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How do I remove a website from Google Search Console?

Published in Google Search Console 5 mins read

To remove a website from Google Search Console, you actually can't "remove" the property itself if you still own it. You can, however, remove yourself as a user from the property, or remove individual URLs from Google's search results. This guide covers both scenarios.

Removing Yourself as a User from a Search Console Property

If you no longer need access to a Search Console property, here’s how to remove your access:

  1. Go to Google Search Console: Navigate to Google Search Console.
  2. Select the Property: Choose the website property from which you want to remove your access.
  3. Go to Settings: In the left-hand navigation, click on "Settings".
  4. Go to Users and Permissions: Under settings find and click "Users and permissions."
  5. Remove Your Access: Find your email address in the list of users. Click the three dots next to your email and choose "Remove Access".
  6. Confirm: Confirm that you want to remove your access.

This action removes your access to the property, but the property will still exist in Search Console for other users who have permission. If you are the only user with access and you want to completely remove the property, you must unverify ownership.

Removing a URL from Google's Search Results (Temporary Removal)

If you want to temporarily remove a specific URL from Google's search results, follow these steps (note: you must be an owner of the property in Search Console to do this):

  1. Access Search Console: Go to Google Search Console.
  2. Select the Property: Choose the website property containing the URL you want to remove.
  3. Navigate to Removals: In the left-hand navigation, go to "Index" and select "Removals".
  4. Create a New Request: Click the "New Request" button.
  5. Enter the URL: Enter the exact URL you wish to remove.
  6. Choose Removal Type:
    • Temporarily remove URL: This option removes the URL from Google search results for approximately six months. You will need to resubmit the request after that time if you want it to remain removed.
    • Clear cached URL: This option clears the cached version of the page, forcing Google to recrawl it. Use this if you've updated the page content and want Google to reflect those changes in search results.
  7. Submit the Request: Click "Next" and then "Submit Request".

Important Considerations:

  • Temporary Removal: A temporary removal lasts for about six months. After this, the URL may reappear in search results.
  • Blocking Indexing: For permanent removal, it's best to use a "noindex" meta tag or HTTP header on the page, or remove the page entirely from your site. These methods prevent Google from indexing the page in the first place. Use the Removals tool in Search Console for content already indexed that you want to temporarily block.
  • URL Must Be Yours: You can only request removals for URLs within Search Console properties you own.
  • Case Sensitivity: Ensure you enter the URL exactly as it appears.
  • Faster Removal: Combining a noindex tag with the removals tool can often expedite the removal process.

Removing the Entire Website Property (Unverifying Ownership)

If you are the only verified owner of a Search Console property and want to completely remove the property and you, you can do so by removing the verification token:

  1. Identify Verification Method: Determine how you initially verified ownership of the website. Common methods include:

    • HTML file upload
    • HTML tag
    • DNS record
    • Google Analytics account
    • Google Tag Manager container

  2. Remove the Verification Token: Remove the method of verification from your website.

    • HTML file: Delete the HTML file from your website's server.
    • HTML tag: Remove the meta tag from your website's <head> section.
    • DNS record: Delete the TXT record from your domain's DNS settings.
    • Google Analytics: Remove the association between your GA property and Search Console.
    • Google Tag Manager: Remove the GTM container association with Search Console.

  3. Google will eventually detect the unverified state and no longer associate the property with your account. Note that other previously verified users will still have access until they remove their verification method or explicitly remove themselves. Also note that you cannot directly delete the Search Console property through the user interface. The property will remain in Search Console, but will eventually show as "unverified" for you if you follow these steps. If another user has verified ownership of the property, it will remain active in their Search Console even after you remove your verification method.

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