Google adds Preferred Sources button and Gemini chat to personalize Search and Discover

Google announced a new Preferred Sources button that publishers can embed on their pages; a click adds the site to a list of favored sources in Google Search and redirects the reader back to the publisher’s content. This label is expected to boost the site’s appearance in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode. The move follows declining referral traffic from Google and recent pressure from regulators to let sites opt out of AI-generated results.

In parallel, the company is updating its Discover feed, allowing users to shape the stories they see by chatting with the Gemini AI via a three-dot menu in the mobile app. Gemini will adapt the feed in real time and retain the user’s requests. Google also added more customization options for audio briefings in its News app, letting listeners pick topics and see source links. The features will be phased in over the coming weeks, so users may not see them immediately.