# Google lets publishers embed a Preferred Sources button

Published: 2026-08-20T19:34:49.890Z · Source: TechCrunch AI (https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/20/google-gives-publishers-a-new-way-to-fight-ai-driven-traffic-losses/)
Source date: 2026-08-20
Entities: google

Google is rolling out an embeddable "Preferred Sources" button publishers can add to their pages; a reader click adds the site as a Preferred Source and returns them to where they left off. Google says preferred sources surface more often in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that more than 600,000 unique sources have now been selected, up from over 345,000 at the feature's May 2026 launch.

Why it matters: Google is giving publishers a rare, Google-sanctioned lever to claw back visibility as AI Overviews and AI Mode pull clicks away from their sites.

## What this answers

**What is Google's Preferred Sources button?**

It's a button Google now lets publishers embed on their own pages; readers who click it add the site as a Preferred Source, and Google says preferred sources appear more often in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode.

**How many people have picked a Preferred Source on Google?**

More than 600,000 unique sources have been selected as of August 2026, per Google, up from over 345,000 when the feature launched inside AI Mode and AI Overviews in May 2026.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-08-20-google-lets-publishers-embed-a-preferred-sources-button/
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