Removing pages from Google and Bing

By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand why you might need to remove pages from search results, the difference between temporary and permanent removal, how to remove pages from Google quickly, step-by-step process for Bing removal, common mistakes that slow down removal, and how to prevent pages from appearing in search results in the first place.

Why Remove Pages from Search Results?

There are many legitimate reasons to remove content from search engines.

Common Scenarios

Outdated Content:

• Old product pages no longer relevant
• Expired promotions or events
• Discontinued services
• Outdated pricing information

Private or Sensitive Information:

• Accidentally published personal data
• Confidential business information
• Customer information exposed
• Internal documents made public

Duplicate Content:

• Test pages that got indexed
• Staging site appearing in search
• Multiple versions of same page
• Printer-friendly versions

Poor Quality Content:

• Thin content hurting SEO
• Auto-generated pages
• Low-value tag pages
• Empty category pages

Legal or Compliance:

• Copyright infringement claims
• GDPR right to be forgotten requests
• Court-ordered removals
• Defamatory content

Reputation Management:

• Negative reviews or articles
• Embarrassing old content
• Outdated information about you
• Competitor misinformation

Understanding Removal Types

Choose the right method for your situation.

Temporary Removal (Quick, Reversible)

What it is: Hides page from search results for about 6 months. Page stays on your website but doesn’t show in searches.

When to use:

• Need fast removal (within 24 hours)
• Planning to fix and republish page
• Testing how page removal affects traffic
• Short-term privacy need

How long it lasts: Approximately 6 months, then page may reappear in search if still accessible.

Pros:

• Very fast (hours, not weeks)
• Reversible
• Doesn’t require changing website

Cons:

• Temporary only
• Must renew if needed longer
• Page still exists on your site

Permanent Removal (Slower, Lasting)

What it is: Completely removes page from search engine index permanently.

When to use:

• Page deleted from website
• Never want page in search again
• Content permanently moved or changed
• Long-term removal needed

How it works: Combination of blocking methods (noindex, 404, robots.txt) prevents search engines from indexing page.

Pros:

• Permanent solution
• Works automatically
• No renewal needed

Cons:

• Takes days to weeks
• Requires website changes
• More technical

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Temporary If:

• Need immediate removal
• Plan to fix and restore page
• Not sure about permanent decision
• Don’t have website access

Choose Permanent If:

• Page is gone forever
• Content is truly private
• Don’t want to manage renewals
• Have website access

Best Practice: Use temporary removal first for quick fix, then implement permanent removal for lasting solution.

Removing Pages from Google

Google offers multiple tools depending on your access and situation.

Method 1: Google Search Console (You Own the Site)

Best for: Pages on your own website

Requirements:

• Verified access to Google Search Console
• Control over website

Step-by-Step Process:

Step 1: Access Removal Tool

1. Log into Google Search Console
2. Select your property
3. Click “Removals” in left sidebar
4. Click “New Request” button

Step 2: Choose Removal Type

Temporary Removal:

• Select “Temporarily remove URL from Google”
• Enter full URL or URL prefix
• Choose removal type:
  • Remove this URL only
  • Remove all URLs with this prefix

URL Only:

https://yoursite.com/specific-page

URL Prefix (removes all URLs starting with):

https://yoursite.com/category/

This removes all pages in that category.

Step 3: Submit Request

• Review information
• Click “Submit”
• Wait for processing (usually hours)

Step 4: Verify Removal Check status in Removals tool. Shows:

• Pending (being processed)
• Approved (removed from search)
• Denied (couldn’t be processed)

Making It Permanent:

After temporary removal, make it permanent:

Option A: Delete the Page Remove page from your website entirely. Returns 404 error.

Option B: Block with Noindex Add this to page’s <head> section:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

Option C: Block with Robots.txt Add to your robots.txt file:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /page-to-block/

Option D: Require Login Put page behind password protection or login requirement.

Method 2: Outdated Content Removal Tool (You Don’t Own Site)

Best for: Removing outdated cached versions or content removed by site owner

When to use:

• Page already deleted from website
• Content already updated but old version shows
• You’re not the site owner
• Site owner already removed content

Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Access Tool Go to: search.google.com/search-console/remove-outdated-content

Step 2: Enter URL Paste the full URL of outdated content.

Step 3: Verify It’s Outdated Google checks if:

• Page returns 404 error, OR
• Content has been changed, OR
• Page is blocked by noindex

Step 4: Submit Request If content is actually outdated/removed, Google processes removal.

Important: This only works if content is actually gone or changed. Won’t remove live, unchanged content.

Method 3: Legal Removal Requests

For serious legal issues:

When to use:

• Copyright infringement
• Personal information exposure
• Defamatory content
• Identity theft

Process:

1. Go to: support.google.com/legal
2. Choose appropriate category
3. Fill out legal removal form
4. Provide evidence
5. Submit and wait for review

Timeline: Legal reviews can take weeks to months.

