Guides · 23 September 2026 · 8 min read

How to Remove Your Address and Phone Number Online

A step-by-step guide to removing your home address and phone number from data broker sites, search results and public listings, and keeping them off.

Your address and phone number appear online mostly because data brokers collect and republish them. To remove them, you opt out of each broker that lists you, ask search engines to drop cached results, and tighten the sources that feed those brokers. This works, but it is not permanent. Brokers rebuild their records from upstream feeds, so listings usually return within a few months and need repeating.

Here is how to do it by hand, for free.

First, find where you are listed

Before you can remove anything, you need to know where it appears. Search for your own details and write down every site that shows them.

1. Search your full name in quotation marks, then add your town or postcode. For example, "Jane Smith" London.
2. Search your name together with your street name, and separately with your phone number.
3. Search your phone number on its own, both with and without spaces and country code.
4. Open each result that shows your real address or number. Note the website name and the exact page URL.

Most of these results will be people-search and data broker sites. Some may be old classified adverts, forum posts, or business listings you created yourself. Treat each type differently, as explained below.

Remove yourself from data broker sites

Data brokers are the main source of exposed contact details. Nearly all of them offer an opt-out, because privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) require it. The process is broadly the same across sites, even though the exact pages differ.

1. On the broker's site, look for a link in the footer marked something like Privacy, Do Not Sell My Information, or Opt Out.
2. Find your own listing on that site first. Many opt-out forms ask you to paste the URL of the record you want removed, so copy it before you start.
3. Complete the opt-out form. You will usually be asked to confirm which record is yours and to provide an email address for verification.
4. Check your inbox for a confirmation message and click the link inside it. If you skip this, the request may not be processed.
5. Some brokers ask you to confirm by phone or to send a request by email instead of a form. Follow whatever method they offer.
6. Save a copy of each confirmation. Note the date so you know when to check again.

Work through your list one site at a time. It is slow, but each removal reduces how easily someone can find you.

When a broker asks for ID

Some brokers request a photo of your identity document to verify a deletion. If you provide one, cover or black out everything except your name and address. They do not need your document number, photo or date of birth to confirm you are you.

Clear the details from search engines

Removing a listing from a broker does not instantly remove it from search results. The search engine may still show a cached version for a while.

1. Once the source page is gone or updated, use the search engine's own removal tool to report outdated results. Search for the removal request tool by name, such as the Google content removal request.
2. Paste the URL of the page that no longer shows your information, or that has been taken down.
3. Google also offers a request to remove results that contain personal contact information like a home address or phone number, even when the page still exists. Use that where it applies.
4. Submit and wait. Search results update on their own schedule, so this can take some time.

Removing something from search does not delete the underlying page. It only stops it appearing in results for that engine.

Deal with listings you created yourself

Sometimes your details are online because you or someone else posted them.

• Old adverts and marketplace posts. Log in and delete them, or contact the site to ask for removal.
• Social media. Remove your phone number and address from your profile, and check privacy settings so the information is not public.
• Business or organisation listings. If a company published your number, ask them to use a business line instead of your personal one.
• Forum posts and comments. Edit or delete them, or contact the forum administrator.

What you cannot remove

Some records are public by law and cannot be deleted. This includes court filings, property and land records, corporate registrations and, in many places, electoral roll entries. Brokers often pull addresses from these sources. You can sometimes limit how your electoral registration is shared, depending on where you live, but you cannot erase a public record itself.

Because these feeds stay open, a broker can rebuild a profile even after you opt out. This is why removal is never a one-time job.

Why your details come back, and what to do about it

Brokers buy and scrape data continuously. When they refresh their databases from upstream feeds, a profile you removed can reappear, sometimes under a slightly different spelling or with an old address. Expect to recheck the main broker sites every few months.

Removal is maintenance, not a single fix. The goal is to keep your exposure low, not to reach zero forever.

To make this manageable:

• Keep your list of brokers and the dates you last opted out.
• Set a reminder to re-search your name and number every three to four months.
• Where possible, use a secondary phone number or a mailbox address for forms, so your primary details are exposed less often in the first place.

Doing this automatically

Working through dozens of brokers by hand, then repeating it every few months, takes real time. Vanish is a Mac app that finds where brokers publish your address and phone number and sends CCPA deletion demands on your behalf, then repeats the checks as listings reappear. It does the same steps described here, without you filling in each form. Doing it manually is entirely possible, and this guide gives you everything you need to start today.

Common questions

How long does it take for my address and phone number to disappear?

Each broker processes opt-outs on its own schedule, and search results update separately after that. Some listings drop within days, others take weeks. There is no fixed timeline, and no broker can guarantee a specific date.

Will my details stay off the internet permanently?

No. Brokers rebuild their records from upstream feeds and public sources, so listings typically reappear within a few months. You need to recheck the main sites and repeat opt-outs periodically.

Can I remove my address if it is on a public record?

No. Court filings, property and land records, corporate registrations and electoral roll entries are public by law and cannot be deleted. You can sometimes limit how the electoral roll is shared, but the record itself stays.

Do I have to pay to remove my information from data brokers?

No. Legitimate brokers must offer a free opt-out. Be cautious of any site that only lets you remove your data by paying. You can complete every step in this guide without spending anything.

Should I give a broker my ID to prove who I am?

Only if it is the only option, and only after covering everything except the details they need, usually your name and address. They do not need your document number, photo or date of birth to verify a removal.