How to remove a webpage from Google search results

First: what Google removal does and doesn't do

Google controls its search results, not the internet. When Google removes a result:

• The page itself stays online. Anyone with the link, or who finds it another way, can still see it.
• Other search engines may keep showing it until you ask them to.
• It works best as part of a plan: get the page removed at the source and out of search results.

That said, most people find content through search. Getting a page out of Google, especially out of searches for your name or brand, means far fewer people will ever see it. That's why it's so useful when a site refuses to take something down.

To get content removed from the website itself, see our guide on getting stolen content removed from a website.

Route 1: The page is gone or has changed

Sometimes the site has already deleted the content, but Google still shows the old page, title or snippet because it hasn't checked the page again yet.

You can ask Google to recheck the page:

• It works when the page or image no longer exists, or has changed significantly from what Google shows.
• It won't remove a page that's still live and unchanged. For that, use one of the routes below.

This is the step people most often miss after a successful takedown. The content is gone, but the search result hangs around.

Route 2: The page copies your work

If a page uses your photos, videos, writing or other work without permission, Google can remove it from search results under copyright law, even if the site itself won't respond. It's the route that matters most when a site ignores takedown notices or is hosted somewhere that won't act.

Where it gets hard

• Google reviews every URL. Each copy has to be listed exactly and matched to your original, and incomplete requests are turned down.
• Copies multiply. Mirror sites, new pages and image results each need their own request.
• Results can come back. The site owner can file a counter-notice, and Google may then restore the result.
• Other search engines are separate. Bing and others have their own processes.

How notices and counter-notices work is covered in our FAQ on filing DMCA takedown notices and our guide on counter-notices.

Route 3: The page shows your personal information

Google accepts requests to remove results that show:

• Your home address, phone number or email address
• Government ID numbers, like a Social Security number
• Bank account or credit card numbers
• Images of your signature or ID documents
• Private records, like medical records
• Login details, like usernames and passwords
• Personal information shared to threaten or harm you (doxxing)

Google can also alert you when new results with your contact details appear. Google may keep results it considers newsworthy or in the public interest, even if they include personal information.

Route 4: The page shows intimate images of you

Google has a dedicated request for removing intimate images shared without consent, including AI-made fakes. It also tries to find and remove duplicates of the same images.

For the full process, including getting the images removed from the sites themselves, see our guide on how to remove nude photos or videos from the internet.

Route 5: The page is on your own website

If you control the site, you have faster options:

• For a quick, temporary fix, Google lets site owners hide a page from search for a while as they change or remove it. No one can promise how fast Google acts. In the cases our team handles, most come down within 24 to 48 hours, and the average is 5 to 10 business days. Rare cases can take a month or longer.
• For a permanent fix, delete or update the page, put it behind a password, or add a "noindex" tag so Google stops showing it.
• Don't rely on robots.txt alone. Google advises against using it to hide pages from search.

Remember to cover every version of the URL, for example with and without "www."

Route 6: Everything else

Negative reviews, old news stories, unflattering blog posts and forum threads usually don't qualify for removal just because you don't like them. Your options are:

• Ask the website to remove or update the page. If it does, use Route 1 to refresh Google's result.
• Check the site's own rules. Review sites and forums often remove posts that break their policies, like fake reviews or harassment.
• Get legal advice for false and damaging claims. Google accepts some legal removal requests, which often go more smoothly with a court order. A lawyer can tell you what applies to you. DMCA.com is not a law firm.
• If you live in the EU or UK, data protection law can give you the right to ask Google to delist some results about you. Google has a separate form for these requests.
• Push it down. New, accurate content you control, like your own website and active social profiles, can outrank an old result over time.

What to expect after a request

• Review times vary. Google doesn't publish set times, and they differ by request type. Temporary removals on your own site are the quickest.
• Partial results are common. Google can approve some URLs in a request and turn down others.
• Removal isn't always final. A counter-notice can bring a copyright result back, and new copies need new requests.
• The page itself stays online until the website or its host removes it, so removal at the source still matters.

Common questions