How To Add Google’s Preferred Sources Button To Your Website

Google’s new Preferred Sources embed removes one motion from the method of including a publication as a Most popular Supply.

With the embed, a reader provides the location and returns to the article. A deeplink sends the reader to Google’s supply preferences instrument, the place the location nonetheless must be chosen and confirmed.

This easy information reveals find out how to add the button to your web site and gives WordPress widget code you need to use.

What Google’s Most popular Sources Function Does

Most popular Sources impacts what a person Google consumer sees after choosing your publication. It doesn’t enhance your web site’s rankings for everybody or assure that your articles will seem in Top Stories.

In keeping with Google’s documentation, it’s accessible globally for Prime Tales within the languages the place Google Search is on the market. Most popular sources may also be highlighted in AI Overviews and AI Mode the place these experiences can be found.

See additionally: Google’s Liz Reid: Personalization Can Help Small Publishers

Verify Eligibility Earlier than You Add The Button

First, seek for your publication in Google’s source preferences tool. If it doesn’t seem there, including the button won’t clear up the eligibility difficulty.

Google helps domains and subdomains, however not subdirectories. These are legitimate targets:

  • instance.com
  • information.instance.com

This isn’t a legitimate goal:

If the publication lives on a subdomain, use that host fairly than assuming the foundation area is interchangeable.

Add The Commonplace Most popular Sources Button

Google recommends its commonplace JavaScript implementation as a result of it’s localized mechanically and returns the reader to the web page the place they began.

Commonplace Button Vs. Deeplink: What I Noticed

I examined each routes on cell. With the embedded button, Google opens a publication-specific affirmation web page. The supply is already recognized, the reader faucets Add, and Google returns them to the article. After the preliminary click on in your web site, it’s a single-action circulation.

The embed button opens a publication-specific page where the reader only needs to tap Add.
The embed button opens a publication-specific web page the place the reader solely must faucet Add. (Picture from creator, August 2026)

The deeplink is completely different. It opens the overall Supply preferences display screen with the publication search crammed in, however the reader nonetheless has to pick the publication’s checkbox. Google additionally doesn’t mechanically return them to the article. In follow, the embed removes one further motion, so it creates much less friction.

Google Source preferences page showing Search Engine Journal with unchecked selection box
Picture from creator, August 2026

The deeplink opens the overall Supply preferences web page, the place the reader nonetheless wants to pick the publication.

That is why I might use the usual button on an internet site whether it is attainable. The deeplink nonetheless is sensible in e-mail, social posts, or a CMS the place the script can’t be added.

Load the library as soon as from the applying shell, theme, or a small web site plugin, ideally within the doc’s :