Now, Google lets users customise Top Stories with their preferred websites

Google is testing a Labs feature that lets users customise their Top Stories feed by selecting favourite websites, starting in the US and India

Google has announced that it is rolling out a new experiment in Search Labs called Preferred Sources, allowing users to prioritise specific websites in the Top Stories section of Search results. Available in English for users in India and the US, this feature gives individuals more control over the news sources they frequently see, provided those sites are actively publishing new content.

 

Once opted in, users can tap a star icon next to the “Top Stories” header to pick their preferred websites. When relevant, updates from those sites will start appearing more often in your Top Stories section, alongside regular algorithm-selected content. These chosen sources will also be clearly labelled, and in some cases, users may see a separate “From your sources” carousel below the main Top Stories section.

What else is new in Google Search

In addition to Preferred Sources, Google also outlined a handful of other features that aim to make Search more relevant and tailored to your needs, all of which can be managed through personalisation settings.

• Automatic content refresh: If you have searched a topic before, Google will now automatically show you new content since your last visit in sections like Top Stories or What People Are Saying. Your recent searches may also be flagged with a “New update” tag to indicate fresh results.
• Quicker access to frequent sites: When personalisation is turned on, Search will promote websites you visit often higher in your results, if relevant to your query.
• Smarter sports tracking in Discover: Sports fans can choose their favourite teams, and Discover will show live scores, game highlights, and more.
• Personalised shopping: Search will let you save your favourite fashion styles during apparel or accessory searches, and Google Shopping will deliver a customised feed of products and deals based on your selected interests.

Users can manage or disable all personalisation features at any time through their Google account settings.