Preferred Source Button Generator
Type your domain and get the link that adds your site as a preferred source on Google, a copy-paste button for your site and newsletters, and Google's own badge code. Preferred sources show up in Top Stories, AI Mode, and AI Overviews.
Domains and subdomains only. Paths get dropped.
lock Private: runs in your browser, nothing is sent to this server.
How to check it worked
- Open your link while signed in to Google. The source preferences page loads with your domain in the search box.
- Tick your site and save. Google confirms it on the same page.
- Search for a topic you publish on. Stories from your site now show up more often in Top Stories for that account.
- Ask the same question in AI Mode. Preferred sources can be pulled into AI Mode and AI Overviews as well.
Who can be a preferred source
Google's rule, in its own words: "Only domain-level and subdomain-level sites are eligible to appear in the source preferences tool." So example.com and news.example.com work, and example.com/blog does not. The full rules, the badge script, and the downloadable badge graphics are in Google's preferred sources documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is a preferred source on Google?
A site a signed-in Google user has picked to see more of. Once picked, more of that site's stories show up for that person in Top Stories, and its content can appear in AI Mode and AI Overviews. Each reader keeps their own list, so the link works one reader at a time.
Q. Does the link need a Google account?
Yes. Google sends signed-out visitors to its sign-in page first, then on to the source preferences page with your domain already filled in. Say so next to your button, so people know what to expect.
Q. Can I use a subfolder like example.com/blog?
No. Google only accepts domains and subdomains. example.com and news.example.com qualify, example.com/blog does not. If you paste a full URL here, the tool keeps the domain and drops the rest.
Q. Should I use my own button or Google's badge?
Your own button is one line of HTML and works anywhere, including newsletters and social bios. Google's badge loads a script, shows the button in the visitor's language, and picks up the domain from the page it sits on. Use the badge on your site and the plain link everywhere else.
Q. Does this tool store my domain?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to this server, logged, or stored.
Q. Does being a preferred source raise my rankings for everyone?
No. It changes what one reader sees after they pick you, and nothing for anyone else. The article linked below covers what does help.
Getting picked is the easy part
The article covers what a preferred source changes for a reader, what it leaves alone in rankings, and where the button earns its place on a page.
Read the article east