Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team

Remove search results

How to remove a search result from Google

The short answer

To remove a search result from Google, match it to its route: Refresh Outdated Content if the page is gone or changed, Results about you or the removal form for personal information, a legal request for copyright or court orders, and noindex or the Removals tool on your own site. Only the site owner can delete the page itself.

Checked on 18 Oct 2026 against Google Search Help, Search Console Help, Google Search Central and Google Legal HelpWritten by the Essentras editorial team

Essentras sells removal and reputation services. Every route on this page works without them.

Looking to delete your own search history instead? Google keeps it in My Activity in your Google Account, not in removal requests. Open My Activity

Free route finder

Start here in 1 click

Pick what the result shows or what happened to the page. You get the official route, the link, the evidence to prepare, the timeline the source states and the letter to send. No email, no sign-up. It is the same 15-situation finder as our name removal guide, set up for search results.

Common search results, 1 click each

Question 1 of 2

What does the search result show, or what happened to the page?

Get the route, the official link, the evidence to prepare, a timeline labelled official or not, honest odds and the letter to send. We do not ask for your name or the page address.

Pages that changed, copies of your work, anything else

Personal details and safety

Articles and records

Posts, reviews and profiles

All 15 situations, each written out in full, are on the name removal guide. Open the full situation guide

Prefer to hand it over?

Essentras runs the same official routes for you, for a flat fee shown before you pay. A refund is not a promise of removal: Google, publishers and courts decide.

Not sure which fits? Ask for a free check of your exact page. A specialist replies with what is realistic before you pay anything. Free check of my page

Key facts, checked on 18 Oct 2026

  • Google removes results from Google Search only. It says the content can still be found through links, social media or other search engines.

    Google Search Help: remove my private info

  • Google says a Removals tool request on a site you own lasts only about 6 months. The permanent fixes are deleting the page, password-protecting it or adding noindex.

    Search Console Help: Removals tool

  • Refresh Outdated Content requests sit in Pending, which "can take a few days". An approved request expires after 180 days, or sooner if the URL no longer exists.

    Search Console Help: Refresh Outdated Content

  • Results about you notifies you "within a few hours" of a match. Google offers no Remove result option for some sites it treats as valuable to the public, such as government or educational sites, online newspapers or business websites.

    Google Search Help: Results about you

  • Since 10 Feb 2026 Results about you can find driver’s license, passport and Social Security numbers, rolling out in the U.S. first. Google says over 10 million people have used the tool.

    Google blog, 10 Feb 2026

  • Google accepts "only valid court orders signed by a judge" and may remove content when the order identifies specific URLs.

    Google Legal Help: court orders

  • After a copyright removal in Web Search, Google may show a link to the notice, published by the nonprofit Lumen, in place of the removed result.

    Google Legal Help: DMCA

  • Google retired the cached-page link in early 2024, and the cache: operator stopped working in September 2024. These are press reports of Google’s statements, not a Google help page.

    The Register, 5 Feb 2024

Every route

Every route at a glance: who decides, how long it takes, and what the source says about the outcome

1 row per route. Timelines are the source’s own words; where a source states none, we say so. The last column quotes or paraphrases what the source itself says about outcomes, never a success rate.

