Google's Preferred Sources feature lets a reader choose publishers they want to see more often. When a reader selects your site, your content may appear more often in Top Stories and can carry a preferred badge in supported Search experiences. This is a reader preference, not a ranking switch or a promise of traffic.
Step 1: Check that your site can be selected
Open Google's source preferences tool and search for your publication. Only domain-level and subdomain-level sites are eligible; a folder such as example.com/news is not a separate source. If your site is not listed, first make sure it publishes news content and follows Google's policies. There is no Preferred Sources application that guarantees inclusion.
News publishers should make authorship, dates, publisher identity, ownership, and contact information easy to find. Clearly disclose sponsorships and affiliate relationships. Review Google's current Google News policies and publication page guidance.
Step 2: Add Google's official button
The recommended integration uses Google's localized button. Add the script once in your page's <head>, then place the button wherever readers may find it useful:
<script async src="https://news.google.com/swg/js/v1/publisher.js"></script>
<div google-add-preferred-source-btn></div>The button automatically uses the reader's language and returns them to your page after they make a choice. You can set a dark theme with data-theme="dark", or set a language with data-lang="en". Follow Google's Preferred Sources implementation guide for custom integrations and current details.
Step 3: Use a direct link if the script does not fit
If your CMS or site cannot load Google's button script, a text link or clickable image can open the preferences tool. Replace yourdomain.com with your publication's domain:
<a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com">
Add us as a Preferred Source on Google
</a>Test the link while signed in to Google and make sure the reader can identify and select the correct publication. Do not imply that clicking the link subscribes someone automatically; the reader must confirm the preference.
Step 4: Put the prompt where readers already engage
Use a few visible, relevant placements rather than repeating a disruptive prompt everywhere. Good starting points include:
- At the end of an article, after the reader has seen the reporting.
- On a newsletter thank-you page or in a newsletter for existing readers.
- On an about, follow, or “stay up to date” page.
- In a social post that explains what the preference does and links directly to the selection page.
Use a clear call to action such as “See more of our reporting in Google Search.” Keep it optional, accessible, and easy to dismiss. Avoid deceptive overlays, repeated interruptions, or claims that Google will show every story.
Step 5: Set a realistic target and measure it
There is no official 10,000-selection threshold. A goal such as 10,000 readers can be an internal audience-building target, but it is not a Google requirement and does not guarantee placement or free traffic. Ask your existing audience first and improve the prompt based on real engagement.
Track button impressions and clicks where your implementation allows, and compare Search Console impressions and clicks for Top Stories over time. Note the dates and other distribution changes, and avoid attributing every traffic change to Preferred Sources. Google determines what to show; reader selection only expresses a preference.
Quick checklist
- Confirm your publication appears in Google's source preferences tool.
- Keep reporting original, accurate, current, and transparent about authors and ownership.
- Add Google's official button, or link to
https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com. - Place a concise, optional invitation in a few relevant reader touchpoints.
- Measure engagement and Search Console results without promising guaranteed visibility.
Read Google's full Preferred Sources guide for publishers before implementation; code and availability details can change.