Method 4: Remove Cached Version Only

To clear Google’s cached snapshot:

Option 1: Wait Google updates cache every few days to weeks automatically.

Option 2: Request Update

1. Use URL Inspection tool in Search Console
2. Enter URL
3. Click “Request Indexing”
4. Google recrawls and updates cache

Option 3: Block Caching Add to page’s <head>:

<meta name="robots" content="noarchive">

This prevents Google from showing cached versions.

Removing Pages from Bing

Bing has similar but separate tools.

Method 1: Bing Webmaster Tools (You Own Site)

Requirements:

• Verified Bing Webmaster Tools account
• Website access

Step-by-Step Process:

Step 1: Access Removal Tool

1. Log into Bing Webmaster Tools
2. Select your site
3. Click “URL Removal” in left menu
4. Click “Block URLs”

Step 2: Enter URL Information

Remove Single URL: Enter full page URL:

https://yoursite.com/page-to-remove

Remove Directory: Enter directory path:

https://yoursite.com/directory/

Step 3: Choose Options

Removal Type:

• Remove page from Bing only
• Remove cached version only
• Block from Bing and remove cached

Duration: Temporary removal lasts 90 days.

Step 4: Submit

• Review request
• Click “Submit”
• Check status in removal history

Making It Permanent:

After temporary removal:

Add Noindex Tag:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

Or Bing-specific:

<meta name="bingbot" content="noindex">

Update Robots.txt:

User-agent: Bingbot
Disallow: /page-to-block/

Delete Page: Remove from website (returns 404).

Method 2: Content Removal Tool (Don’t Own Site)

For pages you don’t control:

Step 1: Verify Content Status

• Check if page is actually removed (404 error)
• Or if content changed significantly
• Or if page blocks Bingbot

Step 2: Request Removal

1. Go to Bing Webmaster Tools
2. Find “Content Removal” option
3. Enter URL
4. Explain why content is outdated
5. Submit request

Step 3: Wait for Review Bing reviews and processes if legitimate.

Method 3: Bing’s Block URL Tool

For immediate needs:

Similar to Google’s temporary removal, but specific to Bing.

Access: Through Bing Webmaster Tools → URL Removal → Block URLs

Duration: 90 days temporary removal.

Removing Specific Content Types

Different content types need different approaches.

Removing Images

From Google Images:

Step 1: Remove from Website Delete image file or move to blocked directory.

Step 2: Block in Robots.txt

User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Disallow: /images/image-to-block.jpg

Step 3: Use Removal Tool Request removal in Search Console for image URL.

Alternative: Noindex Image Page If image has its own page, add noindex to that page.

Removing Videos

YouTube Videos:

1. Delete video from YouTube
2. Or make video private/unlisted
3. YouTube automatically removes from search

Embedded Videos:

• Remove video embed from page
• Delete video from hosting
• Block video URL in robots.txt

Removing PDF Files

Method 1: Delete PDF Remove PDF from server entirely.

Method 2: Block with Robots.txt

User-agent: *
Disallow: /*.pdf$

This blocks all PDFs.

Method 3: Require Login Move PDFs behind login or password.

Method 4: Add Noindex Some PDFs support meta tags in properties. Check your PDF editor.

Removing Entire Subdomain

If you want to remove staging.yoursite.com:

Step 1: Block in Robots.txt On subdomain, create robots.txt:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /

Step 2: Add Noindex to All Pages Add site-wide noindex in header template.

Step 3: Use Removal Tool Request removal of entire subdomain in Search Console:

https://staging.yoursite.com/

Step 4: Delete Subdomain Remove subdomain entirely (best permanent solution).

Removing Specific Search Results

To remove your page from searches about specific topics:

You can’t control WHICH searches your page appears in. You can only remove page entirely or change its content.

Instead:

• Update page content to remove problematic information
• Add noindex if page should never rank
• Create new content to outrank old content
• Request legal removal if appropriate

Common Removal Mistakes

Avoid these errors that delay removal.

Mistake 1: Only Using Removal Tool

The Problem: Using temporary removal tool but not making permanent changes.

Result: After 6 months (Google) or 90 days (Bing), page reappears in search results.

Solution: Always follow temporary removal with permanent method:

• Delete page, OR
• Add noindex tag, OR
• Block in robots.txt

Mistake 2: Blocking with Robots.txt Only

The Problem: Adding page to robots.txt but page already indexed.

Result: Robots.txt prevents crawling but doesn’t remove already-indexed pages.

Why: Search engines can’t see the page to see it says “noindex” because robots.txt blocks them.

Solution:

1. First: Remove from robots.txt temporarily
2. Add noindex tag to page
3. Wait for Google to recrawl and remove
4. Then optionally add back to robots.txt

Mistake 3: Deleting Without Redirecting

The Problem: Deleting page without setting up 301 redirect.