Your situationRoute and toolWho decidesTimeline (as the source states it)What the source says about the outcome
The page is on a site you controlDelete it (404 or 410), password-protect it, or add noindexSearch Central: remove a page from GoogleYou. Google drops the URL after it recrawls the page.Stated by the sourceCrawling "can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks". For noindex, "it may take months" for Googlebot to revisit a less important page.Pages that return 404 "will naturally drop out of our search results", and a noindexed page is dropped "regardless of whether other sites link to it". Steps
You own the site and need it hidden nowSearch Console Removals tool: Temporarily remove URLRemovals tool helpYou, as the verified owner of the propertyStated by the sourceSearch Central says "within a day". Google says a successful request lasts only about 6 months.Temporary. The page can reappear after the blackout unless you also delete it, password-protect it or noindex it. Steps
Someone else’s page is gone, or no longer shows the detailsRefresh Outdated ContentRefresh Outdated Content toolGoogle, by checking the live pageStated by the sourcePending "can take a few days". An approved request expires after 180 days, or sooner if the URL no longer exists.Requests "can succeed only when the content is changed or no longer available." Steps
It shows your phone number, home address or emailResults about you, or Remove result next to the resultResults about youGoogleStated by the sourceNotifications and confirmation emails "within a few hours". There "may be a delay" between approval and removal.No Remove result option for some sites Google treats as valuable to the public, such as government or educational sites, online newspapers or business websites. Steps
It shows an ID, bank or card number, a signature, medical records or passwords, or it doxxes youGoogle’s removal request form (personal information and doxxing)Google’s private info policyGoogleNo timeline statedNo timeline stated. Google emails you if it removes the page."Google will usually take down content if it breaks the rules", but might not when it is about something important or newsworthy. Steps
It shows intimate images of you, real or fakeRemoval request form (personal sexual content)Google’s personal sexual content policyGoogleNo timeline statedNo timeline stated.Google says it does its "best to find and remove duplicates" of sexual imagery, and may not remove content that is newsworthy. Steps
It is an image of someone under 18Removal request form (images of minors)Google’s images of minors policyGoogleNo timeline statedNo timeline stated."If you’re under 18, Google removes images of you at your request", except an image that is newsworthy or of public interest. Steps
The site demands payment to take content about you downRemoval request form (exploitative removal practices)Google’s exploitative sites policyGoogleNo timeline statedNo timeline stated.Google considers removal when you are the subject, the site is not a business review site, and it requires payment for removal. Steps
It copies your photo, video or writingCopyright (DMCA) notice through Google’s legal request flowGoogle’s DMCA pageGoogle, under copyright lawNo timeline statedGoogle says it endeavors to respond to valid notices "as soon as we can". No timeline stated."It’s Google’s policy to respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement." The site can file a counter notification. Steps
A court has ruled the content unlawfulCourt order through Google’s legal request flowGoogle Legal Help: court ordersA judge first, then GoogleNo timeline statedNo timeline stated.Google accepts "only valid court orders signed by a judge" and "may voluntarily remove" content when the order identifies specific URLs. Steps
It makes false statements about youDefamation request (Google Legal Help)Google’s defamation overviewGoogle, weighing the public interest under local lawNo timeline statedNo timeline stated.If removed, access is restricted only "for the country where it is considered defamatory". A court ruling in your favor is taken into account. Steps
You live where European data protection law appliesRight to be forgotten requestRight to be forgotten overviewGoogle, weighing your privacy against the public interestNo timeline statedNo timeline stated. Requests go through "a preliminary automated triage", then manual review where needed."None of these factors are absolute." Delisting covers searches of your name on versions of Google for those countries. Steps
The page is live and its owner could change itAsk the site owner, then its hosting company (template B)Google: contact a website ownerThe site ownerNo timeline statedNo standard. Some owners never reply.Google: "your best option is to contact the site owner", because Google cannot remove content from the sites that host it. Steps
Lawful news, a public record or a genuine reviewAsk the publisher to update it, or push it down with accurate pagesGoogle’s private info policyThe publisher, then Google’s ranking systemsNo timeline statedNo timeline anyone can promise.Google might not take down content about "something important or newsworthy". Suppression removes nothing. Steps

Your own site

If you control the page, delete it or noindex it (the Removals tool only hides it for about 6 months)

Google’s Search Central guide gives a site owner 4 ways to get a page out of Google: remove or update the content, password-protect it, add a noindex tag, or use the Removals tool for a quick, temporary hide. It also warns: "Don’t use robots.txt as a way to block your page."

