Google's has unveiled a neat new feature allowing users to customize search and show sites you trust — how to use preferred sources

In this photo illustration, A woman browses the Google website on her laptop, which has the search engine technology

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Google has unveiled a new tool that will allow you to get even closer to FourFourTwo and your other favorite websites. So, let's take a look at Google's "Preferred Sources" tool.

Preferred Sources enables users to get the latest and best news from preferred outlets. Not only will Google prioritize 'Preferred Sources' in your "Top Stories" results, but it also offers a brand-new 'From Your Sources' box that specifically handpicks content from the publishers that you, the reader, trust.

Whilst it may seem complicated, choosing your Preferred Sources is as easy as one, two, three. Allow us to walk you through the process.

1. Look for the star icon

Search for a news topic and looks for the icon next to the Top Stories header, if it's there, that means the Preferred Sources feature is available for this query.

The star icon only appears on searches that generate news results, so you won't see it for general searches like "how to watch EPL." Currently rolling out in the U.S. and India, users in other regions may not see this feature yet.

2. Search for and add your favorite news sources

Click the star icon to open the preferred sources selection screen. You'll see a search box where you can type publication names you want to prioritize.

Type "FourFourTwo" to add us, you can also search for other trusted sites you read regularly.

3. Hit refresh results to see content

After adding preferred sources, click "Reload results" to see the updated Top Stories section. From now on, your selected preferred sources will appear more often in the Top Stories box when they have relevant content, enabling you to curate your news experience and see more content from the sites you follow.

The more sources you add, the more variety you'll see from trusted publications rather than unfamiliar news sites.

Experiment by searching for the same topic again to see how results have changed now that your preferences are influencing what appears.

4. Other ways to select preferred sources

Secondary option — Secondary method (Image credit: Google)

A secondary method that allows you to manoeuvre directly through your search settings is to visit Google.com/preferences/source and type in the URL of your news website before checking the box next to the website's name, saving the selection, and returning to Google Search.

No matter which method you choose, one thing's for sure: if you want to stay up to date with the latest news from your favorite outlets, using Google's Preferred Sources tool is a good step.

Zach Lowy is a freelance football writer who covers a wide range of football leagues from Serie A to the Premier League to Ligue 1. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Zach has interviewed a wide range of players and ex-players such as Simão Sabrosa, Louis Saha, Andrés Villas-Boas and Diego Forlán. Over the past 6 and a half years, he has served as the co-creator of Breaking The Lines (@BTLVid on Twitter), the chief editor of the website and the main social media producer. Zach has also covered the Portuguese league on a consistent basis, interviewing players from various Primeira Liga clubs like Braga, Rio Ave, Famalicão, Tondela, Estoril Praia and Arouca. He has traveled to Russia and France to cover the World Cup and Toulon Tournament, respectively.

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