Latest news with #PreferredSources
Fast Company
11 hours ago
- Fast Company
This new Google feature will make searching a lot more personal, but a little less fun
Google Search is about to look a lot more personal. Google recently began implementing a new search feature called 'Preferred Sources.' With this add-on, users can select the news sources they want to see more of when they browse the web. After a new preference is set, displayed news items will be filtered by the user's preferred organizations. This new feature, alongside Google's recent AI updates to its search engine, are beginning to change what it actually means to Google something. In many cases, the changes are making it faster, easier, and more personalized. In the process, though, searching is also trending toward a more siloed experience—one that's less connected to an earlier ethos of exploration and discovery. A new browsing experience To try out 'Preferred Sources,' users can start by searching a topic that's in the news, navigating to the 'Top Stories' section of the results, and clicking the small icon to the right of the section name. There, a dedicated search menu will present the option to select an unlimited number of publications or websites. Once these sources are selected, they'll appear more frequently in Top Stories or in a separate 'From your sources' section on the search results page. Users will still be able to see content from other sites, and can change their source selections through the same process at any time. Google first tested Preferred Sources with a small group of users back in June—a trial that received 'overwhelmingly positive feedback,' according to a Google spokesperson. '[Users] really loved the ability to customize their experience in this way on Search,' the spokesperson said. 'Labs users also really valued being able to select a range of sources—with over half of users choosing four or more.' Essentially, Preferred Sources means that users can have a lot more control over their top search results, rather than leaving those first picks up to Google's algorithm. While it remains to be seen how this feature will be used more broadly, it seems likely that it will make the Google experience quicker and more enjoyable for some users, while also removing some of the exploration that was once inherent in the Googling process. When users are immediately served the sources they've already elected to see—written from a perspective that, most likely, they already agree with—they may not feel the need to browse any further and discover a source they wouldn't have searched for themselves. Preferred Sources comes as Google's search function is already undergoing a significant transformation. Over the past few years, the company has been focused on building out its AI Overviews feature, a tool that creates AI-generated summaries (powered by Google's Gemini model) that appear above traditional hyperlinks. While AI Overviews include outbound links that help users follow its sourcing themselves, the tool primarily collates a succinct answer to users' search questions. A July study by the Pew Research Center showed that these AI summaries actually make users less likely to click on links to other websites: Based on the research, which analyzed 900 U.S. adults who agreed to share their browsing history, 'Users who encountered an AI summary clicked on a traditional search result link in 8% of all visits. Those who did not encounter an AI summary clicked on a search result nearly twice as often (15% of visits).' Further, the study found, users are more likely to end their browsing session entirely after visiting a search page with an AI summary than on pages without a summary. The potential impact of AI Overviews on traffic to independent publishers is one main topic of an ongoing antitrust complaint that's been filed against Google in the EU. And while the accuracy of AI Overviews summaries has improved since they first debuted (and told users to put glue on their pizza, among other absurd suggestions), some experts warn that its answers are still prone to mistakes. In a blog post published on August 6, Liz Reid, Google's VP and head of search, claimed that total organic click volume from Google Search to websites has been 'relatively stable year-over-year,' though she did add that 'user trends are shifting traffic to different sites, resulting in decreased traffic to some sites and increased traffic to others.' Yet based on the Pew Research Center's data, it appears that at least for some users AI Overviews are cutting short a process that used to involve a more purposeful browsing effort—the familiar cycle of clicking on a few links, falling into a Wikipedia rabbit hole, and learning something entirely new. With the addition of Preferred Sources, that browsing process may become even quicker for the users who choose to implement it. To be fair, Google has rolled out new features that make AI searching a more exploratory process for topics like recipes and restaurants, travel, and shopping. 'We know users love to browse and there's a joy in discovery. . . . It's not always about that instant answer,' Rhiannon Bell, VP of UX at Google, told Fast Company in October 2024. Still, as the company works out the balance between discovery and instant answers, Google may be shifting toward more of a one-stop-shop search model rather than one that operates as a gateway to independent exploration.
