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Google adds broader personalization controls across Search, Discover, and News with a publishers-backed “Preferred Sources” feature

By Owen Blackridge

· 2 min read

Illustration of personalized content features across Google Search, Discover, and News
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Summary

  • Google is rolling out new personalization features across Search, Discover, and Google News to give users more control over their experience.
  • A new interactive 'Preferred Sources' button can be embedded on publisher pages; clicking it adds the site as a Preferred Source on Google and returns readers to their previous point on the publisher’s page.
  • Readers can more easily find their favorite publications in Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.

Google is introducing a set of new personalization features across its core products—Search, Discover, and Google News—to give readers more control over what they see and how publishers connect with their audiences.

Among the changes is an interactive “Preferred Sources” option that publishers can embed on their pages to streamline how readers save and return to sites they care about.

PREFERRED SOURCES: A PUBLISHER-EMBEDDED CONTROL WITH READER BENEFITS

Readers can click a dedicated button on publisher pages to designate a site as a Preferred Source on Google. The action directs readers back to where they left off on the publisher’s page, helping them resume reading more easily. TechStaged has also covered Waymo brings Gemini into its custom Ojai vehicles.

The feature aims to help readers locate their favorite publications more quickly in Google surfaces like Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode, while giving publishers a more seamless channel to connect with their audience.

DISCOVERY AND NEWS GET REAL-TIME, USER-DRIVEN TWEAKS AND AUDIO BRIEFINGS

In Discover, users will soon be able to refine their feed by signaling which topics or links they want to see more (or less) of, with the system remembering these preferences over time.

For on-the-go news listening, the Google News app on Android will offer easier customization of daily audio briefings by topic, with clear source attribution and links to full articles.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR READERS AND PUBLISHERS

Google notes that readers will have more direct access to preferred sites, while publishers gain a smoother way to engage readers across Google’s surfaces.

The company also points to a broad set of participating publishers in a news AI pilot program as part of the rollout.

SOURCES

Reporting by Owen Blackridge; editing by TechStaged editors

Editorial disclosure: This article was prepared with AI assistance from a source-limited research package and passed TechStaged's automated factual, originality, licensing, and publication checks.

Our Standards: The TechStaged Editorial Principles.

Suggested Topics: Software Business Software
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Owen Blackridge

Owen Blackridge

Technology Editor

Owen covers platform shifts, AI launches, and the practical impact of emerging technology on small teams.
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