How Google Delisting Works for Leaked Content
What Google delisting is, how copyright removal requests to Google work, how it differs from removing content at the source, and what to expect.
By the ClearTrace team · Updated
Google indexes pages; it doesn't host them. That distinction shapes how leaks get removed from search.
Delisting vs. removal
Delisting (sometimes called de-indexing) means Google stops showing a specific URL in its search results. The page still exists, and anyone with the direct link can still open it. Removal at the source means the website or its host deletes the file. For leaked content you usually want both: source removal for permanence, and delisting to cut off discovery quickly.
How copyright delisting requests work
- Go to Google's legal help center and choose the option to report content for copyright infringement. Google provides a dedicated copyright removal request form.
- Identify your original work, typically by linking to where you published it.
- List each infringing URL exactly as it appears in Google, one per line. Web search and Google Images can be separate request types.
- Provide your contact details and confirm the required good-faith and accuracy statements, which follow the same principles as a DMCA notice.
- Submit and keep the confirmation. Google reviews the request and you can usually track its status in its legal dashboard.
Transparency to be aware of
Google publishes data about copyright removal requests in its Transparency Report and may send copies of notices to the Lumen database, with some personal information redacted. Read Google's current notice before you submit.
What to expect
- Accepted URLs disappear from results. Search may show a notice that some results were removed.
- New copies at new URLs need new requests, so monitoring matters.
- Delisting does not delete content from the host.
Where ClearTrace fits
ClearTrace focuses on source removal. We file DMCA notices with the sites hosting your content and track each link to removal. We don't currently submit delisting requests to Google. Read more on removing leaks from Google.
This guide is general information about U.S. copyright procedures, not legal advice for your situation.