How do I remove outdated content from Google Search?

Remove Outdated Content asks Google to update a search result that no longer reflects the live page. It is the tool for stale snippets and for results pointing at pages that are already gone. It cannot remove content that is still published.

It appears as the Outdated content tab of the Removals report, and there is also a public version that anyone can use, including for pages on sites they do not own.

The two cases it handles

• The page is gone. If the URL returns 404 or 410, or is blocked from indexing, you can ask for the result to be removed. Google verifies the URL is really dead before acting.
• The page still exists but the content changed. If specific words have been taken off the page, you can ask Google to re-crawl and refresh the snippet. The request only succeeds if those words really are absent from the current version.

Requests are rejected when the live page still contains what you are asking Google to drop. Fix the page first, then submit.

What it is not

• It is not for your own verified property. There, use Indexing > Removals for a temporary hide of about six months, plus a permanent fix such as noindex, a 404 or a 410. See removing a URL.
• It does not delete anything from the source website. Contact the site owner for that.
• It does not affect other search engines, which have their own tools.
• It is not a privacy removal request. Personal information removals go through Google's separate legal and personal-information forms.

Tip: the tool acts on Google's copy of a page, so the order matters. Publish the change or return the 404 first, confirm it with a fresh fetch, then submit. Submitting before the live page is correct wastes the request and it has to be filed again.

Processing usually takes a few days. If the result reappears later, it means the live page still matches what Google indexed.

How AutoPSEO helps

After a removal, the Index Tracker tells you when the URL actually leaves the index rather than only leaving the visible results, by re-checking it daily and raising a deindexed warning when the status changes. See Index Tracker.