New ways to find your favorite sources and original content in AI Search

May 27, 2026

We’re bringing Preferred Sources to AI Overviews and AI Mode and launching more new ways to help you find high-quality content and firsthand perspectives.

Duncan Osborn

Product Manager, Google Search

General summary

Google is updating its AI search features to help you find content from your favorite websites and creators more easily. You can now label your "Preferred Sources" in your settings, which will highlight those sites directly within AI-generated responses and new search carousels. Look for the new "Highly Cited" badge on search results to quickly identify original reporting and influential coverage.

Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.

Bullet points

Google’s "New ways to find your favorite sources" article explains updates to AI Search.
You can now see your Preferred Sources directly within AI Overviews and AI Mode.
A new carousel helps you quickly find timely articles and diverse online perspectives.
The "Highly Cited" badge helps you spot original reporting and influential news coverage.
These updates make it easier to find trusted content and explore unique viewpoints.

Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.

Basic explainer

Google is updating AI search to help you find content from your favorite websites more easily. You can now pick your preferred sources so they stand out whenever you use AI. They’re also adding new labels and carousels to help you spot original reporting and helpful discussions. These changes make it simpler to find trustworthy info you actually care about.

Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.

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When you come to Search, you’re looking for information you can trust from the sources, websites and creators you value most — and we’re continuing to launch updates to make it easier to explore the web. Now we’re bringing your Preferred Sources directly into our AI experiences, and launching new features to help you discover original content, creator insights, and unique perspectives.

Preferred Sources, now in AI Search

Our Preferred Sources feature makes it easy to see more from your favorite websites. 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.

Setting it up is simple: just visit source preferences in Search personalization settings to find and add your favorite sources. Any website that publishes fresh content is eligible. We've found that people are twice as likely to click through to a Preferred Source, and people have already selected more than 345,000 unique sources.

Article links in an AI response about the best zoos have “Preferred” labels so you can easily spot content from your Preferred Sources.

A list of search results for "what are the best zoos to visit in the US" highlights Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo.

It’s been great to see so many publishers and website owners encouraging their readers to use Preferred Sources. Site owners can find tips on how to do that on our documentation page.

Fresh perspectives, new updates and prominent links

We're introducing a new way to explore articles and perspectives when you’re looking to understand the latest updates on a topic you’re interested in. We know people often want to read an article or a post for these searches, but some initial context and a range of options helps them decide where to dig in. Now, for some searches when you have a question about a developing topic, you'll start seeing a prominent carousel, which will also highlight your Preferred Sources. This will help make timely articles more visible on a wider range of queries.

For a question about Super El Niños, a AI response shows a bit of context followed by a prominent link carousel.

A smartphone screen shows a Google search result for "where are super el ninos expect..." with an AI overview stating that a potential "super" El Niño is expected to develop in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the second half of 2026.

And for some searches where you might be looking for insights from others, you’ll soon see a similar carousel with helpful perspectives from online discussions, forums, and social media.

An AI response about Chonkers the sea lion features a short overview followed by a carousel of links to firsthand perspectives on the topic.

A screenshot of a Google search result for "why are people obsessed with chonkers the sea lion" which describes him as a "massive 2,000-pound sea lion with an even bigger personality" and includes two related video links.

“Highly Cited” labels to highlight influential coverage

We’re also adding a "Highly Cited" badge to more web article links on the search results page. This label makes it easy to spot articles that many other stories have cited, helping you find the primary reporting that other articles are referencing. We're also indicating when an article explicitly references a Highly Cited source. These are simple ways to help you discover influential coverage of topics you’re interested in.

An article about a school board meeting has a “Highly Cited” label, denoting it’s been cited by other stories,

A highly cited news article from "The Local Dot" dated May 20, 2026, with the headline, "Tense School Board Meeting Drags On Past Midnight," discusses a long meeting about a controversial new attendance policy that ended without a final decision.

These new changes build on our recent updates to connect you with the best of the web. 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.