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
Google Wants You to Pick Your Own News Sources for Searches
Perhaps in response to suggestions that its Search functions have been degraded or been usurped by AI summaries that not everybody wants, Google will now let you select news sources to narrow things down. The company said in a blog post this week that it's launching Preferred Sources in the US and India over the next few days, along with a plus icon to the right of Top Stories in searches. Clicking on that plus symbol allows you to add blogs or news outlets. There doesn't appear to be a limit on how many sources you can add. "Once you select your sources, they will appear more frequently in Top Stories or in a dedicated 'From your sources' section on the search results page. You'll still see content from other sites, and can manage your selections at any time," Google said. The new feature is the result of a Labs experiment. Google says that in that version, half of its users added four or more sources. Google offered advice to website publishers and owners on how to direct readers to add their site. Speaking of which, we'd be remiss if we didn't suggest adding CNET to your preferred Google search sources. We hear they do great work. What it means for news sites and their readers News organizations and other information sites have shifted before to cater to Google's search algorithm as well as those on other platforms including Facebook and Instagram. Publishers executed a pivot to video in the 2010s, and in recent years produced more bite-sized content suitable for sharing on platforms such as TikTok. Here's how you get to select your news sources. Google The addition of news preferences might be a double-edged sword, giving you more control over search results while further shutting out some legitimate news publishers as new echo chambers get built. "It's almost like a tone-deaf move by Google in my point of view, because news organizations are already concerned about losing traffic to the AI overviews," said Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise at Poynter, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media literacy program. "Now they have to figure out how to get people to pick their source in the source preferences." For bigger news publishers who have a loyal audience, Preferred Sources might prove that audience engagement efforts can pay off. But Mahadevan says it will depend on how willing people are to effectively subscribe to and curate their own news sources list. "I question how many people will actually use it," he said. People may see their own beliefs reinforced, not challenged Publishers who haven't cultivated engaged, loyal followers and don't have the means to steer their audiences might suffer, Mahadevan says. "The thing that does concern me about this is you know for the organizations that may have not done that, it's just going to further erode the amount of Google traffic they get," Mahadevan said. "If way more people want news from Fox News and are choosing Fox News among their source preferences, then that's going to be crowding out other news sites that might need that traffic." As an experiment, Mahadevan says he set Breitbart News Network as a source using the Google Search feature, saying he chose the far-right news source because it has been known to share misinformation. "I started Googling about tariffs and the first thing I see is Breitbart," he said. "So this concerns me also from a media literacy standpoint because I think it might further push people into echo chambers," where they only see beliefs that correspond with those they already hold. "It just seems like a way for people to narrow down their news diet even more via Google Search," Mahadevan said. If SEO, the way that websites have for decades have drawn Google traffic by generating good, relevant content, is effectively out the window, what does that mean for the future of publishing and media? "Is there a strong enough media literacy base for people to make sure they're choosing good legitimate news outlets and a varied variety of news sources?" Mahadevan asked. "I don't know if we're quite there yet."
CNET
2 days ago
- CNET
Google Will Let You Pick Your Own News Sources for Searches
Perhaps in response to suggestions that its Search functions have degraded, or been usurped by AI summaries that not everybody wants, Google will now let you select news sources to narrow things down. The company said in a blog post it's launching Preferred Sources in the US and India over the next few days and it's added a plus icon to the right of Top Stories in searches. Clicking on that plus symbol allows you to add blogs or news outlets. There doesn't appear to be a limit on how many sources can be added. The company says: "Once you select your sources, they will appear more frequently in Top Stories or in a dedicated 'From your sources' section on the search results page. You'll still see content from other sites, and can manage your selections at any time." The new feature is the result of a Labs experiment. Google says that in that version, half of users added four or more sources. Google offered advice to website publishers and owners on how to direct readers to add their site. Speaking of which, we'd be remiss if we didn't suggest adding the popular website CNET to your preferred Google search sources. We hear they do great work over there.
