How to Get Rid of AI Overviews in Google Search (the Web Filter and udm=14)

Google doesn’t offer a setting to turn off AI Overviews. The reliable workaround is the Web filter, which shows only links, and you can make it your default by adding a custom search engine that uses https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14. That takes about two minutes in Chrome, Edge or Firefox; Safari needs a different approach.

Below are the steps for each browser, what you lose with the Web view, and some alternatives.

Why there’s no off switch

AI Overviews started as an experiment in Google’s Search Labs, but they’re now a standard part of Google Search, and Google treats them as a core feature rather than an optional add-on. Leaving Search Labs or changing your Google Account settings won’t remove them. Google’s separate AI Mode is a tab you choose to open, so it only appears if you click it.

Option 1: Use the Web filter

After you search, look at the row of filters under the search box (All, Images, News, Videos and so on). Click Web; if you don’t see it, open More or More filters first. You’ll get a list of plain text links with no AI Overview.

The catch: Google doesn’t remember this choice, so you have to click it on every search. The next option makes it automatic.

Option 2: Make the Web view your default with udm=14

When you click the Web filter, Google adds udm=14 to the address. If you create a search engine in your browser that always includes that parameter, every search from the address bar goes straight to the Web view.

Chrome (Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, Linux)

1. Open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search (or type chrome://settings/searchEngines in the address bar).
2. Next to Site search, click Add.
3. Name: Google Web. Shortcut: gw (or anything you like). URL: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
4. Click Add. Then find the new entry, click its three dots and choose Make default.

Microsoft Edge

1. Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected experiences > Address bar and search > Manage search engines (menu names vary by version; typing edge://settings/searchEngines gets you there).
2. Click Add and enter the same name, shortcut and URL as above.
3. Use the three dots next to it to Make default.

Firefox

Firefox 140 and later can add a custom search engine from Settings, according to Mozilla’s support page.

1. Open Settings > Search.
2. In Search Shortcuts, click Add.
3. Enter a name, the URL https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14, and an optional keyword.
4. Back at the top of the Search page, pick it as your Default Search Engine.

On older Firefox versions, update first (Help > About Firefox), or use a reputable search-engine extension.

Safari (Mac, iPhone, iPad)

Safari only lets you choose from a fixed list of search engines, so you can’t add the udm=14 address as a default. Practical options:

• Bookmark https://www.google.com/search?udm=14&q= as a starting page, then type your search into Google’s box.
• Tap Web on the results page when an AI Overview appears.
• Switch the default engine in Settings > Apps > Safari > Search Engine (on older iOS: Settings > Safari) or in Safari’s settings on a Mac.
• Install a Safari extension from the App Store that redirects Google searches to the Web view. Check the developer and the permissions it asks for before installing.

Chrome on Android and iPhone

Mobile Chrome doesn’t let you type in a custom search engine URL the way desktop Chrome does. The simplest approach on a phone is to tap the Web filter when you need it, or bookmark the udm=14 starting page and add it to your home screen.

What you lose with the Web view

If you want a quick weather check or a sports score, switch to All for that one search.

Alternatives to Google

• DuckDuckGo shows optional AI-assisted answers but lets you turn them off in its search settings.
• Bing includes Copilot answers that can’t be fully switched off, so it isn’t an AI-free option.
• Other privacy-focused engines vary in how they handle AI answers; check their settings page before switching.

Some people also add -ai or other operators to a query to suppress AI Overviews. These tricks are unofficial and can change your results in unexpected ways, so the udm=14 method is the more predictable choice.

Bottom line

You can’t switch off AI Overviews in Google, but you can avoid them. Click Web for a one-off, or set up a udm=14 search engine in Chrome, Edge or Firefox to make plain results your default. If you’re tidying up your browser anyway, see how to clear your cache and cookies. To limit AI in the rest of your Google life, see our guide to turning off Gemini on Android.

FAQ

Does udm=14 stop Google collecting my search data?

No. It only changes which results view you see. Your searches are handled the same way as any other Google search.

Will Google remove udm=14?

It could change how the Web filter works at any time. The parameter has kept working since the Web filter launched, but it isn’t a documented setting, so check now and then.

Can I turn off AI Overviews in my Google Account?

No. There’s no account setting for them. Signing out doesn’t remove them either.

Are AI Overviews accurate?

They can be useful but can also be wrong or miss context. For health, money or legal questions, check the original sources linked under the overview.