Your options, compared

MethodWhat it doesHow long it lastsUse it when
Delete the page (404 or 410)The page is gone, and Google drops the URL when it recrawls itPermanentThe page should not exist anymore
Password-protect the pagePeople you choose can still see it; Googlebot and other crawlers cannotPermanent while the lock staysAn internal, client or staging page
noindex tag or X-Robots-Tag headerThe page stays online, and Google drops it from results once it sees the rulePermanent while the rule staysThe page must stay up, for example an old press release
Removals tool: Temporarily remove URLBlocks the URL from Google Search results; Google can still crawl itAbout 6 monthsIt has to be gone from Google today while you fix the page
Removals tool: Clear snippet in searchWipes the description under the result until the page is indexed againUntil Google indexes the page againYou already edited the page and the old text still shows
robots.txt rule (pages)Stops crawling, not indexingNot a removalNever for removal: a blocked page can still appear if other pages link to it

How to hide a page right now with the Removals tool

  1. 01Open the toolOpen the Removals tool in Search Console for a property you own, and select the Temporary Removals tab.
  2. 02Start a requestClick New Request.
  3. 03Pick the request typeChoose Temporarily remove URL, or Clear snippet in search if you only changed the page and the old description still shows.
  4. 04Enter the URLEnter the full URL and pick Remove this URL only, or Remove all URLs with this prefix to cover a folder or a whole site.
  5. 05Make it permanentSubmit, then delete, password-protect or noindex the page before the 6 months run out.

Open the Removals tool in Search Console

What Google’s own pages add

  • Google: "Blocking a URL does not prevent Google from crawling your page, only from showing it in Search results."
  • If the URL already returns 404 or 502/503 when you file, Google assumes the page is gone and the block request expires.
  • The prefix option covers www and non-www versions of a URL, but not other subdomains such as m. or amp.
  • For noindex to work, Googlebot must be able to fetch the page: do not also block it in robots.txt.
  • The X-Robots-Tag header works for files without an HTML head: Google says it can be used for PDFs, video files and image files.
  • Search engines that do not support noindex can still show the page. Google calls removing or updating the content "the most secure way" to keep it out of them.
  • Want Google to see a change sooner? Request a recrawl with the URL Inspection tool for a few URLs, or a sitemap for many. Google: requesting a crawl does not guarantee inclusion "instantly or even at all".
  • Old pages you deleted on purpose need no request: Google says it will see the 404 when it recrawls, and the pages "will naturally drop out of our search results."

Removing a whole website from Google

If you own it: use the prefix option in the Removals tool for the quick hide, then noindex every page, put the site behind a password, or take it offline. If you do not own it, there is no Google tool that removes someone else’s live site: ask the owner or its hosting company, and use Google’s policy or legal routes for any page that qualifies.

Your own images

Google’s image guide gives 2 non-emergency methods, a robots.txt rule for Googlebot-Image or a noindex X-Robots-Tag header, and the Removals tool for emergencies. Images hidden with the Removals tool "may resurface" when the request expires, unless you also remove or block them (template E).

Deleted or edited pages

If the page is already gone or changed, use Refresh Outdated Content

Google shows its own copy of a page until it crawls the page again. When a site deletes a page, or removes your details from it, the Refresh Outdated Content tool asks Google to update its result now. It is for people who do not own the page, and you need to be signed in to a Google account.

How to refresh an outdated result, step by step

  1. 01Confirm the changeOpen the page in a private window and confirm it is gone, or that the details are no longer on it. Google: the tool "will not remove a page or image that still exists and has not changed."
  2. 02Copy the exact result URLIn Google’s results, right-click the result link and choose Copy Link Address. Do not copy the visible text, and do not copy the address bar after clicking.
  3. 03Submit the URLOpen the Refresh Outdated Content tool, sign in, paste the URL and click Submit.
  4. 04Add the removed words if askedIf the page still exists but changed, Google asks for text: enter 1 or 2 words that appeared in the result’s snippet but are no longer on the live page.
  5. 05Track the statusYour request appears in the queue at the bottom of the tool. If it is denied, a link explains why.
  6. 06Catch the other URLsIf the old version still shows after approval, check that the URL in the results matches yours exactly, including capital letters, and file any other URL that shows the same content.

Open the Refresh Outdated Content tool

What each status means

StatusWhat Google says it means
PendingThe request is being processed. "Processing can take a few days."
ApprovedThe update was approved and "should be live in Google Search results".
DeniedDenied for 1 of the reasons Google lists. See the mistakes section below.
ExpiredApproved, but 180 days have passed since approval, or the URL no longer exists.
CancelledCancelled by you or by a verified owner of the site.

