Google Now Tells You How Many People Chose Your Site as a Preferred Source

For over a year, publishers have been asking readers to add them as a preferred source on Google, with no way to see whether anyone did. That's changing. Google Search Console has started emailing site owners a count of how many people have selected their domain as a preferred source.

It's the first time Google has shared this number with publishers. Search Engine Roundtable reported the emails on October 6, 2026, and several SEOs confirmed they'd received them, including Kyle Sutton:

What the email says

The email arrives from Search Console with a simple message: people are choosing your domain as a preferred source. Below that is a figure labelled "Preferred source selections": the number of Google users who have picked your site.

The rest of the email reads like a nudge to grow that number. It explains what preferred sources do, then recommends two things:

• Add Google's JavaScript button to your pages so readers can add you in one click.
• Replace any old static image buttons with the new JavaScript version.

There's also a short survey asking whether the email was clear, useful and well timed, how often you'd want it, and which metrics you'd like to see next. That suggests Google is still working out how to report this data.

There's no report in Search Console yet

For now, the number only exists in the email. Search Console doesn't have a preferred sources report, and you can't see the figure change over time or break it down. Several SEOs pointed this out when the emails arrived. The obvious next step would be a proper report alongside Performance and Discover.

Nati Elimelech was one of the first to point out the missing report:

Glenn Gabe got several of the emails and wants the number inside Search Console:

Until then, save the email. If Google sends these regularly, each one becomes a data point, and you can build your own trend from them.

A quick refresher: what preferred sources do

Preferred sources let people tell Google which sites they want to see more often. When a reader marks your site as a preferred source, Google is more likely to show your content to that reader in Top Stories, and Google says it also feeds into AI Overviews and AI Mode.

It's important to be clear about what this isn't. It's a per-reader setting, not a sitewide ranking boost. Someone who hasn't picked you sees the same results they always did. What a selection gives you is a better chance of reaching readers who already like you, which often matters more.

Google has shared one important number here: people are about twice as likely to click through to a site they've marked as a preferred source.

How preferred sources got here

The jump from about 90,000 to more than 600,000 selected sources in under a year shows readers are using the feature. Until now, though, nobody could see their own share of it.

Why this matters

The number turns a hunch into a channel you can measure. Many publishers added a "prefer us on Google" button and had no idea if it worked. With a count, you can see whether a push in your newsletter or on social actually got people to act.

It's one of the few signals readers give Google directly. Google is giving publishers more audience-driven levers, like the follow button on Google Search profiles, which feeds Discover. Preferred sources do a similar job for Top Stories and AI answers. In both cases, readers who choose you get to see more of you.

It reaches AI surfaces. Getting cited in AI Overviews and AI Mode is hard to influence. A per-reader preference that Google says carries into those features is worth having, even if the effect is small for each reader.

How to grow your preferred source count

1. Switch to the JavaScript button. Google's button needs two lines of HTML: a script tag in the page head, and a div wherever you want the button. Google styles it, translates it into the reader's language, and returns the reader to your page after they click. If your CMS doesn't allow JavaScript, you can still use the deeplink: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com.
2. Put it where loyal readers will see it. The end of an article, your author pages and your newsletter page all work. Someone who has just finished reading your piece is far more likely to click than a first-time visitor.
3. Ask your email list. Your subscribers already chose you once. A single line and link in your next newsletter is probably the cheapest way to grow your count.
4. Use the right domain. Only domains and subdomains are eligible. example.com and news.example.com qualify, but a folder like example.com/blog doesn't. If your content lives in a subfolder, point the button at the root domain.
5. Measure each push. Note the count from each email and line it up against your campaigns, so you know which asks worked.

What we don't know yet

• How often the emails will come. The survey asks about frequency, so Google probably hasn't decided.
• Whether every site gets one. Some sites may need a minimum number of selections before an email is sent.
• Whether the number is global or per country. The email shows a single figure.
• How much a selection is worth. Google's 2x click-through figure is an average. It doesn't tell you how many extra visits each selection brings.

FAQ

What is a preferred source on Google?

It's a setting that lets a Google user pick sites they want to see more often. Their chosen sites show up more for them in Top Stories, and Google says the preference also carries into AI Overviews and AI Mode.

How do I find out how many people chose my site as a preferred source?

Google Search Console has started emailing site owners a "Preferred source selections" count. There isn't a report inside Search Console yet, so the email is currently the only place to see it.

Does being a preferred source improve rankings?

Not for everyone. It only affects the readers who selected your site. Google says those readers are about twice as likely to click through to a site they've chosen.

How do I add a preferred source button to my site?

Use Google's JavaScript button from the Search Central documentation: a script tag in the page head plus a div where you want the button. If your CMS can't run JavaScript, link to https://google.com/preferences/source?q=yourdomain.com instead.

Sources: Search Engine Roundtable (Oct 6, 2026); PPC Land: preferred sources timeline; Relevant Audience: the preferred sources button.