Overview

• Google introduced Preferred Sources in August in the U.S. and India, letting users select favored publishers that influence Top Stories placement.
• On October 1, Liberty Ballers, Barca Blaugranes, and Bavarian Football Works posted instructions with direct links asking readers to add their sites as source preferences.
• The publishers present the request as a way to restore desired coverage after AI-driven search results changed how links appear.
• Google describes the feature as user-controlled and focused on surfacing recent, relevant pieces from selected outlets within Top Stories.
• The participating sites did not report traffic or ranking outcomes from these reader sign-ups.