The Hidden Setting That Turns Off Google AI Overviews
Google won't give you an off switch for AI Overviews — but a specific URL parameter, a Chrome settings change, and one browser extension are reliable alternatives.
I search Google dozens of times a day. For most general questions, the AI Overview is fine — harmless, even occasionally useful. But for anything requiring precision — medical information, legal questions, technical troubleshooting, fact-checking — watching an AI confidently confuse two things, misattribute a quote, or describe a process that no longer exists is actively worse than having no answer at all.
If you've landed here, you already know the frustration. Let's skip the philosophy and get straight to the working solutions.
⚡ The 3 Methods — Choose Your Path
Method 1 — URL Parameter (Instant, any browser): Add &udm=14 to any Google search URL. Works immediately, no install required.
Method 2 — Chrome Search Engine Edit (Permanent, Chrome): Modify Chrome's default Google search URL to include &udm=14 automatically on every search.
Method 3 — Browser Extension (Automatic, all browsers): Install "Hide Google AI Overviews" or configure uBlock Origin — blocks the AI Overview element on every Google results page.
First — What AI Overviews Actually Are (and Aren't)
Google AI Overviews launched broadly in 2024 and have been a permanent fixture at the top of most Google search results pages since then. They're AI-generated summaries that appear before the traditional list of blue link results.
They're built on Google's Gemini models and are designed to synthesize information from multiple sources into a direct answer. When they work well — clear factual questions, widely documented topics — they're genuinely useful. When they don't, they can generate plausible-sounding but incorrect information, cite a source that actually contradicts the answer shown, or give a generic response when you needed a specific current detail.
✅ When AI Overviews Work Well
- Simple factual questions with broad consensus ("what year was X founded")
- Explaining common concepts with well-documented explanations
- Recipe steps, basic how-to instructions for common tasks
- Quick summaries of topics you plan to research further anyway
- Local information queries where the AI pulls structured data accurately
❌ When AI Overviews Create Real Problems
- Medical and health information — outdated, generalized, or wrong dosage/treatment details
- Legal questions — overly simplified, jurisdiction-blind, or citing outdated law
- Current events — AI trained on older data presents outdated information as current
- Technical troubleshooting — wrong version, deprecated method, or hallucinated syntax
- Any niche or specialized topic with limited training data
- Fact-checking searches — the AI may confidently repeat the myth you're checking
⚠️ Why Google Doesn't Give You a Simple Toggle
Google has acknowledged user frustration with AI Overviews but has not introduced a global "disable" setting. The company's position is that AI Overviews provide value and they're continuously improving accuracy. What Google has done is create a "Web" search mode — accessible via the "Web" tab on results pages or the udm=14 URL parameter — that shows traditional results without AI features. This is the official Google-provided path to AI-free results, even if they haven't publicized it.
Method 1 — The URL Parameter (Instant, Any Browser)
This is the cleanest single-search solution and it requires nothing to install. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and any other browser you use.
How to Use udm=14 Right Now Fastest Method
Open your browser and go to Google. Search for anything. When you see the results page with the AI Overview at the top, look at your browser's address bar. The URL will look something like this:
Add &udm=14 to the end of the URL and press Enter:
The page will reload instantly — and the AI Overview will be gone. You'll see a clean list of traditional blue-link results, exactly as Google looked before AI Overviews launched. This works on every search where you add the parameter.
Bookmark this URL structure with a placeholder you can edit: save https://www.google.com/search?q=SEARCH&udm=14 as a bookmark. When you want to search without AI, open the bookmark and replace "SEARCH" with your query. Not elegant — but it works for occasional use until you set up Method 2.
Method 2 — The Chrome Permanent Fix (3 Minutes, Works Forever)
This is the method you actually want. Once configured, every single Google search you run from Chrome's address bar will automatically use the Web mode — no AI Overviews, no action required on your part.
Modify Chrome's Google Search URL Permanent Solution
- Open Chrome and go to chrome://settings (paste this into your address bar and press Enter).
- In the left sidebar, click Search engine. Then click Manage search engines and site search.
