Readers can now tell Google they want to see more of your content. Google calls it a preferred source, and this month it started telling site owners how many readers have picked them.
What changed
Google emailed Search Console property owners a new number called “Preferred source selections.” It is the count of readers who chose your site in Google’s source preferences tool. The emails I’ve seen report counts as of October 5, 2026.
If you got one, the subject line starts with “People are choosing.” My guess is that it went to sites with at least 1,000 selections. Google has not confirmed a threshold, so treat that as my read.
![Google Search Console email headed “People are choosing [domain] as a preferred source,” showing a Preferred source selections count, with the count and domain redacted.](https://eddiemercado.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/google-preferred-sources-email-redacted-704x1024.png)
The count is not in Search Console reports yet. The email also includes a short survey asking owners how they would like to receive this data, suggesting Google is still deciding how to share it with site owners.
What it means
Google says that when a reader selects your site, your content is more likely to appear in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode for that reader. In some cases, Google also marks the listing with a “preferred” badge. I’ve also seen a preferred source show up as the top organic result in my own searches, though that could be personalization.
This makes selections a new number to track and grow. It is an input metric for your organic traffic, and one of the few search signals your readers control directly. Every selection is a person who told Google “show me more from this site,” and you already have those people. They read your posts, open your emails and follow you on social.
What to do next
1. Use the standard JavaScript button. Google offers a few ways to ask for a selection. The standard button is two lines of code, making it easy to add, and some common plugins like WP Recipe Maker and Hubbub have options to enable it. The JS option lets readers add your site in fewer steps and without leaving the page. The standard button looks the same across sites, so readers learn to recognize it.
<script async src="https://news.google.com/swg/js/v1/publisher.js"></script>
<div google-add-preferred-source-btn></div>The advanced JavaScript button is also great if you really want to customize it. Just be careful with the button background color. Google’s logo has a gradient, which is meant to work on white and black backgrounds. The wrong color will clash or make the G icon look muddy.
2. Put the button where readers already take action. Google lets you place it anywhere on the page. I recommend putting it next to comments, print and save buttons, in the footer, and on your About page. A reader who just finished a post and wants to save or print it is in the right frame of mind to choose you as a preferred source. Footers, About pages, and other highly branded areas are great because readers who visit them are also likely to choose you. The top of the page is weaker because the reader has not gotten anything from you yet.
3. Activate your loyal fans off-site. Google also provides a link that opens the source preferences tool with your site filled in:
https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.comAdd it to your newsletter footer and your social link page, and send a dedicated email asking subscribers to choose you as a preferred source. Your subscribers are your most loyal readers, and they’re the people most likely to want your posts in their Google results.
Who is eligible
Readers can only choose a domain or a subdomain. A subfolder such as example.com/blog cannot be selected. To show the badge in AI Overviews and AI Mode, your site must be included in Search generative AI features in Search Console. To check whether readers can find you, search for your site at google.com/preferences/source.
If your site doesn’t show up in the tool, readers can’t select it yet. Mine doesn’t yet.
None of the buttons is required. Readers can select you without one. The button just makes it easier to ask.
