Removing a URL from Google: owner tools and public requests

01

If you own the page, decide what should remain accessible

A page may need to stay available to customers but disappear from search, or it may need to be removed entirely. These are different technical choices. Google’s owner removal tool provides temporary hiding for roughly six months; a lasting result requires an appropriate source change. Have the site maintainer select the method that matches the real access requirement.

02

If you do not own it, assess its current content

Open the source URL and check whether the problematic information is still present. A removed or materially changed page may fit an outdated-content request. Information still online needs an applicable personal-content policy, a valid legal basis or a request to the publisher. Ownership tools cannot be used to control an unrelated site.

• Record the complete affected URL.
• State whether you control the source.
• Distinguish temporary hiding, source removal and search refresh.

03

Avoid a broad removal that hides useful pages

For example, an old employee document may need removal while the public careers section should remain searchable. Check the exact URL or prefix before submitting an owner request. Afterward, verify the source behavior and the search result separately. Keep the maintainer’s record of the permanent change so a temporary action does not become an overlooked deadline.

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