Removing a Website from Google Search Without Ownership Verification
If you need to remove an old or unwanted website from Google Search but don’t have verified ownership in Google Search Console, there’s still a way to get it done. Google’s John Mueller has shared a simple method to de-index a site even if you can’t verify ownership.
Why Would You Need to Remove a Site Without Verification?
Many website owners face this issue when:
- They no longer have access to the hosting account.
- The site was built on platforms like Canva, Wix, or Squarespace and is no longer active.
- They want to remove outdated or sensitive content quickly.
How to Remove a Site from Google Search Without Verification
1. Ensure the Website is No Longer Live
Before requesting removal, make sure the website is either:
- Completely taken down (404 error or server offline).
- Significantly altered (content removed or replaced).
Google will only process removal requests if the page no longer exists or has drastically changed.
2. Use Google’s “Remove Outdated Content” Tool
Since you don’t have Search Console access, use Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool. This allows you to request removal of:
- Dead pages (404 or deleted).
- Sensitive content that has been taken down.
Steps:
- Go to the Remove Outdated Content page.
- Enter the URL(s) you want removed.
- Submit the request.
Note: This method is slower than using Search Console, as Google manually reviews requests.
3. Redirect Old Pages to a New Site (If Applicable)
If you’ve moved to a new website, setting up 301 redirects from the old site to the new one is a better long-term solution. This preserves SEO value and ensures users land on the correct page.
However, if your old site was hosted on platforms like Canva, check if they support URL redirects. If not, complete removal may be the only option.
Alternative: Block Crawling via Robots.txt (If Site is Still Live)
If you still have access to the website’s files but not Search Console, you can:
- Upload a disallow-all
robots.txtfile:CopyDownloadUser-agent: * Disallow: / - Wait for Google to recrawl and de-index the pages.
Final Thoughts
Removing a website from Google Search without verification is possible but requires patience. If the site is already down, the Remove Outdated Content tool is the best option. For smoother transitions, use 301 redirects when moving to a new domain.
For more details, check Google’s official guide on site migrations.
To know more read the Reddit discussion here:
How to remove website from google?
Featured Image by Canva
