Google announcement that favorite sources arrive in AI previews and AI mode, as well as new article carousels and an expansion of the “Highly Cited” label in search results.
Users have now selected more than 345,000 sources through Google’s Favorite Sources feature, up from around 90,000 when the company extended the tool globally.
Preferred sources in AI previews and AI mode
When favorite sources spearthe labels only appeared in Top Stories. Google then extended functionality to all languages in April.
Starting today, these labels will also appear on links in AI Previews and AI Mode Replies. Duncan Osborn, product manager for Google Search, said users “will be able to easily spot links in AI responses from the sources you’ve already selected.”
Google reports that people click on favorite sources twice as fast as other links. The company did not say how this metric was measured or whether the comparison controlled for user intent.
Google notes that websites can encourage visitors to select them as their preferred source and highlights its documentation page for advice on how to do this.
CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned a related source preference feature during his Interview with the decoder
Article and Perspective Carousels
The announcement also includes new carousel formats for certain search results on developing topics.
For some queries on evolving stories, you’ll start to see a carousel of article links with brief context, highlighting any preferred sources in the mix. Google says this will “help make news articles more visible across a wider range of queries.”
A second carousel will soon be dedicated to first-hand perspectives, bringing up content from forums and social networks. Google noted that users will “see soon” this format, suggesting that it is not yet fully launched.
Expansion of most cited labels
The Highly Cited badge is also expanding to appear on more web article links in standard search results. The label identifies articles that other articles have frequently referenced, directing users to the main reports. He initially 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 that users can see both the original report and the follow-up coverage that cites it, all in the same results set. The extension applies to standard search results, not specifically to AI mode or AI previews.
Why it matters
Preferred Sources is now one of the few user-controlled settings that can affect which sources stand out in AI-generated responses. For websites, the feature creates a direct link between audience loyalty and AI search visibility.
The 345,000 sources selected represent almost four times the figure announced by Google in December. This growth occurred as Google Favorite sources extended to all languages and editors started promoting the feature to their audience.
The Highly Cited extension gives original reports another label of visibility in search results. The two-way version, in which Google also flags articles referencing a highly cited source, makes citation relationships more visible and could benefit publishers who consistently attribute their source.
Looking to the future
Preferred Sources labels in AI Previews and AI Mode are now deployed. Google hasn’t shared a timeline for the Perspectives carousel featuring forum and social media content.
Google’s John Mueller recently examined whether preferred sources could replace quality signalsclarifying that the feature works alongside ranking systems rather than replacing them.
Featured image: Google
