Google Preferred Sources in AI Mode: how new sites can still get picked.

For a new site, the scariest change in AI search isn't a ranking factor. It is the user deciding in advance whom to trust.

What changed

Preferred Sources started as a way for users to see more from the news sites they like in Top Stories. On 27 May 2026 Google extended it into AI Overviews and AI Mode. PPC Land reported that any website publishing fresh content is now eligible to be chosen. Users pick their sources in Google Search personalisation settings, and links from those sites carry a visible "Preferred" label. Google said more than 345,000 unique sources had been selected, and that people are twice as likely to click a link carrying the label.

Why it is harder for new sites

Users choose sources they already know. That favours established brands. The same reporting cited Chartbeat data showing small publishers lost about 60% of search traffic over two years, against 22% for large ones. A feature built on existing loyalty widens that gap.

What smaller sites can do

1. Ask. Google supports a deep link in the form google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com that opens the tool with your site filled in. Put it in your newsletter, social bios and at the end of your best articles.
2. Use the official button. Google provides a button for a site's calls to action, in 16 languages including Hindi.
3. Check your structure. Root domains and subdomains qualify; a /blog subdirectory on its own doesn't. Your whole domain is what users pick.
4. Publish regularly. Eligibility is tied to fresh content, and people choose sources they see often.
5. Earn the first visit elsewhere. Newsletters, YouTube, communities and tools bring people who might later prefer you. See YouTube for GEO.

The preference is the user's choice, so avoid anything that feels like a dark pattern: one clear ask from people who already value your content works better than pop-ups.

How to tell if it is working

Google doesn't report preferred-source selections to site owners. Watch branded search, direct visits and, in Search Console, click-through rate on queries where you appear in AI features. For the bigger picture on Google's AI surfaces, read AI Overviews vs AI Mode.

Questions people ask

What are Google Preferred Sources?

A Google Search setting where users choose sites they trust. Links from those sites get a "Preferred" label in Top Stories and, since May 2026, in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Can any website become a preferred source?

Any site publishing fresh content is eligible, at the root domain or subdomain level. Users choose; there is no application.

How do I get users to add my site as a preferred source?

Share the deep link google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com or add Google's button to your site, newsletter and social profiles.