What you need to know
- Google Search now lets users hide sponsored results with a new “Hide sponsored results” button.
- Sponsored links will appear in a single section with one unified “Sponsored” label at the top.
- The change is rolling out globally on desktop and mobile.
Google is finally rolling out an update to Search that lets users (sort of) hide sponsored results.
Whenever you search for something on Google, you’re greeted with a flood of content before you even reach the website you’re looking for — from sponsored results and product boxes to Reddit threads and short-form videos.
While the overall experience isn’t changing dramatically, the new update gives users the ability to hide sponsored results that usually appear at the top of the page with a single click.
According to Google’s blog post, as spotted by The Verge, sponsored results will now appear together in a single section with a unified “Sponsored” label at the top. Previously, each paid result had its own individual label. The best part is that Google is adding a “Hide sponsored results” button below the section, letting you collapse those results and remove them from view instantly.
It’s a small but meaningful change for anyone who prefers a cleaner search experience focused only on organic results. The option doesn’t persist across searches — meaning the sponsored block will reappear each time you search for something new — but it’s still a step toward decluttering Google Search.
The company also notes that tapping the button will also allow users to conveniently jump back to the top of the page after hiding the section. Google says that the update is currently rolling out globally to desktop and mobile users.
Google, of course, isn’t giving up on ads anytime soon since they remain a core part of its business model. But providing this option still makes Search feel cleaner and more user-friendly.
In a time when the Search experience has become increasingly cluttered, this feels like a move in the right direction, especially for those, like me, who prefer the classic, organic search view over the newer AI Mode and AI Overviews.
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