- Under "Search engines," find Google in the list. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) to its right and select Edit.
- In the dialog that appears, look for the URL with %s in place of query field. The default value is:
{google:baseURL}search?q=%s&{google:RLZ}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:iOSSearchLanguage}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}ie={inputEncoding}
Find the part that reads?q=%sand change it to?q=%s&udm=14 - Click Save.
That's it. From this point forward, every search you type in Chrome's address bar will automatically append &udm=14 and return traditional results without AI Overviews. You can still access AI Overviews by clicking "All" in the search tabs — this only changes your default view.
💡 Simpler Version — Use a Custom Search Engine
If the full URL looks intimidating, there's an easier approach. In the same "Manage search engines" section, click Add next to "Site search." In the fields, enter:
Name: Google (No AI)
Shortcut: gw (or anything you prefer)
URL: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
Click Save. Now you can type gw your search in the Chrome address bar to immediately run a search without AI Overviews — while keeping your default Google behavior unchanged for situations where you want AI features.
Method 3 — Browser Extensions (Works on Firefox, Safari, and Edge Too)
Extensions That Block AI Overviews All Browsers
If you use Firefox, Safari, or Edge as your primary browser, Methods 1 and 2 still apply — but you can also use browser extensions to handle the blocking automatically without modifying search URLs.
Recommended extensions (all free):
- "Hide Google AI Overviews" — Available on the Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons. One-click install, no configuration needed. Hides the AI Overview section on all Google results pages automatically.
- "Bye Bye Google AI" — Chrome extension that removes AI Overviews and other AI-generated result features. Also available for Edge via the Chrome Web Store.
- uBlock Origin (custom filter) — If you already use uBlock Origin, add this custom CSS filter in your dashboard under "My Filters":
google.com##div[jscontroller="uWFrS"] google.com##div[data-async-context*="ai_overview"]
These selectors block the AI Overview container element. Since Google occasionally updates its HTML structure, the filter may need to be updated if it stops working — check the uBlock Origin filter lists community for current selectors.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Method | Browser Support | Permanent? | Install Required? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| udm=14 URL parameter | All browsers | Per search only | Nothing | Occasional use, quick fix |
| Chrome search engine edit | Chrome, Edge | Yes — automatic | Nothing | Chrome power users who want zero friction |
| Custom search engine shortcut | Chrome, Edge, Firefox | When using shortcut | Nothing | Users who want choice per search |
| Browser extension | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari | Yes — automatic | Extension install | Firefox/Safari users; anyone wanting visual blocking |
| uBlock Origin custom filter | All (via uBlock) | Yes — until Google changes HTML | uBlock Origin already installed | Technical users who already use content blocking |
Things Most Guides on This Topic Get Wrong or Skip
💡 The "Web" Tab Already Exists — But It Doesn't Persist
Google added a "Web" tab to search results pages that shows traditional blue-link results without AI Overviews, images, or shopping carousels. You can click it on any results page right now. The problem: it doesn't stick. The next search you do returns you to the default "All" view with AI Overviews. That's why the URL parameter and Chrome tweak exist — they make the Web mode your persistent default rather than requiring you to click it every single time.
💡 AI Overviews Are Not Shown for Every Query
Google doesn't surface AI Overviews on every search. They appear most frequently on informational queries (how, what, why questions) and general knowledge searches. Navigational queries (searches for a specific website), highly time-sensitive news queries, and certain sensitive categories (medical, legal, financial) have already been partially restricted for AI Overviews. If you're only bothered by AI Overviews on specific search types, you may find the problem is less pervasive than it seems once you pay attention to which queries trigger them.
💡 Google Search Labs Opt-Out Is Gone in 2026
In 2024, users enrolled in Google Search Labs could opt out of AI Overviews during testing. That opt-out mechanism no longer exists as of 2026 — AI Overviews have graduated from experiment to permanent feature, and the Labs opt-out was removed when they exited the test phase. If you've seen old articles suggesting you can disable AI Overviews through Search Labs settings, that method no longer works. The URL parameter and Chrome methods in this article are the current working approaches.
