If you’ve been searching for ways to clean up your online reputation, you’ve probably heard the term “deindexing.” It’s one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—tools in online content removal. At National Security Law Firm (NSLF), our content removal lawyers help clients nationwide permanently erase damaging material from search engines and websites through deindexing and other advanced removal strategies.
What Is Deindexing?
Deindexing means removing a web page from appearing in search engine results. The content itself may technically still exist on the website, but it becomes virtually invisible to anyone using Google, Bing, or other major search engines.
In practice, this is as close to “gone” as it gets. Unless someone has the exact URL or knows how to dig through a site’s internal search function, they’ll never find it.
How Deindexing Works
There are two main ways deindexing happens:
1. Deindexing through the Website Itself
The most common and effective method occurs when the website’s administrator adds a small line of code—called a “noindex tag”—to the page’s source code. This tag instructs search engine bots not to include that page in search results.
Once added, the link disappears from Google and other search engines over time (typically within days to weeks, depending on crawl frequency). This is the standard process most reputable news outlets or government sites follow when they agree to deindex.
2. Deindexing through Google or Other Search Engines
In rarer cases, websites or individuals can submit deindexing requests directly to Google or another search engine. For example, Google allows requests under certain privacy or legal circumstances, such as the EU’s “Right to Be Forgotten” under GDPR. However, in the U.S., deindexing through Google itself is far less common because no federal “right to erasure” law exists.
That’s why, in most U.S. cases, true deindexing success comes from working directly with the website, not Google.
Which Search Engines Does Deindexing Affect?
A properly coded “noindex” tag applies across all major search engines, including:
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Google
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Bing
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Yahoo
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DuckDuckGo
Since Google controls over 90% of search traffic, it’s the gold standard for measuring deindexing success. Once your page vanishes from Google, it’s effectively erased from the public’s view.
Can Someone Still Access a Deindexed Record?
Technically, yes—but only if they already know the exact web address.
When a page is deindexed, it stops appearing in search results, but it’s still hosted on the original website. To access it, someone would have to:
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Know the exact URL of the page; or
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Use the site’s internal search engine (if available) and know precisely what to look for.
That means no one casually Googling your name or case will ever find it. In other words, it’s functionally invisible to the world.
Why Deindexing Is as Good as Removal
At NSLF, we treat deindexing as a complete win for our clients—and for good reason. When a harmful article or court record no longer appears in Google searches, the damage to your reputation stops immediately. Employers, licensing boards, and neighbors can’t find it.
Even better, many major news organizations and government websites have internal policies allowing deindexing but not full deletion. By understanding those policies and knowing how to present compelling legal and ethical arguments, our attorneys can often secure a deindexing agreement where others fail.
Why NSLF Is the Leader in Deindexing and Content Removal
The National Security Law Firm has successfully deindexed and removed hundreds—often thousands—of damaging online articles for clients nationwide. Led by Matt Pollack, one of the nation’s top online content removal lawyers, our firm combines deep media law expertise with insider knowledge of how search engines and publishers actually work.
Our team knows when to push for removal and when to strategically negotiate for deindexing—a solution that’s fast, permanent, and safe.
Unlike reputation management companies, NSLF is a law firm—and the only one in America that handles online content removal cases on a true contingency basis. You pay nothing unless we succeed.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re ready to make harmful links disappear from Google and reclaim your name online, our team is here to help.
👉 Explore our Internet Content Removal Resource Hub for FAQs, timelines, pricing, and strategies.
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