If the page is gone, the result stops appearing after approval. If the page only changed, Google removes the old snippet, and the page can still appear until Google’s crawler visits it again.

Images on someone else’s site

Google needs both the image URL and the URL of the page that contains it, and a separate request for every page where the image appears. The easy way: open the image results tab, right-click the image without opening it, and choose Copy link address (not Copy image address).

1 page, several URLs

The same content often lives at several URLs, for example with parameters or under both a thread and a post address. Google says a refreshed URL does not cover the others: each URL that still shows the content needs its own request.

If you are a verified owner of the site, use the Removals tool instead.

Personal information

If the result shows your personal information, use Results about you or Google’s removal form

Google’s personal content policies "apply globally". You or a representative can ask, and only the URLs you submit are reviewed. Screenshots help Google find the content, and Google says you may edit them, for example to show only your face.

What Google’s private info policy covers

  • Your address, phone number or email
  • Confidential government ID numbers, such as Social Security, tax ID or resident ID card numbers
  • Your bank account or credit card number
  • Pictures of your signature or ID
  • Private records, such as medical records
  • Confidential usernames and passwords
  • Doxxing: your personal info with explicit or implicit threats, or "a significant amount of aggregated personal info without a legitimate purpose"

From the result itself, in 4 steps

  1. 1Search your name. Next to the result, click More (the 3 dots) to open the About this result panel.
  2. 2Select Remove result, then It shows my personal info and I don’t want it there, then Contact Info.
  3. 3Go through the reporting flow and submit. Google emails you to confirm.
  4. 4Track it in Results about you: In progress, Approved, Denied or Undone.

Results about you

Results about you watches Search for the phone numbers, addresses and emails you add, and notifies you "within a few hours" of a match. Open it in the Google app (profile picture, then Results about you) or on the web. Google says some features are rolling out to people over 18 in certain markets; for someone under 18, use the detailed removal form.

Since 10 Feb 2026 Google has been adding driver’s license, passport and Social Security numbers to Results about you, rolling out in the U.S. first. For an ID number elsewhere, use the removal form: confidential government IDs are on Google’s list.

What Google says it will not remove this way

  • Results from sites it treats as valuable to the public, such as government or educational sites, online newspapers or business websites: you will not find a Remove result option.
  • Details you can remove yourself, such as your own social media page or personal blog.
  • Content about something important or newsworthy, like the news.

Removal can be full (the page no longer appears in Google Search) or partial (it no longer appears for searches that contain your name or identifier). If Google removes it, you get an email. An undone removal may not come back if someone else’s removal of the same URL was approved.

3 more policies Google applies on request

Intimate images, real or fake

Google’s conditions

  • The images show you, or the person you represent, nude, in a sexual act or in an intimate state, or they are fake images that falsely depict you that way.
  • For fake images, you must be identifiable, and they were shared without your consent.
  • For real images, you did not consent to them being made public, and you are not being paid to commercialize them.

What happens next

Google says it does its "best to find and remove duplicates", and you can opt out of that. Removal can be full or partial. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number first; Google’s help page also lists support groups such as StopNCII.org.

Google’s personal sexual content policy

Images of people under 18

Google’s conditions

  • The person in the image is under 18, or died before 18. A parent or relative can file for them.
  • Submit image URLs only: Google says pages that mix text and images are not eligible under this policy.
  • The image is not from a social media account or a web page the person requesting manages.

What happens next

"If you’re under 18, Google removes images of you at your request", unless an image is newsworthy or of public interest. Removed images stop appearing in Google Images and as thumbnails in Search features.

Google’s images of minors policy

Sites that charge to remove content

Google’s conditions

  • You are a subject of the content at the URL.
  • The site is not a business review site.
  • The site requires payment, to itself or to other agencies, to remove the content.

What happens next

Explain in the form how the site is exploitative (template F). Google says "We only remove content about people" under this policy, and the URL can still be found elsewhere on the web.