💡 The &udm=14 Parameter Works on Mobile Chrome Too
Most guides assume you're on desktop. The URL parameter approach works on mobile Chrome as well. After any Google search on your phone, tap the address bar to select the URL, scroll to the end, and manually add &udm=14 before pressing Go. For mobile users who primarily search from the Google app rather than a browser: the Google app doesn't currently support URL parameter overrides in the same way. The extension method isn't available on mobile. The most reliable mobile-without-AI experience is running searches from Chrome mobile and using the "Web" tab, or configuring Chrome mobile's search engine URL (Settings → Search Engine → Google → Edit shortcut).
What to Use If You Want to Leave Google Entirely
Removing AI Overviews from Google keeps you on Google. If your frustration goes deeper than a specific feature — if you've lost trust in the results quality more broadly — there are alternative search engines worth knowing.
Kagi Search
Paid · No AI by defaultAd-free, subscription-based search engine that shows clean results with no AI-generated summaries by default. $5/month for 300 searches, $10/month unlimited. Consistently rated highly for result quality by technical users.
DuckDuckGo
Free · Minimal AIFree search engine with no AI Overviews in its default experience. Uses Bing's index with its own ranking. The most direct free replacement for Google-without-AI for general searches. DuckDuckGo AI Chat is opt-in and separate.
Google + udm=14 (Recommended)
Free · Best indexKeep Google's index — the best in the world for most searches — while removing the AI layer. You don't have to choose between search quality and AI-free results. The Chrome method automates this completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you turn off Google AI Overviews permanently?
Google does not provide a permanent global toggle to disable AI Overviews. The most effective permanent solution is modifying Chrome's default Google search URL to include &udm=14 — this forces every search to use Google's "Web" mode, which shows traditional blue-link results without AI Overviews. Browser extensions like "Hide Google AI Overviews" offer a permanent visual solution across all browsers. The &udm=14 URL parameter works per-search on any browser without any setup.
What does the udm=14 parameter do in Google Search?
The udm=14 URL parameter activates Google's "Web" search mode — a simplified results view showing only traditional hyperlink results without AI Overviews, image carousels, Google Shopping results, or heavy Knowledge Panels. It's the URL equivalent of clicking the "Web" tab on Google's results page. Adding &udm=14 to any Google search URL forces that simplified view for that specific search session.
How do I make every Chrome search skip AI Overviews?
In Chrome, go to Settings → Search engine → Manage search engines. Find Google, click the three-dot menu, and select Edit. In the URL field, find ?q=%s and change it to ?q=%s&udm=14. Click Save. Every search you perform from Chrome's address bar will now automatically use the Web mode without AI Overviews. This takes about 3 minutes and is permanent until you change it back.
What extensions remove Google AI Overviews?
As of 2026, browser extensions that reliably hide or block Google AI Overviews include "Hide Google AI Overviews" (Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons) and "Bye Bye Google AI" (Chrome/Edge). For users who already run uBlock Origin, adding custom CSS filter selectors targeting Google's AI Overview div elements is an effective no-extra-install option. The specific selectors occasionally need updating when Google changes its HTML structure.
Does this work on mobile Google searches?
The &udm=14 parameter works on Chrome for iOS and Android when you edit the URL in the address bar directly. It does not work in the Google app (Google Search or Google Discover). For mobile, the "Web" tab on Google results pages provides the same AI-free view without editing URLs — though you need to tap it on each search. Chrome mobile can be configured with a custom search engine URL (Settings → Search Engine) using the same &udm=14 method as desktop Chrome for a permanent mobile solution.
Get Your Blue Links Back — In Under 3 Minutes
The most important thing to take from this guide: you don't have to choose between Google's search index quality and AI-free results. The &udm=14 parameter and the Chrome settings edit give you the best of both — Google's comprehensive web index, without the AI-generated summary on top of it.
If you're on Chrome, the search engine URL edit takes three minutes and solves the problem permanently. If you're on another browser, the extension method gets you the same outcome. And if you just need a quick fix right now, adding &udm=14 to the URL of any search page gets you there in under five seconds.
The option has always existed. Google just didn't put a button on it.
