Google Email Shares Number Of Preferred Source Subscribers

Google Search Console is sending out emails informing site owners how many people are subscribing or following them as a preferred source on Google. It says "people are choosing domain as a preferred source" and then lists the number of "Preferred source selections."

Here is a screenshot of the email I just received for a random Search Console profile I have access to:

It says:

People are choosing domain as a preferred source

To the owner of domain:

Preferred sources lets Google Search users choose the publications they want to see most. When readers select your site, your content can appear more often across features like Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.

Here’s your latest preferred sources data as of 2026-10-05:

Property name: domain Preferred source selections: ####

It then adds:

Recommended actions

To help your audience add your site as a preferred source, add our interactive button directly to your web pages.

• Install the JavaScript button: Add two lines of HTML to your site to embed the interactive button. Install the JavaScript button
• Upgrade existing buttons: Switch to the JavaScript button so that users can add your site in fewer steps if you’re currently using the static image button.

Take a 2-minute survey to help us shape preferred sources reporting in Search Console.

The survey asks:

• Prior to this report, were you aware of “Preferred Sources,” which lets users choose their favorite sources to show up more often on Google?
• How clear was the email in explaining what “Preferred Source user count” means?
• How helpful is it to know how many users have chosen your site as a "Preferred Source"?
• If Preferred Sources reporting were provided, how would you prefer to receive it?
• If Preferred Sources reports were emailed in the future, how frequently would you want to receive email updates on user counts?
• If Preferred Sources reporting were included in Search Console, which metrics would be most valuable for your site? Please rank your choices in order of value (1 = Most valuable to 4 = Least valuable)
• Are there any other metrics related to Preferred Sources that would be valuable to your site?

These emails are going out now, it is probably worth filling out the survey so that Google can build the tools we want for preferred sources.

Here are more who spotted this:

Google has started sending site owners emails on Preferred Source performance as a nudge to add their CTA. This includes the actual numbers of users who chose your site as a Preferred Source. This is a first and quite helpful to correlate known CTR to selections. (@rustybrick) https://t.co/6FVRswcjPF

— Kyle Sutton (@KyleW_Sutton) October 6, 2026

👀 Interesting. First time I'm seeing this. Google Search Console is now emailing publishers with the number of users that selected their site as a Preferred Source.

No report in GSC that I can find. The number is just included in the email itself. https://t.co/lsd5EQb3PZ

— Nati Elimelech (@Netanel) October 6, 2026

Whoa, GSC is now telling site owners how many people are adding them as 'Preferred sources'. Just received a flurry of emails from Google. This would be cool to see *IN GSC*. :) https://t.co/q0DwkbGcgr

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) October 6, 2026

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