The word “removal” can describe different actions. Select the mechanism that changes the place where the information actually exists.
| Mechanism | What changes | What does not necessarily change | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source removal | The website owner deletes or edits the page | Old Google snippets can persist until recrawl or refresh | The objective is to remove information from the web page itself |
| Policy-based Search removal | Google removes or limits the URL in Search under a product/content policy | The source page remains available | Covered personal information is still on the source page |
| Full Search removal | The URL no longer appears for any Google Search query | The source page and other discovery paths remain | Google determines full removal is the appropriate policy outcome |
| Query-based or partial removal | The URL does not appear for searches containing the affected person's name or identifier | It may appear for other queries and remains at source | Google balances a policy violation with other content or interests |
| Outdated-content refresh | Google updates a result, description, cache, or image after the source changed | It does not compel the source to change | The source no longer contains the reported information |
| Legal removal or restriction | Google restricts access based on an applicable legal ground | Scope may be limited by product or country/region | A specific law, court order, privacy right, or other legal basis applies |
Google explicitly separates these routes: changed source content goes to Refresh Outdated Content; information still present may be assessed under removal policy; legal grounds use the Legal Help Center. (Google removal overview)
Terms that are often confused
Delisting means preventing a URL from appearing in specified search results. It does not delete the page. De-indexing is often used informally for broad exclusion from a search index, but Google’s personal-content documentation describes removal from Search and may apply full or query-based removal. Use the outcome stated in Google’s decision instead of assuming de-indexing.
Snippet means the descriptive text or preview displayed with a search result. An old snippet may remain after the page changes; this is a refresh issue, not proof that the source still contains the information.
Platform removal means action by the service hosting the content. For a non-Google website, the website owner—not Google—controls the page. (Contact a website owner)
Practical test
- If the information is visible on the source page, assess a policy, owner, platform, or legal route.
- If it is gone from the source but visible in Google’s old preview, use an outdated-content refresh.
- If Google approves a Search removal, still treat the source page as live unless the owner confirms deletion.
Related documentation
Official references
- Remove web results from Google Search
- Remove my private info from Google Search
- Refresh outdated content
- Contact a website owner
Policy review record
- Last policy review: 2026-10-17
- Documentation version: 1.0.0