How to Remove a Website from Google Without Verifying Ownership

If your deleted website still shows up on Google and you’ve lost access or never verified ownership in Search Console, there’s now a solution.

In a Reddit thread that caught attention, John Mueller confirmed that users can request the removal of web content from search results without needing to verify ownership. 

The method, although lesser known, is official. It utilizes Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool, a public-facing form that allows anyone to request the de-indexing of content that has been taken offline or significantly changed.

The process is slower than using Search Console, and it comes with a few conditions. But for users locked out of their old websites or those who never had technical access to begin with, it may be the only viable route.

A Non-Technical Problem Meets a Non-Technical Solution

The Reddit post that sparked Mueller’s reply was from a user who had once created a website using Canva, a design platform not built for long-term site hosting or SEO control. They had removed the website from Canva’s end, but were alarmed to see it still listed in Google’s search results. 

The user admitted they lacked technical expertise and had been combing through resources for a solution.

Their question was: How can I remove my old website from Google when I can’t verify ownership through Search Console?

Mueller explained that Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool is specifically designed for this type of scenario, when someone no longer controls a site, but the content still appears in search results.

What the Tool Does—and Doesn’t Do

The Remove Outdated Content tool is part of Google’s public toolkit for managing search results related to third-party content. 

While Search Console remains the primary way to manage a website’s visibility, it requires domain ownership verification, which many casual users or one-time creators no longer have.

Google’s tool fills that gap.

Here’s how it works:

• You submit the URL of the outdated page or image.
• Google checks whether the content has changed significantly or has been taken offline.
• If it qualifies, the page is removed from Google’s index and no longer appears in search results.

The tool is explicitly intended for situations where users don’t own the content. According to Google’s documentation, it should be used if the content or image no longer exists, and the user does not control or own the content.

It’s not intended for content that already exists or that users simply want to hide for personal reasons. For content still hosted and unchanged, Google won’t approve the removal.

Redirects Still Recommended for Active Site Migrations

Mueller also addressed a secondary scenario. In cases where a user had moved on to a new website, he advised that it’s better to redirect the old URLs to new ones. 

This approach, if supported by the hosting provider, ensures that existing search signals (such as SEO equity and backlinks) are preserved and passed along to the new site.

Redirects are cleaner and help maintain Google’s understanding of a site’s structure, especially during rebranding or platform transitions.

However, not all platforms support this. Canva, for instance, doesn’t currently offer redirection features, limiting the user’s options to removal alone.

If redirecting isn’t possible, removing the page entirely from the host and then using Google’s removal tool becomes the fallback.

How to Remove Your Website Without Verification: Step-by-Step

The process is relatively simple. Here’s how to remove a non-owned or outdated site from Google without using Search Console:

Step 1: Take Down the Content

Ensure that the website or page is no longer accessible. You can test this by visiting the URL directly. If it still loads, the content hasn’t been removed.

Step 2: Go to Google’s Remove Outdated Content Tool

URL: search.google.com/search-console/remove-outdated-content

Step 3: Submit the URL

Enter the exact URL that appears in Google Search and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 4: Wait for Review

Google will check whether the page is indeed gone or changed. This process can take a few days.

Step 5: Confirm the Removal

Once approved, the page will be delisted from Google’s search index.

Implications for Online Privacy and Digital Control

Google’s tool offers an option for individuals who are not webmasters or digital professionals. In an age where many people create online portfolios, event pages, or simple landing sites using tools like Canva, Squarespace, or Wix, the ability to manage what lingers in search is more relevant than ever.

While Google makes it easy to be found, it hasn’t always made it easy to be forgotten. This tool is one of the few mechanisms available to everyday users who need to clean up their online presence.

Mueller’s Reddit reply also served to surface awareness of a tool many had overlooked or never known existed. It is not new, but its usage was limited by obscurity and a lack of public-facing documentation. Now, with clear endorsement from Google’s own search team, it’s seeing new relevance.

What You Can’t Do with the Tool

It’s important to understand the limitations:

• You can’t use it for content that still exists online and is unchanged.
• You can’t use it to remove content from other search engines or sites directly.
• You cannot submit removal requests for multiple pages in bulk; each must be handled individually.
• It doesn’t guarantee immediate disappearance. Google will need to process and validate each request.

For faster and more comprehensive control, having access to Google Search Console remains ideal. But for one-off or abandoned sites, this tool offers the next best thing.

Key Takeaways

• You don’t need a Search Console account to request removal of outdated content.
• Content must be significantly changed or deleted from the internet for the removal to be accepted.
• Redirects are the preferred method for site migrations but require hosting support.
• This method is ideal for Canva and other platform users who can’t verify domain ownership.
• Google’s removal tool offers a slower but effective solution to control search visibility without technical access.