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TL;DR
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What happened: In early October 2026, Google began emailing some website owners the number of people who picked their site as a “preferred source.”
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Why it matters: Google says people are 2X more likely to click through to a site after marking it as a preferred source.
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Where it shows: Preferred sources appear more often in Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.
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What to do: Check your Search Console inbox, add Google’s free “preferred source” button to your site, and ask loyal customers to tap it.
What is a preferred source?
Think of it as a “follow” button for Google Search. A person picks the websites they trust, and Google shows content from those sites more often in that person’s results. Your content gets a small “preferred” label too.
The feature launched in Top Stories in August 2025, went global in December 2025, and expanded into AI Overviews and AI Mode in 2026. During early testing, Google said people had already picked nearly 90,000 different sources, ranging from local blogs to global news outlets.
What is new this month?
Until now, you had no way to know if anyone had chosen your site. That changed around October 6, 2026, when site owners started getting emails from Google Search Console saying people are choosing their domain as a preferred source, with a count of selections as of October 5.
A few things to know:
- Not everyone got one. Google has not said how it picks recipients.
- The number lives in the email only. There is no report inside Search Console yet. The email includes a short survey asking if you want one.
- The count is loosely defined. Google has not said if it reflects unique people, or a snapshot versus a running total.
Why should a local business care?
Each selection is a person telling Google, “show me more from this business.” That is rare, first-hand loyalty data, and it carries into AI answers, where more of your customers now start their search.
One honest caveat: this feature rewards sites that publish fresh content. If your website is five static pages, it will not move the needle. If you post local guides, seasonal tips, project spotlights, or community news, you have something worth following.
Your 4-step action plan
- Search your inbox. Look for a Search Console email mentioning “preferred source.” No email? You can still do steps 2 to 4.
- Add the button. Google offers a free “Add as a preferred source” button that takes two lines of code. Ask your web team or agency to place it on your blog and homepage.
- Share your direct link. Use this format and swap in your domain: google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com. Drop it into your email newsletter, social posts, and review follow-up messages.
- Publish on a schedule. Even one helpful, local post a month gives people a reason to follow and gives Google something fresh to show.
Note: only full domains and subdomains qualify (yourdomain.com or blog.yourdomain.com). A subfolder such as yourdomain.com/blog cannot be selected on its own.
The bottom line
Google just gave you a new scoreboard: how many people have asked to see more of you. Your existing customers already trust you, so asking them to tap one button is a low-cost way to show up more often in the searches and AI answers that matter. Want help setting up the button or a content plan? Reply to this email and we will get it done.
Sources: Google Search Central (Preferred Sources guide), Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable.
