Google has expanded a key feature that allows users to tailor their news feed, handing a significant boost to publications like the Daily Mail. The tech giant's 'Preferred Sources' tool is now available to English-language users across the globe, after a successful initial launch in the United States last August.
What Is Google's Preferred Sources Tool?
Found within the 'Top Stories' section of Google Search results, the feature gives readers direct control over which publications they see most frequently. When you search for a news topic, Google's systems automatically find relevant, high-quality, and fresh content to display. Now, with Preferred Sources, you can instruct those systems to prioritise outlets you trust.
'This feature lets you customise Top Stories to see more from your favourite outlets and sites,' a Google spokesperson explained. For devoted readers of the Daily Mail, this means ensuring its exclusive stories and breaking news coverage appear prominently whenever they search.
How to Set the Daily Mail as Your Preferred Source
Configuring your settings to favour the Daily Mail is a straightforward process that takes mere seconds. To begin, ensure you are signed into your Google Account on your computer, as this saves your preference across all browsers.
Next, visit google.com and run a search for a significant recent news event, such as 'Keir Starmer', 'Prince William', or 'climate change'. Scroll down to the 'Top Stories' section that appears in the results. You will spot a small star icon to the right of the Top Stories header—click on it.
A new menu will pop up, prompting you to choose your preferred sources. In the search bar within this menu, type 'dailymail.co.uk'. A checkbox will appear next to the site's name; click it to select the Daily Mail. Finally, click the 'Reload results' button at the bottom of the screen.
Once completed, your future news-related searches will prominently feature content from the Daily Mail in the Top Stories carousel. Google confirms that if you are signed in, these settings will remain consistent on any browser you use.
A Global Shift in News Discovery
The worldwide rollout marks a pivotal change in how users interact with news online, moving from a purely algorithmically curated experience to one that incorporates personal choice. For publishers, it represents an opportunity to deepen engagement with their core audience directly on the world's most powerful search platform.
For Daily Mail readers, the global availability of the tool means no matter where they are, they can now seamlessly keep atop of the latest exclusives, political commentary, and breaking news from one of the UK's most-read publications with minimal effort.
