What AI Overviews are and why you might want to block them

AI Overviews are summaries that Google generates using artificial intelligence and displays at the top of your search results. Instead of clicking through to a website, you see a paragraph or two of AI-written text that attempts to answer your question directly. Google launched this feature in 2024 and has been rolling it out to more users since then.

You might want to block them for several reasons: the summaries sometimes contain incorrect information pulled from unreliable sources, they can reduce traffic to the original websites that did the actual reporting or research, or you straightforward prefer reading the original sources yourself rather than an AI's interpretation of them. If any of these reasons match your preference, you have concrete ways to stop them from appearing.

Key Takeaways

  • Google does not offer a built-in setting to disable AI Overviews globally, but you can remove them from individual searches using a URL parameter.
  • Adding &udm=14 to the end of your Google search URL removes the AI Overview from that specific search result page.
  • Browser extensions like uBlacklist or custom search engine shortcuts can automate this process so you do not have to edit the URL manually each time.
  • If you use Google Search Labs, you can turn off the feature there, though this only works if you have explicitly enrolled in that testing program.

The manual method: editing your search URL

The most direct way to block AI Overviews on a single search is to add a parameter to your Google search URL. After you perform a search, look at the address bar at the top of your browser. The URL will look something like https://www.google.com/search?q=your+search+terms.

At the very end of that URL, add &udm=14 (the letters and numbers with no spaces). The full URL will then read https://www.google.com/search?q=your+search+terms&udm=14. Press Enter, and the page will reload without the AI Overview at the top. This works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

This method works every time, but it requires you to manually edit the URL for each search. If you only occasionally want to avoid AI Overviews, this is the simplest approach. If you want to block them by default, the next two methods are more practical.

Using a browser extension to automate the process

Several browser extensions can add the &udm=14 parameter automatically without you having to touch the URL. uBlacklist is a free extension available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge that was originally designed to block websites from search results, but users have adapted it to remove AI Overviews as well.

To use uBlacklist for this purpose, install the extension from your browser's store, then add a custom rule. In the extension settings, you can create a rule that applies the parameter to all Google searches. The exact steps vary slightly by browser, but the extension's documentation walks you through it. Other users have shared their uBlacklist configurations online that you can copy directly.

The advantage of an extension is that it works on every search without any action from you. The disadvantage is that you are installing additional software in your browser, which uses a small amount of memory and requires you to trust the extension's developer. Read the extension's privacy policy before installing to understand what data it can see.

Creating a custom search shortcut in your browser

Most browsers let you create custom search shortcuts that automatically add parameters to your searches. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can set up a custom search engine that routes your searches through Google with the &udm=14 parameter already included.

In Chrome, go to Settings, then Search Engine, then Manage Search Engines. Click Add, then fill in the fields: give it a name like "Google No AI", set the shortcut to something short like "g", and in the URL field, enter https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14. From then on, typing "g" in your address bar and pressing Tab will let you search Google without AI Overviews.

This method requires a one-time setup but no ongoing maintenance or additional software. It only works if you remember to use your custom shortcut instead of the regular Google search box. If you use Google's search box on the homepage or in your browser's default search, you will still see AI Overviews.

Turning off AI Overviews in Google Search Labs

If you have enrolled in Google Search Labs, a testing program where Google lets users try new features early, you may see a toggle to turn off AI Overviews. This is not available to everyone — only users who have explicitly joined Search Labs and live in a country where the feature is being tested.

To check if you have access, go to Google.com, click your profile picture in the top right, and look for "Labs" in the menu. If it appears, click it. If you see an option for AI Overviews, you can toggle it off there. This setting will disable AI Overviews across all your searches on that device while you are signed into your Google account.

This is the easiest method if it is available to you, because it requires no URL editing or extensions. However, Google has not committed to keeping this toggle available, and it may disappear once the feature rolls out more widely.

What happens if you block AI Overviews

Blocking AI Overviews does not change your search results otherwise. You will still see the same websites listed below where the overview would have been. Your search speed will not change noticeably. Google will not penalize your account or limit your searches.

If you block them and later change your mind, you can straightforward stop using whichever method you chose — delete the browser extension, stop using the custom search shortcut, or stop adding the URL parameter. There is no setting to undo or reset. You can also block them for some searches and allow them for others by choosing when to use each method.

Why Google has not added an official off switch

Google has not released a built-in setting to disable AI Overviews globally, likely because the company wants to encourage adoption of the feature. Overviews keep users on Google's search page longer and reduce clicks to other websites, which benefits Google's advertising business. Offering an straightforward way to turn them off would work against that goal.

The workarounds described here exist because users and developers discovered them, not because Google designed them as official solutions. Google could close these workarounds at any time by changing how the &udm=14 parameter works or by removing it entirely. If that happens, the extension and custom search methods would stop working, though new workarounds would likely emerge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does blocking AI Overviews affect my other Google services?

No. Blocking AI Overviews only affects what you see on the Google Search results page. Your Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, and other Google services work exactly as before. The setting does not carry over to those products.

Will Google know I am blocking AI Overviews?

Google can see that you are using the &udm=14 parameter in your searches, so technically yes. However, this information is not tied to any action on your account. Google does not send you warnings or restrict your account based on blocking this feature.

Can I block AI Overviews on mobile?

Yes, but it is less convenient. On mobile, you can add the &udm=14 parameter to the URL after each search, but there is no straightforward way to automate it without a browser extension. Some mobile browsers support extensions, but most do not. Custom search shortcuts also do not work on mobile the same way they do on desktop.

What if the &udm=14 parameter stops working?

If Google removes or changes this parameter, the workaround will stop working. Users would need to find a new method or wait for developers to create new extensions. This has happened before with other Google search parameters, so it is possible but not certain.

Is there a way to block AI Overviews for other search engines?

AI Overviews are specific to Google Search. Other search engines like Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo have their own AI features with different names and different ways to control them. If you want to avoid AI summaries across all search engines, switching to a search engine that does not offer them is the most reliable approach.