Google has launched its Preferred Sources feature, which lets users select their main news outlets and get updates about local happenings.
The fresh tool permits users to choose which news organisations appear in their search results’ Top Stories section.
The feature first became available in the United States and India before being rolled out worldwide to all nations.
Google has indicated that the feature enables users to select their preferred sources and stay informed about the latest content from the platforms they follow and subscribe to — whether that’s their preferred sports blog or a neighborhood newspaper.
Here is how to add publications to your Preferred Sources list on Google.
Activating Google Preferred Sources
Type [Patch location] news into Google’s search field
Click the icon next to the Top stories section
Type the name of the publication or site into the Preferred Sources search box that appears
Tick the box next to the publication’s name
When you go back to Google and refresh your results, more stories from that outlet will show up in your Top Stories section.
A Google blog post announced that after choosing sources, they will display more often in Top Stories or in a separate From your sources area on the search results page. Users will still encounter articles from other websites, and they can modify their choices whenever they want. Users may add as many sources as they prefer, and feedback from initial Labs participants indicated that users highly appreciate having the ability to pick multiple sources — with more than half selecting four or more. If users previously enrolled through Labs, their preferences will be applied automatically and they will continue seeing more content from those sites in Top Stories.