Google adds 'preferred source' button to counter AI traffic losses

Google is rolling out a feature that lets readers designate publishers as a preferred source, which could boost their visibility across Search, Discover, and Google News. It's a direct response to concerns that AI-generated summaries are reducing click-throughs to publisher sites.

Why it matters: This is Google's clearest acknowledgment yet that AI-driven search is cutting into publisher traffic, a tension it has downplayed publicly. Whether a toggle like this meaningfully offsets traffic decline from zero-click AI answers will be a major signal for the future of the ad-supported web.