Published by the Zolyp team ·
Temporary or permanent: which do you need?
Most owners need both: the Removals tool to hide the page fast, and a change on the page so it stays hidden.
| Method | How long | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Removals tool | About six months | Hides the page from Google Search; the page stays online and other search engines aren't affected |
| Delete the page | Permanent | Removes it for everyone, including other search engines |
| Password-protect it | Permanent | Keeps crawlers out while letting the right people in |
| Noindex tag | Permanent | Keeps it out of Google results, but people with the link can still visit |
Sources: Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool, checked 15 October 2026; Google Search Central: Remove a page hosted on your site from Google, checked 15 October 2026
How do you hide a page temporarily?
Only owners of the Search Console property can do this.
- Open Search Console, choose your property and open Removals.
- Select the Temporary Removals tab, then New Request.
- Choose Temporarily remove URL.
- Enter the URL. To hide a whole folder, choose Remove all URLs with this prefix.
- Select Next. Processing usually takes up to a day, and Google may refuse the request.
- A request covers the http, https, www and non-www versions, but not other subdomains such as m.
- Anything after a # in the URL is ignored.
- To undo it, find the request in the history table, open its menu and select Cancel request.
Source: Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool, checked 15 October 2026
How do you keep a page out of Google for good?
Do one of these before the six months run out, or the page can come back:
- Delete the page so it returns a 404 or 410 error. Google calls removing the content the most secure option.
- Put it behind a password.
- Add a noindex meta tag. Google will drop it from results, but visitors and other search engines can still reach it.
- Remove or protect every version of the address, because different URLs can show the same page.
- Don't block it in robots.txt. Google says robots.txt isn't a valid way to remove a page.
Sources: Google Search Central: Remove a page hosted on your site from Google, checked 15 October 2026; Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool, checked 15 October 2026
What if only the description is wrong?
Update the page, then use Clear snippet in search in the Removals tool. It removes the description shown in results until Google next indexes the page, though the old text may still match searches until then.
Source: Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool, checked 15 October 2026
What if the page isn't on your site?
You can't use the Removals tool for a site you don't own in Search Console.
- If the page has already been removed or changed, use Google's Refresh Outdated Content tool. Owners see these requests under Outdated content in their Removals tool.
- For personal information on other sites, Google points to its Remove your personal information from Google help page.
- For details shown on your Business Profile, edit them in Business Profile rather than Search Console.
Sources: Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool, checked 15 October 2026; Google Search Central: Remove a page hosted on your site from Google, checked 15 October 2026
Why is the page still showing?
Check these:
- The request was denied, or is still processing. Check its status in the request history.
- You requested one version of the address and the page is showing on another subdomain.
- Six months have passed and the page is still live and indexable. Delete it, protect it or add noindex.
- You blocked it in robots.txt instead. Google says robots.txt isn't a valid way to remove a page.
Sources: Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool, checked 15 October 2026; Google Search Central: Remove a page hosted on your site from Google, checked 15 October 2026
Replacing old offers with current news
Disclosure: this is our product. Out-of-date pages often come from old promotions. Zolyp writes and designs Google Business updates and events in your brand's style and publishes them to your connected profile once you approve, so customers see what's current. It doesn't remove pages from Google. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.
Common questions
How long does Google's Removals tool hide a page?
About six months. After that the page can reappear unless you delete it, protect it or add noindex.
How quickly does a removal request work?
Google says requests usually take up to a day to process, and approval isn't guaranteed.
Does the Removals tool delete my page?
No. The page stays online, and other search engines aren't affected.
Can I use robots.txt to remove a page from Google?
No. Google says not to use robots.txt to block a page from results. Use noindex, a password or delete the page.
Can I remove someone else's page from Google?
Not with the Removals tool. If the page has already changed or been deleted, use the Refresh Outdated Content tool.