Google’s exploitative sites policy

Your safety comes first. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. Removal can wait until you are safe.

Negative news

Negative news: ask the publisher first, because Google usually keeps it

Google’s policy page says that if content is "about something important or newsworthy, like the news, Google might not take it down." So lawful, accurate journalism usually changes only when the publisher changes it. Work down this list.

1
Ask for an update or an editor’s note

When the facts changed: charges dropped, a case dismissed, a correction. Attach the proof.

2
Ask for your name to be removed, or the story unpublished

When the story is old and you are a private person. It is an editorial decision; ask what their policy is.

3
Ask for noindex as a middle ground

The article stays on the site but leaves Google (template B, second version). Some editors who refuse to delete will consider it.

4
Refresh Google once the publisher acts

If the article is changed or removed, use Refresh Outdated Content so the result catches up.

5
In Europe, file a right to be forgotten request

Google weighs journalistic judgment, "especially for more recently-published materials", and how old the information is.

6
If it is false, use the legal routes

Defamation requests and court orders, with a lawyer. Being negative is not a ground.

7
If it stays, push it down

Publish accurate pages that rank above it. Nothing is removed.

Images and cached copies

Images and cached copies follow the same rules as pages

Someone else’s image that was deleted or changed

Refresh Outdated Content, with both the image URL and the page URL, once per page that shows it.

Your own images

A robots.txt rule for Googlebot-Image, or a noindex X-Robots-Tag header. The Removals tool hides them fast but only for about 6 months (template E).

Intimate images, or images of someone under 18

Google’s removal request form, under the policies in the personal information section.

Your photo on someone else’s social media post

Report it on the platform first. Google points to each platform’s help center for its image removal policy.

Your photo used without permission

If you took the photo, a copyright notice may apply. If it shows you, ask the site owner.

Cached copies

Google removed the cached-page link in early 2024, and the cache: operator stopped working in September 2024. If an old snippet still shows, use Refresh Outdated Content, or Clear snippet in search if you own the site.

Cache dates: The Register (5 Feb 2024) quoting Google’s Search Liaison, and Search Engine Roundtable (24 Sep 2024).

The limits

What Google will not remove, and when suppression is the only path

Each limit below is stated by Google itself. Knowing them before you file saves weeks.

A live, unchanged page through Refresh Outdated Content

The tool works only when the content changed or the page is gone.

Newsworthy content and pages valuable to the public

News, and results from government, educational, online newspaper or business websites, usually stay.

What you can remove yourself

Your own profile, post or blog: edit or delete it, then refresh Google.

Content only because it is false

Google says it is not in a good position to judge truth. That is a defamation or court question.

Reviews that break no rule

The platform decides. Google reviews follow Google Maps rules; Yelp reviews follow Yelp’s.

The page itself, or other search engines

Google removes results from Google Search only. Other engines run their own processes.

Delisting outside Europe

Google does not apply right to be forgotten delistings to its services for countries outside the EU.

When nothing qualifies: suppression, honestly

The only lawful path left is suppression: publish and promote accurate pages about you (your own site, professional profiles, coverage on outlets Google indexes) so they rank above the result. It removes nothing, takes months rather than days, and nobody can promise a position.

If Google says no

Why removal requests get rejected: 9 mistakes to avoid

Most denials trace back to causes Google names on its own help pages. Fix the cause before you file again: re-filing the same request with nothing new gives Google nothing new to decide. Google’s pages describe no formal appeal for the removal form.

