Google is introducing a new "Preferred Sources" button that webmasters can add to their websites, allowing readers to officially support their favorite publications directly through Google Search. When readers click this button, the site is added as a Preferred Source on Google and immediately directs them back to where they left off on the publisher's page.

After clicking the button, the publication will appear more frequently in Google Search results, including in Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode. The button formalizes a practice that publishers, including Engadget, had been independently implementing for some time. Despite declining referral traffic in recent years due to products like AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google's search engine remains a crucial revenue source for many media outlets.

Google will also be updating its Discover feed to allow users to curate content by conversing with the company's Gemini chatbot. Additionally, users can now customize audio briefings through Google's News app on Android by choosing specific topics with clear source attribution and links to full articles.