How to force Google AI Overviews to prioritize your favorite news sources

Google has expanded its Preferred Sources feature to include AI Overviews and AI Mode, allowing users to prioritize specific news sites in AI-powered search results. The update, announced in a Wednesday blog post, ensures selected sources appear more prominently and are clearly labeled in AI-generated responses. Users can add preferred sources through Google's Source preferences page to influence both standard and AI-infused search results.

How to force Google AI Overviews to prioritize your favorite news sources Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source https://cc.zdnet.com/v1/otc/00hQi47eqnEWQ6T9d4QLBUc?element=BODY&element label=Add+us+as+a+preferred+Google+source&module=LINK&object type=text-link&object uuid=5e5d2e64-4b30-43e6-8555-26eac7e449f3&position=1&template=article&track code= COM CLICK ID &url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fpreferences%2Fsource%3Fq%3Dzdnet.com&view instance uuid=379e95d2-6b56-476b-a90b-043a8dd63bd3 on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways - Google's Preferred Sources feature now works with AI-powered searches. - You can add your favorite news sites so they appear more prominently. - Google will also now point you to stories that are highly cited. I like to see certain news sites, such as ZDNET, pop up in my Google searches https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-ai-search-box-with-agents-more-upgrades/ when I'm looking for help on a certain topic. With Google's Preferred Sources option, I'm able to add such sites so they appear in a regular search. Now, Google has expanded the feature to also cover AI-powered searches. Also: This AI-free Google alternative is surging in popularity - how to try it for yourself In a blog post published on Wednesday https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/original-high-quality-content-search/ , Google announced that the Preferred Sources feature now supports searches that run through AI Overviews https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-remove-ai-overviews-from-google-search/ or AI Mode. This means you should see your favorite sites show up more prominently among the results, even if AI handles your search. What are 'Preferred Sources' in Google? Introduced last year, initially as a Google Labs experiment https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-will-show-you-more-news-from-your-favorite-sources-heres-how-to-set-it-up/ , Preferred Sources is designed to help you access the sites you like or trust the most when you search on any topic. Until now, the feature was limited to regular Google searches https://www.zdnet.com/article/favorite-sites-google-search-top-stories-preferred-sources/ , Google's Discover mode https://www.zdnet.com/article/follow-your-favorite-sites-and-creators-in-google-discover-now-with-just-one-click/ , and Google News' Top Stories. With the latest development, your favorite sites are now likely to appear no matter how you conduct your searches. Also: Why Chrome may have quietly downloaded a 4GB file to your PC - and how to get rid of it "Our Preferred Sources feature makes it easy to see more from your favorite websites," Google said in its blog post. "And starting today, it's coming to AI Overviews and AI Mode, so you'll be able to easily spot links in AI responses from the sources you've already selected. Just like in Top Stories, your Preferred Sources will be clearly labeled to stand out." Choosing your favorite sources helps both you and the sites and publishers you follow. For example, if you add ZDNET as a preferred source, our latest tech news, features, and guides will appear more prominently in any relevant results, whether you run a regular search or an AI-infused one. How to add your Preferred Sources to Google AI To add a source you like, browse to the Source preferences page https://www.google.com/preferences/source and make sure you're signed in with your Google account. In the field for "Search by name or website," start typing the name or website address of a site you like. Also: Everything we saw at Google I/O: Gemini 3.5, Android XR glasses, Spark, and more To add ZDNET, for instance, just begin typing its name. Click the checkbox for the site when it appears among the results. You can then add multiple sources the same way. To try this out, head to Google's search page https://www.google.com/ . Also: I was intrigued by Google's new video-cloning Omni AI - then I considered the implications In the search field, type the question or phrase that describes the topic you want to research, and then click the AI Mode button. In response, one or more of your preferred sources may appear within and next to the AI summary. If so, hover over the link to the source to see its full name, date, and other details. Click the link to view the full story at the source's website. Keep in mind that your preferred sources won't always show up. Your topic naturally has to be related or relevant to a story that the site has published. Google also favors sources that publish fresh content so that you get the latest information. There's more Maybe you're researching a developing topic in the news and aren't sure which site or story to check out first. For these kinds of searches, Google will now display a carousel with thumbnails of relevant sources, with your preferred ones highlighted. You can then swipe or scroll through the thumbnails and choose the story you want to see based on its details. Finally, Google will now point you to stories that promise to be more relevant and helpful. Here, you'll see a "Highly Cited" badge next to links for stories on the search results page. This tag highlights stories that other sources have cited, helping you find ones that are getting the most coverage. And there's even more in store. "These new changes build on our recent updates to connect you with the best of the web," Google added in its post. "Highlighting trusted sources, creator content, and firsthand perspectives helps you search with more confidence. This is an area where we're constantly innovating, and there is much more to come." Artificial Intelligence Editorial standards /editorial-guidelines/