MistakeWhat Google saysDo this instead
Filing Refresh Outdated Content while the page is live and unchangedDenial reason "Content still on page": the tool "can succeed only when the content is changed or no longer available."Get the site to change or delete the page first (template B), then file.
Pasting the wrong URLDenial reason "Incorrect URL format". Copy the result’s link address, not the visible text or the address bar.Right-click the result, Copy Link Address, and keep the capital letters exactly.
Forgetting the other URLs of the same pageA refreshed URL does not cover the others that show the same content.Search again and file each URL that still shows it.
Filing a second request while the first is pendingDenial reason "Duplicate request": a request for this URL is still in progress.Wait for the first decision.
Using the personal info route for news or public recordsGoogle might not take down newsworthy content, and gives no Remove result option for sites valuable to the public.Go to the publisher, the court or agency, or the right to be forgotten where it applies.
Asking Google to remove what you can remove yourselfResults about you will not remove details you control, such as your own profile or blog.Edit or delete it at the source, then use Refresh Outdated Content.
Blocking your own page in robots.txt and expecting it to vanish"Don’t use robots.txt as a way to block your page." A blocked page never shows Google its noindex rule.Delete it, password-protect it or noindex it, and let Googlebot crawl it.
Treating the 6-month Removals tool hide as the fixGoogle says a successful request lasts only about 6 months.Make the removal permanent before it expires.
Filing a copyright or legal notice you are not entitled toYou are liable for damages, including attorneys’ fees, if you materially misrepresent infringement, and notices can be published on Lumen.Use copyright only for work you own, and talk to a lawyer before any other legal route.

When a "denied" status means you are done

If the reason reads "Page not indexed" or "Outdated content not in index", Google has already dropped it: nothing more is needed. For the reason "Unspecified", Google says "we don’t have any more details".

Templates

7 copy-ready requests and code blocks

Replace everything in [square brackets], delete any line that is not true for you, and keep a copy of what you send. The route finder above also gives you 8 more letters for personal details, news and data brokers.

Before you send anything

  • 1 request per URL, with the exact URL.
  • Stay factual and polite. No threats.
  • Never claim a legal right you do not have, or ownership of content you did not create.
  • Keep a copy of every message and the date you sent it.

General templates, not legal advice. Have a lawyer check anything that relies on a law.

Template A: Search result inventory

When to use it: Before you file anything. Paste it into a spreadsheet and add 1 row per result.

CSV

URL,What it shows,Who controls the page,Page status (live / changed / gone),Route,Date filed,Status
[exact result URL],[my phone number],[site name],[live],[Results about you],[date],[In progress]
[exact result URL],[old news story],[publisher],[live],[Publisher request, then Refresh],[date],[Waiting for reply]

1 row per URL. The status column matches what Google shows you: In progress, Approved, Denied or Undone for Results about you; Pending, Approved, Denied, Expired or Cancelled for Refresh Outdated Content.

Template B: Ask a site owner to remove or noindex a page

When to use it: For a page you do not control. Use the first version to ask for deletion and the second when the owner wants to keep the page online.

Delete or edit the page

Subject: Request to remove a page: [page title]

Hello [name, or "Site owner"],

The page at [exact URL] shows [what it shows, in 1 neutral sentence]. I am [the person named on the page / the business named on the page / the person in the photo].

Please delete this page, or remove [the details / the photo / my name] from it. If you delete it, a 404 or 410 status lets Google drop it when it next crawls the page.

If you need anything to confirm who I am, tell me what you need and I will send only that.

Thank you,
[Full name]
[Reply email]

Keep the page, add noindex

Subject: Request to keep a page out of search results: [page title]

Hello [name],

I understand you may want to keep the page at [exact URL] online. As an alternative to deleting it, would you add a noindex tag to it? The page stays on your site, and Google drops it from its search results the next time it crawls the page:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

Google's guidance on this tag: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing

[1 sentence on why: the matter closed on DATE / I am a private person / the page shows my details.]

Thank you for considering it,
[Full name]
[Reply email]

If the owner does not reply, find the hosting company through a WHOIS lookup, as Google suggests, and send it the same facts.

Template C: noindex for your own page or file

When to use it: When the page or file must stay online but should leave Google. Do not also block it in robots.txt.

HTML meta tag

<!-- In the <head> of the page -->
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

HTTP response header (PDFs, images, video)

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
X-Robots-Tag: noindex

Google drops the page once it crawls it and sees the rule. Use the URL Inspection tool to ask for a recrawl.

Template D: Remove your own page for good (410 Gone)

When to use it: When the page should not exist anymore. A 404 works too; 410 says the removal was deliberate.

