How to remove a page about you from Google and other search results
Someone types your name and the first thing they see is a page you never wanted out there: an old article, a post about you, your address, a profile that isn't yours. You are not the only one, and you don't have to live with it.
Pages about you can be taken out of search results and removed where they are published. Knowing the difference between the two is what gets the right result, and we go after both at once.
A search result and the page are two different things
A search engine does not host the page you want gone. It only points to it. Taking a result out of search means people who type your name no longer find the page, but the page itself still exists at its address.
Removing the page at its source means the website deletes or edits it. Once that happens, the result fades out of search as the search engine updates its listings. The strongest outcome is both: the page taken down where it lives, and the result removed from search.
When a result can be removed from search
In the EU, you can ask search engines to stop showing results for your name that lead to information about you that is inaccurate, outdated, irrelevant or excessive. Each request is weighed against the public's interest in finding that information.
Some pages have a stronger case than others. These are the results that most often come out:
- Pages that show your home address, phone number, email or other personal data.
- Intimate images or private content published without your consent.
- Old posts or news about a private matter that no longer has any public relevance.
- Fake profiles and pages that imitate you.
- Copies of your photos, videos or work published without your permission.
A request is more likely to be refused when the page is about a public role you still hold, or about serious matters that remain of public interest. That does not end the case: the page itself can still be challenged at its source.
What a strong request contains
- The exact address of every page, not a description of it.
- The search terms that bring it up, usually your name and its variations.
- Why the information is about you, and why it should no longer be shown.
- Screenshots of the result and of the page, with the date visible.
Vague requests are the ones that get refused or left unanswered. A complete request gives the search engine everything it needs to decide in your favor.
Going after the page at its source
When the page breaks the law or the site's own rules, it can be removed entirely. Your personal data can be erased under the GDPR, your own photos and videos can be taken down with a copyright notice, and posts on social platforms can be reported under the platform's rules.
If the website ignores the request, it goes further: to the company that hosts the site and to the domain registrar. That is why we send removal requests on every channel: the platform, the hosting provider, the domain registrar and search engines.
What to expect after a result is removed
A removed result stops showing for searches of your name, but the same page can still appear for other search terms, as an outdated preview or in image results. Each of these can be asked for separately, and they often need to be.
Pages also come back. A site moves the same text to a different address, or another site copies it. Watching your name after the removal is what stops it from returning quietly.
What you can do right now
- 01
Search your name the way others do
Search your full name, your name with your city or workplace, and your usernames. Look at image results and at the pages after the first.
- 02
Keep the link and a screenshot
Copy the exact address of each page and take a screenshot of both the result and the page, with the date visible.
- 03
Clean up what you control
Delete or make private the old profiles, posts and pages of your own that show up for your name.
- 04
Use the platform's report button
If the result leads to a social media post or profile, report it on the platform too. When the post goes, its result goes with it.
- 05
Don't engage with the author
If the page attacks or exposes you, don't reply to it and don't pay anyone who contacts you out of the blue offering to remove it. Replies only draw more attention to it.
How Praivon helps
- We search for pages that expose you across the major platforms plus thousands of websites across the open web, and in search results.
- We ask search engines to remove results that expose you.
- We go after the page itself with removal requests on every channel: the platform, the hosting provider, the domain registrar and search engines.
- Every request is sent on your behalf, under the authorization you give us.
- We stay on every request until it's resolved, and we keep watching your name in case the page comes back.
Straight answers.
Can a search result be removed without removing the page?
Yes. A search engine can stop showing a page for your name while the page stays online. It is often the first result you get, and the page itself can still be challenged at its source.
Will the page disappear from every search engine at once?
No. Each search engine decides on its own results, so the request has to reach each one. Removing the page at its source is what clears it everywhere.
Can a news article about me be removed from search results?
Sometimes. Old reports about a private person, or about a matter that no longer has public relevance, are often removed from results for your name. Recent reporting on matters of public interest is usually kept.
What if the search engine says no?
A refusal on the search side does not close the case. The page can still be challenged at its source, with the website, its hosting provider and its domain registrar.
How long does removal take?
On major platforms, removal requests are typically resolved within 48–72 hours. Complex cases and less responsive websites can take longer, and we stay on every request until it is resolved.