your site
- Troubleshooting if your preferred source isn’t appearing
- Privacy, preferences, and managing followed sources
- Practical checklist for readers and publishers
Want your favorite news site or blog to show up first in Google Discover and Google News? Adding a site as a preferred source makes your feed more relevant and helps you see trusted coverage faster. Below is a practical guide for readers and publishers on how to add, verify, and optimize preferred sources so headlines you care about reach the right screens.
Why designate a preferred source on Google Discover and Google News
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Choosing a preferred source signals Google to prioritize content from that publisher in your personalized feed. For readers, it reduces noise and surfaces trusted reporting. For publishers, it increases visibility to engaged audiences.
- Better personalization: Google tailors Discover and News results to your interests and preferred sources.
- Faster updates: Preferred sources are more likely to appear quickly after a story breaks.
- Trust and relevance: Curating sources helps avoid less reliable outlets and repetitive content.
How to add a preferred source on Google — step-by-step for readers
Google’s interface varies by device and app version. These steps describe the common path in Google News and Discover.
From Google News app
- Open the Google News app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the search bar and enter the site or publication name.
- From the publication page, tap the three-dot menu or the follow button.
- Select Follow or Add as preferred source if offered.
- Customize alerts or notifications as needed.
From Google Discover (mobile home feed)
- When an article from a publisher appears, tap the three-dot menu near the card.
- Choose Follow or Show more stories like this.
- To refine, go to Google app settings > Feed > Manage interests or Followed sources.
What publishers should do to become a preferred source
Publishers cannot force users to follow them. But they can earn preferred status through quality, trust, and technical readiness.
- Publish original reporting: Unique, timely content attracts engagement and trust.
- Use structured data: Implement NewsArticle schema and valid metadata to help indexing.
- Verify with Google tools: Register in Google Search Console and, when eligible, the Publisher Center.
- Improve page experience: Fast loading, mobile-first design, and clear ad policies matter.
Optimizing content so Google favors your site
SEO and editorial work together. These practical steps improve discoverability and user trust.
- Write clear, descriptive headlines and meta descriptions.
- Keep author and publication dates visible on articles.
- Maintain a reliable publishing schedule and topical depth.
- Encourage direct visits and subscriptions to build a loyal audience.
- Monitor performance in Google Search Console and adjust based on data.
Troubleshooting if your preferred source isn’t appearing
If a site you follow does not surface as expected, check common problems first.
- Confirm you actually followed the source in the app settings.
- Clear cache and restart the Google app to refresh the feed.
- Check that the publisher’s feed or pages are indexable and not blocked by robots.txt.
- Verify structured data and AMP (if used) are error-free in Search Console.
- Consider contacting the publisher to ensure they meet Google News content guidelines.
Privacy, preferences, and managing followed sources
Google uses your preferences to tune results. You control what you follow and can change settings anytime.
- Review followed sources in the Google app under Interests or Followed publications.
- Turn off personalized results or clear activity if you want less tailored feeds.
- Use block or feedback options on individual stories to refine relevance.
Practical checklist for readers and publishers
- Readers: Search the publisher, tap Follow, and adjust notifications.
- Publishers: Verify site ownership, fix indexing issues, and follow News content best practices.
- Both: Use app settings to manage what appears in Discover and News.
