Google’s AI Overviews, the AI-generated summary that now sits at the top of many search results, can be genuinely useful or a genuine nuisance when you just want the real websites. If you’ve found yourself scrolling past a wall of AI text to reach actual links, you’re not alone, and you do have options.
Table of Contents
There’s a catch worth knowing up front: as of 2026 there is no official setting that turns AI Overviews off everywhere. But there are several reliable workarounds, from a one-tap filter to a URL trick you can make your default. Here’s every method that actually works.
Quick Answer
There’s no global off switch, but you can bypass AI Overviews instantly. After searching, click the ‘Web’ filter tab to show only traditional links, or add &udm=14 to the search URL (or add -ai to your query) to skip the AI summary entirely.
Why You Can’t Fully Turn Off AI Overviews
When AI Overviews first rolled out, Google offered an opt-out toggle in Search Labs. That toggle has since been removed for most users, and Google has not replaced it with a permanent setting; the company treats AI Overviews as a core part of Search rather than an optional feature.
So ‘turning them off’ really means ‘bypassing them.’ The methods below force Google to show you classic web results instead, either for a single search or as your everyday default.
Methods That Actually Work in 2026
Use the Web filter. Run any search, then look at the filter row beneath the search bar (tap More, then Web, on mobile) and choose Web. Google drops the AI Overview and shows only traditional blue links. It’s per-search, but it’s the official, no-setup option.
Add &udm=14 to the URL. Appending &udm=14 to a Google search URL forces web-only results with no AI Overview. It has been reliable since 2024 and is the closest thing to a permanent fix. You can also add -ai to the end of a query, which often suppresses the Overview for that search.
Use a browser extension or alternative engine. Extensions that hide AI Overviews, or privacy-first engines like DuckDuckGo, remove AI results entirely if you’d rather not think about it. On Android, you can also open the Google app, tap your profile picture, and check Search Labs, since some accounts still have experimental AI toggles there.
Make Web-Only Results Your Default
If you want classic results every time without typing &udm=14, add Google as a custom search engine in your browser. In Chrome, go to Settings, then Search engine, then Manage search engines, then Add, and set the URL to https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14. Make it your default and every search from the address bar skips AI Overviews automatically.
On desktop you can also bookmark a udm=14 search as your starting point, or install a one-click extension that appends the parameter for you so you never have to think about it again.
Tips and Common Mistakes
The Web tab is per-search. It won’t stick between searches, so if you want it always on, use the udm=14 default method instead.
Don’t expect a settings toggle. Many older guides reference the Search Labs opt-out, but it’s gone for most accounts, so don’t waste time hunting for it.
Remember that results and available options can vary by account, region, and device, so if the first method doesn’t stick, try another.
Explore more: more tech tips and AI guides on GTWebs, what AI agents are and why they matter, ChatGPT prompts to declutter your home.
turn off Google AI Overviews FAQs
Is there an official way to turn off Google AI Overviews?
Not anymore. Google removed the Search Labs opt-out for most users and offers no permanent setting, so you bypass Overviews with the Web filter or the udm=14 trick instead.
What is the udm=14 trick?
Adding &udm=14 to a Google search URL forces web-only results with no AI Overview. You can even set it as your browser’s default search to make it automatic.
Does adding -ai to my search really work?
Often, yes. Appending -ai or using the Web filter tells Google to skip the AI Overview for that search, though results can vary.
Will hiding AI Overviews change my normal search results?
No. It just removes the AI summary and shows the standard list of website links, the same organic results you’d see otherwise.
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Photo: Panelxf / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
