Google’s approach to personalization has evolved over the decades.
From what's called the PageRank algorithm that surfaces websites with more links, to then with the launch of Personalized Search in 2004 that adjusted results based on a user’s browsing history and activity, Google evolved to better index and make websites more visible. While this early form of customization was largely invisible to users, it raised concerns about “filter bubbles.”
People have long speculated that Google is narrowing perspectives by keeping users to only what they want to see and hear.
Over the years, Google experimented with more explicit forms of news tailoring, like through tools like Google News’ “Editions” and experimental projects in Search Labs. Google tries to customize results even further.
However, most of these were still algorithmically driven, leaving people with limited direct control.
Now, during its ongoing push into generative AI, Google is introducing a more hands-on approach with a feature called 'Preferred Sources.'
Available for English-language users in the U.S. and India, it allows people to select news outlets or blogs they want to see more often in the Top Stories carousel, which appears when searching for current events.
We’re launching Preferred Sources, a new Search feature that lets you see more of the sites you love in Top Stories. To use it:
1. Search for a newsy topic
2. Click the icon next to Top Stories
3. Search and select your sources
4. Hit refresh
Learn more ↓…— Google (@Google) August 12, 2025
This can be traced back to industry reports that suggest some publishers have seen traffic drops of 30% to 80%, with smaller outlets particularly disadvantaged as AI summaries tend to cite large, well-known brands and outlets like the BBC, The New York Times, and CNN.
Zero-click searches have also risen sharply, from 56% to nearly 69% year-over-year, intensifying concerns about visibility and revenue for publishers.
While Google claims referral traffic remains stable, many publishers, big and small, argue AI summaries are killing them by significantly reducing clicks to original stories.
Many also argue that Google is more biased towards citing resources from already dominant outlets, and making it harder for smaller sites to compete.
The shift has sparked pushback from news organizations and advocacy groups. Some have filed antitrust complaints in the EU, arguing that AI Overviews misuse publisher content without fair return.
Others demand the right to opt out of being included in AI summaries or call for better traffic attribution in tools like Google Search Console.
And this Preferred Sources is a broader evolution in Google’s personalization strategy.
But instead of giving yet another algorithm-heavy tool, Google is giving users the control of what they want to see and hear.
The idea emerged from a Search Labs test in June, during which more than half of participants picked four or more outlets, and their preferences now carry over automatically.
Google says other publishers will still be included to maintain diversity, but the timing of this feature is notable, coming as AI-generated summaries, or AI Overviews, take a larger role in Search results.
According to Google in a dedicated support page, the process is straightforward: search for a news topic, click the star icon next to the Top Stories header, and choose from any number of publishers.
Once saved, these selections increase the likelihood of seeing those outlets in future relevant searches, sometimes with a star badge, and in some cases within a dedicated “From your sources” section.
In this context, Preferred Sources appears to be both a user-facing convenience and a strategic adjustment, giving searchers more agency while addressing publisher concerns over visibility in an AI-heavy news ecosystem.
And to make it up to publishers, Google is also giving them the ability to encourage their followers and subscribers to select their website as a preferred source on Google, and even created a dedicated badge for it.
