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 needs to be chosen and confirmed.

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

What Google’s Most popular Sources Characteristic Does

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

Based on Google’s documentation, it’s out there globally for Prime Tales within the languages the place Google Search is out there. Most popular sources can 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

Test 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 is not going to clear up the eligibility challenge.

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

  • instance.com
  • information.instance.com

This isn’t a sound goal:

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

Add The Normal Most popular Sources Button

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

Normal 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 circulate.

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 totally different. It opens the overall Supply preferences display with the publication search crammed in, however the reader nonetheless has to pick the publication’s checkbox. Google additionally doesn’t routinely return them to the article. In observe, the embed removes one additional 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 a web site whether it is doable. The deeplink nonetheless is smart in e mail, social posts, or a CMS the place the script can’t be added.

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