Result: 404 errors, broken links, poor user experience. Takes longer for search engines to process deletion.

Better Approach: If page has SEO value:

1. Redirect to most relevant alternative page
2. Use 410 status (gone forever) instead of 404
3. Then request removal

410 vs 404:

• 404: “Not found” (might come back)
• 410: “Gone permanently” (never coming back)

410 signals clear intent and speeds removal.

Mistake 4: Not Checking Cached Versions

The Problem: Page removed from live search but still accessible in cache.

Why It Matters: People can still view old content via cached version.

Solution: After removal:

1. Check cached version: “cache:yoursite.com/page”
2. If still cached, request recrawl
3. Or add “noarchive” tag to prevent caching

Mistake 5: Removing Wrong URL Version

The Problem: Removing https://yoursite.com/page but http://yoursite.com/page still indexed.

Common Variations:

• http vs https
• www vs non-www
• Trailing slash vs no trailing slash
• URL parameters

Solution: Check all possible URL variations:

http://yoursite.com/page
https://yoursite.com/page
http://www.yoursite.com/page
https://www.yoursite.com/page

Remove all versions that appear in search.

Mistake 6: Not Verifying Removal

The Problem: Submitting removal request and assuming it worked.

Better Practice: Verify removal:

1. Check removal status in tool
2. Search for page on Google/Bing
3. Try site: search operator
4. Check weekly for first month

If Not Removed:

• Check denial reason
• Fix issues
• Resubmit request

Mistake 7: Expecting Instant Removal

The Problem: Expecting page gone within minutes.

Reality:

• Temporary removal: Few hours to 48 hours
• Permanent removal: Days to weeks
• Legal removal: Weeks to months

Managing Expectations:

• Plan ahead when possible
• Use temporary removal for speed
• Follow up with permanent methods
• Monitor regularly

Mistake 8: Forgetting About Bing

The Problem: Removing from Google but ignoring Bing.

Why It Matters: Bing powers several search engines:

• Bing itself
• Yahoo Search
• DuckDuckGo
• Ecosia

Solution: Always remove from both Google AND Bing.

Preventing Unwanted Indexing

Stop pages from appearing in search in the first place.

Use Noindex Tags

For pages that should never rank:

Add to <head> section:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex, follow">

What it means:

• noindex: Don’t include in search results
• follow: Still follow links on this page

When to use:

• Thank you pages
• Customer account pages
• Shopping cart
• Checkout pages
• Internal search results
• Admin pages
• Login pages

Configure Robots.txt

Block entire sections:

Create robots.txt file in root directory:

User-agent: *

# Block admin area
Disallow: /admin/

# Block private folders
Disallow: /private/

# Block user accounts
Disallow: /account/

# Block internal search
Disallow: /search/

# Block tracking parameters
Disallow: /*?utm

# Allow everything else
Allow: /

Test Your Robots.txt: Use robots.txt tester in Google Search Console.

Require Authentication

Password protect sensitive areas:

Methods:

• .htaccess password protection
• Login required pages
• Member-only areas
• IP restrictions

Benefits: Search engines can’t access pages requiring login, so they never get indexed.

Use Parameter Handling

For URL parameters creating duplicates:

In Google Search Console:

1. Go to Legacy Tools
2. URL Parameters
3. Configure how Google handles each parameter

Examples:

?sessionid= - Doesn't affect content
?sort= - Doesn't affect content
?color= - Narrows content (might create duplicates)

Block Staging/Development Sites

Prevent test sites from being indexed:

On Staging Site:

1. Add Noindex Site-Wide: In header template:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

2. Use Robots.txt:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /

3. Require Password: Use HTTP authentication.

4. Block by IP: Only allow your office IP addresses.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Check regularly to prevent indexing issues.

Weekly Checks

Search Console Review:

• Check Coverage report for unexpected indexed pages
• Review crawled pages
• Look for noindex errors
• Check robots.txt fetch errors

Manual Searches:

site:yoursite.com

Review results for pages that shouldn’t be there.

Specific Checks:

site:yoursite.com/admin
site:yoursite.com/private
site:yoursite.com/staging

Monthly Audits

Full Site Crawl: Use Screaming Frog or similar to:

• Find pages without noindex that should have it
• Identify accidentally blocked pages
• Check for indexation conflicts
• Review meta robots tags

Search Engine Check: Verify private pages haven’t leaked into search:

• Check Google
• Check Bing
• Check image search
• Check cache

Automated Monitoring

Set Up Alerts:

Google Alerts: Monitor for unexpected pages:

site:yoursite.com "private" OR "internal" OR "test"

Search Console Alerts: Email notifications for:

• Index coverage issues
• Security issues
• Manual actions