Remove AI from Google Search: A Complete Guide for 2026

If you've noticed that Google Search looks different lately, you aren't imagining things. A big block of AI-generated text now sits above the usual list of links on many search results pages, and plenty of people want it gone.

Whether you are worried about accuracy, tired of scrolling past a wall of AI text to find real links to websites, or just prefer the classic search layout, this guide covers the most reliable ways to remove AI overviews from Google Search in 2026 and beyond.

Why So Many People Want AI Out of Their Search Results

A lot of people are bothered by how prevalent AI is becoming in all of our lives.

Google's AI Overviews now show up on roughly 47 to 50 percent of qualifying US search queries, up from about 31 to 32 percent a year ago. Some tracking tools show even higher numbers.

Xponent21 measured US usage at over 60 percent in April 2026, and Google itself says that AI Overviews appear in about half of US searches, reaching an estimated 2 billion monthly users worldwide.

For everyday searchers, the bigger problem is trust. The early launch of AI Overviews was hurt by it suggesting ridiculous mistakes, like telling people to put glue on pizza. Both errors came from joke posts that the AI mistook for real facts. Mistakes like these have made many users doubt AI-generated answers, even as the system gets better.

Research from Seer Interactive tracking billions of views found that click rates for regular links on AI Overview searches dropped from 1.76 percent to 0.61 percent, a fall of about 65 percent, before slightly bouncing back later. Other studies show the click drop for top results as high as 58 percent.

Simply put, AI Overviews change both how results look and how often users visit the original sites. Publishers have seen this firsthand, with Press Gazette reporting that Google traffic sent to news sites dropped by about a third globally in a single year.

If you'd rather stick to the classic ten blue links everyone is used to, read below about how to bring them back as the main focus of SERPs.

1. Use the “Web” Filter

The quickest fix requires no downloads or setups. After searching and seeing an AI Overview, look for the row of filter options underneath the search bar; these filter options include “All”, “Images”, “News”, and “Web”.

To find the “Web” filter, click “More”, and then, “Web”. This will make Google remove the AI overview, as well video lists, giving you a clean search results page with only basic blue links.

The main downside is that you must set this filter every time you make a search, as Google won't save this filter setting for future searches.

2. Add "&udm=14" to the end of the Search URL

To make the AI overview disappear automatically without needing to re-add a filter on every search, you can add &udm=14 to the end of any Google search web address. This forces Google to load the link-only page right away, giving you the same result as clicking the “Web” filter. This URL trick has worked since May 2024 and still works smoothly in 2026.

You can save time by creating a custom search shortcut in your browser that adds this code automatically:

• Chrome or Edge: Go to Settings > Search Engine > Manage Search Engines. Add a new entry with the web address https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14 and set it as default.
• Firefox: Open Settings > Search > Add Search Engine, and use that same link structure.
• Safari on iOS: Download a custom search extension from the Extensions menu in Settings, then set the search link to match that pattern.

Once set up, every search you make will skip AI Overviews automatically.

3. Add the "-AI" Search Modifier to your Search

An easy option with zero setup is to type your search terms like normal and add -AI at the end (e.g. searched keywords -AI). The minus sign acts as a search filter, and while Google hasn't confirmed it officially blocks AI boxes, many people have noticed it cuts down on how often the AI section appears.

This method doesn't necessarily work every time. Google decides to show AI overviews based on how hard or specific a search is, so results can vary, with some users noticing no difference. From our own tests, it is effective enough.

4. Install a Browser Extension

If you want AI Overviews blocked automatically without extra steps, a browser extension can be the easiest option. Two popular free choices are Hide AI Overviews and Bye Bye Google AI, which you can find in the Chrome Web Store.

These tools don't change anything on Google's end. Instead, they hide the AI box from the page as soon as it loads, so you never have to see it or click anything extra.

5. Try an Alternative Search Page

Editing web addresses on phones can be annoying, and most mobile browsers don't support browser extensions. A helpful site named TenBlueLinks.org was created to fix this, giving phone users a simple way to load Google search results without AI overviews.

If you are willing to move away from Google completely, privacy-centered search engines like DuckDuckGo don't include AI summaries by default and offer a solid option for anyone looking to avoid AI overviews completely.

A Note on Permanent Fixes

Google currently has no official, one-click setting in your account to turn off AI Overviews permanently. Google briefly tested an opt-out switch back in 2024, but that option was removed for most users.

Every fix listed above is a temporary workaround rather than a real off switch, so Google could change how they work in future updates.

Conclusion

AI Overviews aren't going away anytime soon, but using these tools will help you get back to the plain, link-based search results you prefer.

Have questions about how AI is changing search engines and what it means for your site's traffic? Get in touch with me at info@blueskiesdigital.com.