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Search engine opt-out guide

How to Remove Personal Information From Google Search

To remove personal information from Google Search, use Results about you for eligible contact details, Google’s personal-content forms for sensitive material, or Refresh Outdated Content if the publisher already removed the information. For removal from the web itself, work with the website that published it.

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Quick facts

  • Help pageGoogle Results about you
  • CostFree
  • Account neededYes, for Results about you
  • Processing timeVaries by request
  • Last reviewedNovember 2026

Which Google removal tool should you use?

Open the exact result and check whether the information still appears on the source page. That determines which request to file.

What you found Where to start
Your home address, phone number, or email appears on a live page Google Results about you. Review eligibility and public-interest exceptions.
Doxxing, exposed ID or financial information, or intimate imagery Google’s personal-content removal options. Choose the category that matches the exposure.
The publisher removed the page, photo, or sensitive detail, but Google still shows it Refresh Outdated Content. Use the Page or Image workflow as appropriate.
You have a specific legal basis or relevant court order Google Legal Help. Select the product and reason, then identify the exact URLs.
You control the site and need a URL hidden quickly Search Console Removals. The temporary block lasts about six months. Follow Google’s site-owner guidance for a lasting fix.
Decision chart for choosing a Google removal request based on whether the information is still on the source page
Check the source page first: it decides which Google request applies.

How to remove a Google Search result

  1. Copy each exact URLRecord the link from Search and the page that hosts the content. For Google Images, use Google’s image-specific steps to copy the requested link. List duplicate or republished pages separately.
  2. Check the source pageLook for the specific information in the result. If it is gone, request a refresh. If it is still visible, check Google’s policy categories and ask the publisher to remove or correct the information when appropriate.
  3. Submit the matching requestInclude the exact URLs and the details Google asks for. For contact information, enter the details as they appear on the page. If you use Results about you, track the request there.
  4. Verify both outcomesReopen the source URL and repeat the original Google Search or Google Images query. Record whether the source changed, whether the result changed, and which copies still need attention.
Four steps to remove a Google Search result: copy each exact URL, check the source page, submit the matching request, verify both outcomes
The four-step process for removing a Google Search result.

What to collect before filing

  • Exact search result and source-page URLs
  • The specific detail or image that appears in Search
  • Request confirmation and date submitted

What to check afterward

  • Whether the publisher updated or removed the source
  • Whether the result still appears for the original query
  • Whether duplicate pages or image results need separate requests

When the source is a directory, news article, or public record

If the result comes from a people-search site, use the publisher’s opt-out process first so the profile can be removed at the source. Start with the people-search site removal guide or the Whitepages opt-out instructions.

If the result is a news article, mugshot, or court listing, identify the publisher and what you want changed. A correction, update, anonymization request, or removal request may be available depending on the publisher and the facts. See our guides to news article removal, mugshot removal, and court record removal for source-specific steps.

What to do if Google denies your request

Read the decision and check the exact URL you submitted. If the content is still on the source, a refresh request cannot resolve it. If Google cites a policy or public-interest exception, review the reason and consider a publisher correction or removal request. For an outdated result, check whether the specific text or image is still visible on the live page.

Smiling woman using a laptop at home after checking that her personal information no longer appears in Google Search

Google Search removal FAQ

A Google Search removal changes whether a URL appears in covered searches. The publisher controls the source page, which can still be reached directly or through other search engines.

Google evaluates eligible requests for specific results. Start with the URLs that expose your information and check each source separately.

Review time varies. Track the request in the tool you used and verify the search result after approval, since the visible change can take additional time.

Start by reviewing the publisher’s correction or removal process. If the article is deleted or materially changed, use Refresh Outdated Content for stale results. If a Google policy or a legal basis applies, use the corresponding reporting route.

Google provides its own removal and refresh request tools for free. A third-party service may charge for publisher outreach or case assistance.

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Want your information removed for you?

Share the exact result URLs and tell us what you want removed. We’ll review the source and identify which publisher, Google policy, or outdated-result options may apply.

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