Google has announced new Search updates aimed at helping users discover trusted websites, original reporting, creator insights, and firsthand perspectives more easily.
The company is expanding its Preferred Sources feature to AI-powered Search experiences, including AI Overviews and AI Mode, while also introducing new ways to surface timely articles, online discussions, and influential reporting.
New AI Search features
The updates were announced by Duncan Osborn, Product Manager for Google Search. He added that these changes are part of Google’s ongoing efforts to connect users with trusted sources, creator content, and firsthand perspectives across the web.
Preferred Sources in AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google says Preferred Sources is designed to help users see more content from websites, publishers, and creators they value most.
Starting today, the feature is expanding to AI Overviews and AI Mode. This allows users to more easily identify links from websites they have already selected inside AI-generated Search responses. Similar to Top Stories, Preferred Sources will be clearly labeled in results.
Users can manage the feature through source preferences in Search personalization settings, where they can add favorite websites and publishers. Google says any website that publishes fresh content is eligible to be added.
According to the company, users are twice as likely to click through to a Preferred Source, while more than 345,000 unique sources have already been selected.
New article and perspective discovery tools
Google Search is also getting new carousel-based experiences focused on articles, updates, and perspectives.
For some searches related to developing topics, Search will begin showing a prominent article carousel featuring timely coverage from different publishers. The carousel may also highlight Preferred Sources.
Google says the feature is intended to provide users with initial context and multiple content options before they decide which article or source to explore further.
The company is also preparing a similar carousel focused on perspectives from online discussions, forums, and social media platforms. This experience is designed for searches where users may be looking for opinions, experiences, or insights shared by others online.
Expanded “Highly Cited” labels
Google is also expanding its “Highly Cited” badge to more article links in Search results.
The label highlights stories and reports that are frequently referenced by other publishers and articles, helping users identify influential or primary reporting more easily. Search will also indicate when an article explicitly references a Highly Cited source.
Google says the feature is intended to help users discover influential coverage and original reporting more easily.
Availability
Google says Preferred Sources support for AI Overviews and AI Mode is rolling out starting today. The new article and perspective carousels, along with expanded Highly Cited labels, are also being introduced gradually across Google Search.