Apache (.htaccess)

# Answer 410 Gone for a removed page
Redirect gone /old-page/

nginx (inside the server block)

location = /old-page/ {
    return 410;
}

Test the URL afterwards: it should return 410, not a redirect to your home page.

Template E: Keep your own images out of Google Images

When to use it: For images hosted on your site. From Google’s own image removal guide.

robots.txt: 1 image

User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Disallow: /images/photo.jpg

robots.txt: every image on the site

User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Disallow: /

Google drops the image the next time it crawls it and sees the rule. This takes longer than the Removals tool, which hides images faster but only temporarily.

Template F: Removal form text for a site that charges for removal

When to use it: In Google’s removal request form, when a site asks for payment to take content about you down.

Form text

I am the person named on this page: [URL]. The site requires payment to remove content about me: [quote the payment demand, or say where it appears, for example "a Remove this record button that asks for [amount]" or "an email dated [date]"]. A screenshot is attached. This is not a business review site. Please remove this URL from Google Search results under your policy on sites with exploitative removal practices.

Never pay the site. Google’s policy covers this case for free when all 3 conditions apply.

Template G: Removal form text for an image of someone under 18

When to use it: In Google’s removal request form, for a non-explicit image. Submit the image URL, not the page URL.

Form text

I am [the person in this image / the parent or guardian of the person in this image], who is under 18. Image URL: [image URL]. The image is not from a social media account or a web page we manage. Please remove it from Google Images and Search features under your policy on images of minors.

For explicit images of anyone under 18, do not take or share screenshots: use Google’s child sexual abuse imagery report instead.

FAQ

Removing a search result from Google: FAQ

Can you delete a search result from Google?▾

Not with a button, unless the page is yours. Google removes results that break its policies or the law, updates results for pages that are gone or changed, and lets site owners noindex or temporarily hide their own pages. Google removes results from Search only: the page itself stays online until the site that hosts it deletes it.

How long does it take to remove a search result from Google?▾

It depends on the route. Google says Removals tool requests on your own site work "within a day" and last about 6 months; Refresh Outdated Content requests can sit in Pending for a few days; Results about you confirms within a few hours. Google states no timeline for its removal form, legal requests or right to be forgotten requests.

Why does a deleted page still show in Google?▾

Google shows its own copy until it crawls the page again. If the page is gone or no longer shows the details, submit the exact result URL in the Refresh Outdated Content tool. Google says pending requests can take a few days. If you own the site, use the Removals tool or let Google recrawl the 404.

How do I remove a whole website from Google search results?▾

If you own it, use the Removals tool with Remove all URLs with this prefix for a quick hide of about 6 months, then noindex every page, password-protect the site or take it offline. If you do not own it, no Google tool removes someone else’s live site: ask the owner or its hosting company.

Can I remove a news article about me from Google?▾

Usually not through Google alone: Google says it might not take down content about something important or newsworthy. Ask the publisher for an update, an anonymized version or a noindex tag, then refresh Google. In Europe, a right to be forgotten request may apply. If the article is false, the defamation and court order routes apply.

Can I remove cached pages from Google?▾

Google retired the cached-page link in early 2024, and the cache: operator stopped working in September 2024, according to press reports of Google’s statements. What can linger is an old snippet: use Refresh Outdated Content for someone else’s page, or Clear snippet in search in the Removals tool for your own.

If Google removes a result, is it also gone from Bing?▾

No. Each search engine runs its own process, and Google says content it removes can still be found through other search engines. Removing the page at the source is the only step that works everywhere.

What should I do if Google denies my removal request?▾

Read the reason. "Content still on page" means the site must change it first; "Incorrect URL format" means copy the result’s link address again; "Page not indexed" means it is already gone. Fix the cause and file again only when something changed, or switch route: the publisher, a legal request or suppression.

Is it free to remove a search result from Google?▾

Yes. Every Google tool and form on this page is free, and you can do each route yourself. If you want it handled, Essentras charges $1,650 flat for name removal, $2,200 for 1 specific article and $1,250 for a Reddit post, with refund terms shown at checkout. A refund is not a promise of removal.

