Google has announced new personalization features across Google Search, Discover and Google News. The updates include a Preferred Sources button for publishers, new controls for customizing the Discover feed, and options to choose topics for audio news briefings in Google News on Android.
Preferred Sources
Google is introducing an interactive Preferred Sources button that publishers can embed on their webpages. When readers click the button, the site is added as a Preferred Source on Google, and they are immediately directed back to the page they were viewing on the publisher’s website.
Content from Preferred Sources can appear in:
- Top Stories
- AI Overviews
- AI Mode
Google said users have already selected more than 600,000 unique sources. Publishers can find the code for the Preferred Source button in Google Search Central documentation.
Discover feed customization
Google is also adding new controls for customizing the Discover feed. In the coming days, users will be able to tap the three-dot menu on items in their feed and tell Google, in their own words, which topics or links they want to see more or less of.
Users can specify:
- Topics they want to see more of
- Topics they want to see less of
- Links they want to see more or less of
Discover will adjust the feed based on these requests and remember them. The feed can therefore be updated based on the preferences users provide.
Google News audio briefings
Google is adding customization options for daily audio news briefings in the Google News app on Android. Users can choose specific topics for their briefings, with the briefings providing:
- Clear source attribution
- Links to full articles
- Deeper coverage of key stories from publishers participating in Google’s news AI pilot program
Availability
The Discover customization feature will be available in the Google app in the coming days. Publishers can access the Preferred Sources button code through Google Search Central documentation. The customizable audio briefings are available in the Google News app on Android.