Turn Off Google AI Results in Search? What You Can Do

You can reduce or bypass Google’s AI-generated search results, but there is no universal setting that permanently switches off every AI feature for every account and region. The most reliable options are to use Google’s Web filter for a text-only results view or change your search URL; available controls can vary as Google updates Search.

What Google’s AI results are

Google may show an AI Overview near the top of some search results. It uses generative AI to produce a synthesized response, often with links to websites used as sources. It may appear for questions, research queries, and other searches Google considers suitable, but it does not appear for every query. Google also offers AI Mode in some locations and accounts, which is a more conversational search experience.

These features are different from ordinary search results. An AI Overview is an added feature on a results page; the familiar list of links can still appear below it. AI Mode is a separate way to explore a question with follow-up prompts. Turning off or avoiding one does not necessarily disable the other.

Use the Web filter for a link-only view

After searching on Google, select Web in the row of search filters, which may include options such as All, Images, News, and Videos. The Web filter is designed to show text-based links rather than the usual mix of result features, and it is the simplest built-in way to get a more traditional results page.

1. Run your search on Google.
2. Look for the filter row below the search box. If Web is not visible, open More and choose Web, if that option is available.
3. Review the resulting page. It should emphasize standard web links rather than an AI Overview.

The filter applies to that search view; do not assume it changes a permanent account-wide preference. If you start a new search or return to the All view, Google may show other result features again. The exact placement and names of filters can change across devices and interface updates.

Try a URL shortcut

Some people use a Google search URL with the query parameter &udm=14 to request a Web-style results page. For example, a search URL can be written as https://www.google.com/search?q=your+search&udm=14. Replace your+search with your search terms, using plus signs or URL encoding for spaces and special characters.

This is a shortcut to a particular search presentation, not an official promise that AI features will always be absent. Google can change how URL parameters work, and behavior may differ by region or device. A browser bookmark can save a URL pattern for convenience, but creating a bookmark that automatically inserts a changing search query requires browser-specific setup.

Can you disable AI Overviews in settings?

Google does not provide a single, universal Search setting that guarantees AI Overviews are disabled for everyone. Search Labs has offered experimental features and controls at different times and in selected regions, but its options are not a dependable global off switch for AI Overviews. If an AI feature or opt-out control appears in your Google settings, read its description: it may apply only to a named experiment or product.

Also distinguish Search from other Google products. Controls for Gemini or other AI services do not necessarily control what appears in Google Search. Likewise, removing an experiment from Search Labs, where available, should not be treated as proof that every AI-generated result has been turned off.

Why AI results may still appear

If you chose Web but later see an AI Overview, first check whether the current page is still using the Web filter. A new query, opening a standard Google results link, or switching back to All may put you in a different view. A browser extension that redirects searches can also change the result page, so try the same query in a private window or another browser before diagnosing a Google setting.

• Filter not selected: Confirm that Web is active for the current search.
• Different search experience: Make sure you are on Google Search rather than AI Mode or another search product.
• Interface changes: Filters and experimental controls can move, appear, or disappear.
• Device differences: The mobile app, mobile browser, and desktop site may not show the same controls in the same place.

Clearing cookies or changing your account does not reliably switch off AI Overviews. Those actions may affect personalization or sign-in state, but Google decides which result features to show based on factors that can include the query and the current product experience.

What to use instead

If you want conventional search links, the Web filter or a search URL shortcut is usually the most direct approach. You can also try another search engine, but its features and ranking system will differ; no engine can guarantee that every result is free of automated summaries or other enhanced formats. For research, open cited sources and verify important claims directly rather than relying on a generated summary alone.

There is a related misconception worth clearing up: hiding an AI Overview from your view does not remove it from Google Search for other people, nor does it prevent Google from using its systems to generate results. These steps change how you access or view search results, not how Google operates the service overall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I permanently turn off AI Overviews on Google?
There is no universal setting that reliably disables AI Overviews for every user. Use the Web filter or a Web-style search URL when you want a more traditional results page.

Where is the Web filter on Google?
Search first, then check the filter row below the search box. If Web is not shown, look under More; availability and placement can vary.

Does the Web filter remove every AI feature?
It provides a text-focused web results view, but it is not a permanent account setting and does not disable separate products such as AI Mode.

Does Search Labs turn off AI Overviews?
Search Labs controls experiments that may be available to selected users. Its options should not be assumed to disable all AI-generated search features.

Why did an AI Overview come back after I selected Web?
You may have started a new search in the default All view or switched to another search experience. Select Web again for the current query.

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