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 positioning and returns to the article. A deeplink sends the reader to Google’s supply preferences instrument, the place the positioning nonetheless must be chosen and confirmed.

This easy information exhibits the right way to add the button to your web site and supplies WordPress widget code you should use.

What Google’s Most popular Sources Function Does

Most popular Sources impacts what a person Google consumer 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.

In keeping with Google’s documentation, it’s obtainable globally for High Tales within the languages the place Google Search is offered. 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

Examine 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 resolve the eligibility challenge.

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 reasonably than assuming the basis area is interchangeable.

Add The Normal Most popular Sources Button

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

Normal Button Vs. Deeplink: What I Noticed

I examined each routes on cellular. 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 movement.

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 writer, August 2026)

The deeplink is totally different. It opens the final 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 robotically 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 writer, August 2026

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

Because of this I’d use the usual button on an internet site whether it is doable. The deeplink nonetheless is sensible in electronic 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 :