Google Expands Preferred Sources to AI Overviews and AI Mode

Google is expanding its Preferred Sources feature to AI Overviews and AI Mode inside Search, giving users more control over which publishers and websites appear in AI-powered search experiences.

The update builds on Google’s broader push toward personalized search results as AI-generated answers become more common across Search.

Preferred Sources now works with AI-generated results

Preferred Sources lets users select websites and publishers they want to see more often in Search results. The feature is available globally in supported languages and can be configured through Search Settings under Source personalization and Source preferences.

Google says users can add almost any website that regularly publishes fresh content. According to the company, people are already twice as likely to click articles from a preferred source compared to standard search results.

So far, users have selected more than 345,000 unique sources.

AI Overviews will surface trusted publishers

With the latest update, Preferred Sources now integrates directly into AI Overviews and AI Mode.

When users search for developing stories or trending topics, Google may display an AI-generated summary alongside a carousel highlighting content from the user’s selected publishers and websites.

Google says the goal is to help people quickly understand a topic while still encouraging them to open articles, blog posts, and discussions from trusted outlets.

The move could also help publishers retain visibility as AI-generated summaries increasingly appear above traditional blue links.

Google wants to show broader perspectives

Google is also expanding how Search presents viewpoints around news and trending discussions.

For some queries, Search may now show a carousel featuring content from multiple sources, including online forums, social media platforms, and public discussions.

According to Google, this should help users discover a wider range of perspectives instead of relying on a single source or publication.

Highly Cited label expands to more articles

Another part of the update includes a wider rollout of Google’s Highly Cited label.

The label identifies original reporting or stories that many other outlets reference and cite. Google says this should make it easier for users to locate the original source behind widely shared news coverage.

The company has been testing the feature for some time as part of its efforts to improve transparency and source attribution inside Search.

Google’s latest Search changes arrive as the company continues expanding AI features across Chrome and Search. Reports also suggest Google could soon prompt Microsoft Edge users to switch their default search engine to Google Search, while Chrome may soon allow AI Mode to automatically access open tabs for contextual assistance.

At the same time, Google continues facing increasing regulatory pressure in Europe over concerns tied to search dominance and market competition.