Can anyone guarantee that a search result will be removed?▾

No. Google, the publisher or a court decides each request, and lawful, newsworthy content often stays. A legitimate provider uses official channels, tells you before you pay what is realistic and what happens if a request is refused. Treat promised removals, fake copyright notices and claimed inside contacts at Google as red flags.

Next steps

  1. 01Run the route finder for each resultCopy the letter it gives you.Open the route finder
  2. 02Log every URLTemplate A keeps routes, dates and statuses in 1 place.Copy template A
  3. 03File, then check backLook at the status in a few days; fix the cause and re-file only if something changed.See the 9 mistakes
  4. 04Plan for what staysSuppression for lawful results, or a free check of your exact page.Ask for a free check
  5. 05Working with an AI agent?Agents can call the same route finder (find_removal_route) through the Essentras MCP server or REST API.Agent setup

Sources and method

Sources, read on 18 Oct 2026

Checked on 18 Oct 2026

Every rule on this page comes from a source below, read on 18 Oct 2026. Google’s help pages carry no last-updated date, so the read date is the stamp; Google Search Central pages show "Last updated 2025-12-10". Where a source states no timeline, we say so. Quotes are short and verbatim.

  1. Google Search Help: Remove web results from Google Search · Read 18 Oct 2026
  2. Google Search Help: Remove my private info from Google Search · Read 18 Oct 2026
  3. Google Search Help: Find and remove personal info in Google Search results (Results about you) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  4. Google Search Help: Request to have your personal content removed · Read 18 Oct 2026
  5. Google Search Help: Remove personal sexual content from Google Search · Read 18 Oct 2026
  6. Google Search Help: Get help removing explicit or intimate personal images · Read 18 Oct 2026
  7. Google Search Help: Remove non-explicit images of minors · Read 18 Oct 2026
  8. Google Search Help: Exploitative sites that try to charge for removal · Read 18 Oct 2026
  9. Google Search Help: Contact a website owner · Read 18 Oct 2026
  10. Google Search Help: Content removal options outside of Google Search · Read 18 Oct 2026
  11. Search Console Help: Refresh Outdated Content tool · Read 18 Oct 2026
  12. Search Console Help: Denials for refresh outdated content requests · Read 18 Oct 2026
  13. Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool · Read 18 Oct 2026
  14. Google Search Central: Remove a page hosted on your site from Google (updated 10 Dec 2025) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  15. Google Search Central: Block Search indexing with noindex (updated 10 Dec 2025) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  16. Google Search Central: Remove your own site’s images from Google Search (updated 10 Dec 2025) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  17. Google Search Central: Ask Google to recrawl your URLs (updated 10 Dec 2025) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  18. Google Legal Help: Report Content for Legal Reasons · Read 18 Oct 2026
  19. Google Legal Help: Circumvention, counterfeit, and court orders · Read 18 Oct 2026
  20. Google Legal Help: Digital Millennium Copyright Act · Read 18 Oct 2026
  21. Google Legal Help: Defamation Overview · Read 18 Oct 2026
  22. Google Legal Help: Right to be Forgotten Overview · Read 18 Oct 2026
  23. Google Legal Help: About Lumen · Read 18 Oct 2026
  24. Google blog: Stay in control of your personal information online (10 Feb 2026) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  25. The Register: Google flushes cached search results forever (5 Feb 2024) · Read 18 Oct 2026
  26. Search Engine Roundtable: Google Cache Is Fully Dead (24 Sep 2024) · Read 18 Oct 2026

What we could not verify, so this page does not rely on it

  • Bing’s own removal tools: Bing’s help page did not load for us on 18 Oct 2026, so this page states no Bing rules.
  • The wording of the legal and outdated options inside the Remove result panel: Google’s help page we read names only the personal info option.
  • How often Results about you checks for new matches: Google says only "regularly".
  • Any timeline for Google’s removal form, legal requests or right to be forgotten requests: Google states none.

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it against the source. Report an error

General information, not legal advice. Essentras is not a law firm and is not affiliated with Google. Google, publishers, platforms and courts decide every request; nobody can promise an outcome.

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