How to Delete Something from the Internet Permanently

The internet never forgets.

Once something is posted online, it can be challenging to remove it completely. This is especially true for personal information you may regret publicly sharing.

In this article, we’ll explore some methods for trying to delete your personal information from the internet, specifically from search engine results.

While not foolproof, there are steps you can take to make certain content less visible and accessible.

We’ll cover how to remove your name and personal details from Google search results, as well as requesting content removal from source websites.

Specifically, we’ll discuss:

• Using Google’s removal policies to submit takedown requests for search results that expose your personal information
• Contacting websites directly and requesting they remove pages or content related to you
• Taking advantage of your “right to be forgotten” within the European Union
  Best practices for trying to limit your online footprint and exposure moving forward

While deleting something from the internet is challenging, this article will provide actionable tips that may help. With persistence and the right approach, you may be able to regain some control over your name and reputation online.

Eight Ways to Remove Google Results

How do you get something removed from a Google search? There are eight ways that do not involve a defamation lawsuit.

There are eight ways to remove content from search results:

1. Results about you
2. Ask people to delete their content
3. Remove content at the publisher level
4. Ask people to change their content
5. Make a page invisible to Google
6. Google removal request
7. Suppress visibility
8. Removing negative reviews

1. Use Results About You

The first place to go to remove content from Google search for personal information is Google’s “Results About You” feature. It is a tool for managing personal information that appears in search results.

Results About You works like this: If you find your contact details, like your email, phone number, or home address, in a search result, select “Remove result” from the menu icon next to the result.

A detailed removal request form can be submitted for personal information that doesn’t include contact details or for illegal information like copyright infringement. Google will then review your request to make sure it complies with their policies. The process usually takes a few days.

Of course, removing a result from Google Search doesn’t completely delete it from the internet. Just because something has disappeared from Google results doesn’t mean it isn’t still accessible on the original website. 

Read on for cases where the content that needs to be removed isn’t personal information.

2. Ask the Author to Delete It

First, the bad news. In our 15+ years of experience, we’ve found that a Webmaster will often not remove online content because, well, they posted it themselves. Perhaps it’s just human pride.

However, sometimes they will remove it. Either way, it’s worth asking. It often comes down to understanding what motivates them.

Use incentives to have content removed

We’ve made some interesting offers to our clients to get them to remove online content. Here are some examples:

• We’ve anonymously donated to charities.
• We’ve provided direct payment to the author.
• We’ve paid the site owner to take something down.
• We’ve shown them the error of their ways. For example, someone accused but found not guilty can sometimes have proof of innocence, and reputable publishers may take it down.

People are motivated by many things. You might be surprised by what works.

Customize your approach to asking for content removal

Every author who may have published something negative online is different. Conducting some research can go a long way in finding out what motivates someone and what is most likely to convince them to consider your request.

Note: It’s usually easier to work with individuals rather than companies – companies have lawyers, and lawyers are often conservative in their removal request views.

Now that you’ve thought about it – if you feel contacting the author to get online content deleted is the right approach, here are a few ways to persuade people to take down a blog post, article, video, or other online content.

Motivating someone to act

1. Appeal to their altruistic side: “You had every right to post that review. I hope I’ve made it right. At this point, the post is really damaging my business – would you mind removing or updating it?”
2. Try the charity angle: “I see you support the local little league. I know removing the post you wrote might take some of your valuable time. I’d be happy to donate to the _____________ little league in your name or anonymously as a thank you for taking it down.”
3. Take the capitalist route: “I’d like to sponsor the page you wrote about our business. We’ll request a few modifications, and you’ll be well compensated for your time.” Note: Modifications may mean removing the business’s name, adding a special meta tag to make Google ignore the page (noindex), or removing the page altogether.

Note: Asking someone to remove content can have downsides

Reputation X works with attorneys who have made the sometimes huge error of sending a legal demand letter to a webmaster only to have the information added to the original page. Then, people comment on the newly refreshed content. Google often responds by making negative content rise in search results.

Email is convenient, but voices communicate better

A phone call is usually a better method of communicating with someone for the following reasons:

1. It’s better the request comes from a human rather than an email. The human voice can communicate emotion far more nuancedly than written methods. If you have a true story of how the post is affecting you, a phone call is the way to go – if you can.
2. Here’s another reason to use a phone call if you can: A voice conversation can’t be copied and pasted onto the internet directly. If a person wants to do you harm, the last thing you want to do is give them an easy way to copy and paste your plea onto the internet.

Free email templates to request removal

Here is a link to various templates to ask an author, editor, or Webmaster to eliminate content. They range from empathetic to strongly worded. Edit them as you see fit. You can find the content removal email templates here. 

Why search results rise in search results when refreshed 

Search engines like fresh content because it is seen as more relevant and timely. This is true for all online content, but the impact of freshness depends on the type of content it is. The news content must be very fresh – it’s news, after all – and, by its nature, has a limited shelf life. Blog content is less so, but it’s still important. If you want to learn more about the algorithm,

Further Reading

• 2026 Guide: The Fastest Ways to Remove Google Search Results: Ranked Repair · 9 min read
• Sources Google Knowledge Panel Relies on Today Repair · 9 min read
• The Ultimate Guide to Corporate and Executive Reputation Improve · 7 min read