Android Authority
2 days ago
- Android Authority
I tested Preferred Sources, and it's one of the best Google Search features in years
Joe Maring / Android Authority When we talk about Google Search in 2025, it's usually not for a good reason. AI Overviews are more prevalent than ever, despite still not being particularly good. Google widely rolled out (the very flawed) AI Mode to users in May, and the traditional Google Search experience remains cluttered with ads and low-quality results. This has made me (understandably) hesitant when Google launches a new feature for Search, but the company's latest one — Preferred Sources — is incredible. After soft-launching Preferred Sources as a Search Labs feature earlier this year, Google has just rolled it out widely to all users in the US and India. Preferred Sources allows you to tell Google which websites you prefer reading, customizing your Search results so links from those preferred websites appear higher up and more often. On paper, it sounds almost too good to be true. However, after testing Preferred Sources myself, I'm here to tell you that it actually works, and it's kind of a game-changer. Don't want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. How to get started with Preferred Sources Joe Maring / Android Authority Finding and using Preferred Sources is pretty simple, though if you don't know where to look, it can be easy to miss. To get started, open Google Search and search for any recent news topic. I'm using the Pixel 10 for this example, but it could be anything. Once you do this, simply do the following: After searching for a recent news topic in Google Search, tap the Preferred Sources icon to the right of the 'Top Stories' section. Tap the search bar and type the name of a website or the site's URL you want to add. Tap the check box next to your preferred site. Once selected, tap Reload results near the bottom of the screen. This will refresh Google Search with your Preferred Sources selection(s). As you can see in the screenshots above, the Android Authority Pixel 10 story is now the first result in the Top Stories carousel, which was previously a Forbes article, as shown in the first screenshot. And that's all there is to it! You can revisit the Preferred Sources tab at any time to add or remove websites as needed, and there's seemingly no limit to how many sources you can add. What it's like using Google Search with Preferred Sources Joe Maring / Android Authority That's how you set up Preferred Sources, but what's it like to use Google Search once you've configured the feature? I spent about two minutes customizing my Preferred Sources list, adding 10 websites that range from tech publications to general news sources and a few local news sites. In practice, Preferred Sources works exactly as I hoped it would. For example, a quick search for 'OnePlus 15' highlights an Android Authority article at the front of the Top Stories section (and is also marked with a Preferred Sources badge next to the website name). There are articles from other sites, too, but the Android Authority one is front and center. If you search for a topic with more buzz around it, your Preferred Sources are presented differently. Searching 'Pixel 10 news' once again shows the Top Stories carousel with an Android Authority article in it, though it's shown as the number three result rather than the first one. However, as you keep scrolling down, you'll find a dedicated 'From your sources' section with news articles exclusively from sites you've added to your Preferred Sources list. This doesn't always appear in search results, but when it does, it's a nice touch. Beyond tech news, Preferred Sources works just as well for other search queries. Searching 'Michigan news' shows articles from my preferred websites as the top three results in Top Stories, in addition to the From your sources section below it. I saw the same setup again when searching 'Detroit Lions.' The Top Stories carousel featured two articles from my Preferred Sources, once again accompanied by the From your sources tab. Preferred Sources doesn't only show you articles from websites you select, but it does consistently make them more visible. And in a world where Google Search results seem to get worse by the day, finally having some real control over what you see is mighty powerful. Do you like Google Search's Preferred Sources feature? 0 votes I love it! It's exactly what I've been waiting for. NaN % I think it's fine, but it's not amazing. NaN % I don't like it/It's not working for me. NaN % I don't have it yet. NaN % This is the Google Search feature I've been waiting for Joe Maring / Android Authority To be clear, Preferred Sources isn't perfect. While I've been able to add almost all of the websites I want, one of the local news stations I like to follow isn't a selectable option. Google notes that 'sources not updated regularly may be unavailable,' but considering the news station publishes articles daily, there's no reason why it shouldn't be available. I've also noticed that Preferred Sources can be finicky about displaying the From your sources section. For whatever reason, it appears just fine when searching 'Pixel 10 news,' but doesn't appear with a 'Pixel 10' or 'Google Pixel 10' search. And while it's easy enough to customize Preferred Sources as is, having to search for something first is slightly annoying; I'd love to see it added somewhere in the Google app settings, too. Joe Maring / Android Authority But even with those complaints, I'm still thrilled that Preferred Sources exists. With features like AI Overviews, AI Mode, and AI summaries in Google Discover, almost all of these features were created with the intent of limiting your interaction with real publications — instead making you rely on (often bad) AI writing from Google. Not only does Preferred Sources give you real and important control over your Google Search results, but it also shines a critical spotlight on reading articles from human writers and publications you trust. It's the exact opposite feature you'd expect to see from an AI-ified Google in 2025. Preferred Sources is rolling out now to Google Search users in the US and India. If you use Google and live in either of those countries, I can't recommend Preferred Sources enough. It really is one of the best new Google Search features I've seen in a while. Follow
GSM Arena
3 days ago
- GSM Arena
Google Search will show you more content from your Preferred Sources
Vlad, 12 August 2025 Today Google is launching Preferred Sources in Search for everyone in the US and India. This basically lets you tell Google what your preferred sources for information are, and it will then show you more content from those sources in the Top stories part of Google Search. The rollout is expected to take a few days. To select your Preferred Sources, click on the icon to the right of "Top stories". You can then search for sources and select the ones you want. Then, refresh your results and you'll instantly get more from your favorite sites, and your preferences are saved for the future of course. You'll see content from your Preferred Sources both in Top stories and a dedicated "From your sources" section on the search results page. You will still see content from other sites - your Preferred Sources will just be featured more prominently and more often. You can of course change your source selections at any time, and you can select as many Preferred Sources as you like. Source
