Google Preferred Sources Reach 345K, Expand AI Search Features

Google has confirmed that Preferred Sources is now integrated into AI Overviews and AI Mode, alongside new article carousels and an expanded Highly Cited label across search results.

Since the company rolled out Preferred Sources globally, users have selected over 345,000 sources, a sharp increase from roughly 90,000 when the tool first expanded.

Preferred Sources in AI Overviews and AI Mode

When Preferred Sources initially launched, the labels only appeared in Top Stories. Google later extended the feature to all languages in April. Now, starting today, those same labels will show on links within AI Overviews and AI Mode responses. Duncan Osborn, Product Manager for Google Search, explained that users will “be able to easily spot links in AI responses from the sources you’ve already selected.”

Google reports that people click through to Preferred Sources at twice the rate of other links. However, the company did not disclose how that metric was measured or whether the comparison accounts for user intent. Google also encourages websites to prompt visitors to select them as a preferred source, pointing to its documentation page for guidance.

CEO Sundar Pichai touched on a related source-preference feature during his Decoder interview, describing a system where sites a user subscribes to are treated as preferred sources. He called it “a new change which we didn’t have before.”

Article and Perspectives Carousels

The update also introduces new carousel formats for certain search results on developing topics. For queries about evolving stories, users will see a carousel of article links with brief context, highlighting any Preferred Sources in the mix. Google says this will “help make timely articles more visible on a wider range of queries.”

A second carousel is coming, dedicated to firsthand perspectives. This format will surface content from forums and social media. Google noted that users will “soon see” this format, suggesting it has not fully launched yet.

Highly Cited Label Expansion

The Highly Cited badge is expanding to appear on more web article links in standard search results. The label identifies articles that other stories have frequently referenced, pointing users toward primary reporting. It originally launched in 2022 for Top Stories on mobile.

Today’s update adds a second label. The search results page will now also indicate when an article “explicitly references a Highly Cited source.” This means users could see both the original reporting and which follow-up coverage cites it, all within the same set of results. The expansion applies to standard search results, not specifically to AI Mode or AI Overviews.

Why This Matters

Preferred Sources is now one of the few user-controlled settings that can affect which sources stand out inside AI-generated responses. For websites, the feature creates a direct connection between audience loyalty and AI search visibility. The 345,000 selected sources represent nearly four times the figure Google reported in December. That growth happened as Google expanded Preferred Sources to all languages and publishers began promoting the feature to their audiences.

The Highly Cited expansion gives original reporting another visibility label in search results. The two-directional version, where Google also flags articles referencing a Highly Cited source, makes citation relationships more visible and could benefit publishers who consistently attribute their sourcing.

Looking Ahead

The Preferred Sources labels in AI Overviews and AI Mode are rolling out now. Google has not shared a timeline for the perspectives carousel featuring forum and social media content. Google’s John Mueller recently addressed whether Preferred Sources could override quality signals, clarifying that the feature works alongside ranking systems rather than overriding them.