Guides · 08 September 2026 · 7 min read

How to Remove Personal Information From Google for Free

A step-by-step guide to removing your personal information from Google search results for free, using Google's own tools and broker opt-outs.

You can remove personal information from Google for free using two separate actions: asking Google to hide specific results, and asking the websites behind those results to delete the underlying data. Google does not host most of the information about you. It indexes pages published by other sites, so you usually need to do both.

This guide covers what you can remove, how to do it, and what will not go away no matter how many requests you send.

Understand what you are actually removing

A Google search result has two parts. There is the listing in Google's index, and there is the page it points to. Removing one does not remove the other.

If Google hides a result, the source page still exists. Anyone with the direct link can still open it. If you get the source page deleted but Google still shows a cached listing, you then need to ask Google to refresh or remove that listing too.

Most personal information in search results comes from data broker sites, also called people search sites. These sites pull records from public sources and other feeds, then publish profiles with your name, age, address, relatives and phone number. Google simply indexes them.

Step one: use Google's Results About You tool

Google offers a free tool that lets you request removal of results containing your personal contact details, such as your home address, phone number or email address.

1. Sign in to your Google account.
2. Open the Results About You tool from your Google account settings, or search for "Results about you" and open Google's own page for it.
3. Enter the personal details you want Google to watch for, such as your name, address and phone number.
4. Review the results Google finds that contain those details.
5. Request removal for each result that shows your contact information. Google reviews each request and tells you the outcome.

This tool is aimed at results that expose contact details. It will not remove every mention of your name, and it does not delete the source page. It only affects what appears in Google Search.

Step two: request removal of other sensitive content

Google has a separate removal request process for specific categories, such as content that exposes information used for identity theft, non-consensual images, or pages that no longer exist but still show in results.

1. Search for Google's "Remove information from Google" help page.
2. Choose the category that matches your situation.
3. Follow the on-screen form. You will usually need to supply the exact URLs of the results and describe why they qualify.
4. Submit and wait for Google's decision. Google will contact you with the result.

Be precise with the URLs. Copy them directly from the search results rather than typing them out.

Step three: remove the data at the source

Hiding a result in Google does not stop other search engines or direct visitors from finding the page. To reduce that, go to the site publishing your information and use its opt-out process.

1. Run a search for your own name, plus your town or a former address, to see which sites list you.
2. Open each site and look for a privacy, opt-out or "do not sell my information" link. It is often in the footer.
3. Find your profile on that site. Many opt-out forms ask you to paste the exact URL of your listing.
4. Submit the opt-out request. Some sites confirm by email, so use an address you check.
5. Complete any verification the site requires. Avoid handing over more data than needed.
6. Keep a note of each site and the date you submitted, so you can check back.

If you are covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act, you can send a formal deletion demand to a broker rather than only using their opt-out form. The right to request deletion applies to California residents, and many brokers extend similar processes more broadly.

Step four: clear the Google listing after the page is gone

Once a source page is removed or updated, Google may still show the old version for a while. You can ask Google to refresh its index for that specific page using the "Remove outdated content" tool, which is free and open to anyone.

1. Search for Google's "Remove outdated content" tool.
2. Enter the URL of the page that no longer contains your information, or that has been taken down.
3. Submit the request so Google recrawls or drops the stale listing.

What you cannot remove

Some information is public by law, and no request will delete it. This includes court filings, property and land records, corporate registrations, and voter roll entries where applicable. Google can sometimes be asked to hide a specific result, but the underlying record stays public and can be republished by other sites.

Be realistic about this. If a data broker rebuilt your profile from a public record, removing the broker's page does not touch the record itself.

Why the results come back

Removal is not permanent. Data brokers rebuild their records from upstream feeds, public sources and each other. Even after a successful opt-out, listings typically reappear within a few months, sometimes under a slightly different profile.

This is normal and not a sign you did something wrong. The practical approach is to treat removal as maintenance rather than a one-time fix. Keep your list of sites, and repeat the searches and opt-outs every few months.

A realistic routine

• Search your name and known addresses to build a list of sites showing your data.
• Use Google's Results About You and removal tools for the search listings.
• Opt out at each source site, and send CCPA deletion requests where you are eligible.
• Use the outdated content tool once a source page is gone.
• Recheck every few months and repeat for anything that has returned.

All of this can be done by hand for free. It is slow because there are many broker sites and each has its own process. If you would rather not track it manually, Vanish is a Mac app that finds where brokers publish your details and sends CCPA deletion demands for you. It is one option for automating the same work described here.

Whether you do it yourself or use a tool, the goal is the same: fewer public listings, checked and cleared on a regular schedule.