Google’s “Results About You” Tool: How It Works and When to Use It

Learn what the tool can remove, how to set it up effectively, and how it fits into a broader plan for cleaning up search results.

Personal contact details can show up in search results for all kinds of reasons. A business directory publishes an old address. A data broker lists your phone number. A PDF contains more than it should. Once it’s indexed, that information can be easy for strangers to find and hard for you to control.

Google’s “Results About You” is designed for this exact problem. It helps you spot search results that include certain personal info and, in many cases, request removal from Google Search.

This guide explains what the tool does, what it does not do, and how to use it as part of a practical, repeatable cleanup plan.

What is Google’s “Results About You” tool?

“Results About You” is a privacy feature in Google Search that helps you:

• Monitor for search results that match your personal contact info
• Review those results in a dashboard
• Submit removal requests for eligible results

It is not a service that deletes information from the website itself. Instead, it focuses on removing eligible results from Google Search so they are harder to find through Google. 

Core components include:

• Monitoring and alerts (email and app notifications)
• A review queue (“To review”)
• A removal request workflow and request status tracking

What can it remove (and what won’t qualify)?

Google’s documentation is clear that the tool centers on personal contact and sensitive identifiers. Common eligible categories include:

• Home address, phone number, and email address
• Government ID numbers and financial account numbers
• Images of signatures or ID documents
• Certain private records (like medical records)
• Logins and passwords 

What often does not qualify:

• Content that is “valuable to the public,” especially on government, education, news, or business sites (in those cases, you may not see a “Remove result” option in the tool) 
• Negative but lawful content (bad press, complaints, reviews) that does not include eligible personal info
• Content you simply dislike if it does not match a supported policy category

Key Takeaway: Think of “Results About You” as a personal info and privacy tool, not a general reputation cleanup button.

What does the tool actually do?

Here’s the simplest way to understand it:

1. You tell Google what personal info you want it to look for (name and the contact details you care about).
2. Google scans for results that appear to match.
3. You get alerts when matches are found.
4. You review each match and request removal when the result meets policy requirements. 

When removals are approved, Google removes the result from Search based on its policies. The content can still exist on the source site, and it can reappear in the future if the underlying page remains accessible and is reindexed. 

Did You Know? Google redesigned and refreshed parts of “Results About You” in early 2025 to make setup and monitoring easier, including more direct pathways to request removals.

How to set it up the right way

Setup is straightforward, but accuracy matters. The more precise you are, the fewer false alarms you will get.

Basic setup steps:

1. Open “Results About You” (in the Google app or via the web dashboard).
2. Select Get started or Settings.
3. Enter your name and the personal info you want monitored.
4. Turn on notifications (email and/or app). 

A helpful walkthrough and reference is Google’s results about you tool, especially if you want a checklist you can share internally or follow the same way every time.

Practical setup tips that reduce noise:

• Use the name variation people actually search (for example, include a common nickname if it appears online).
• Add more than one contact detail if you have old listings (for example, an old phone number that still shows up in data broker pages).
• Keep notifications on for at least a few weeks so you can see patterns and recurring sources.

Tip: If you recently moved, include your old address during the first scan. Old addresses are a common trigger for unwanted exposure in directories.

How removal requests work inside the tool

Once Google finds matches, you will see them in the dashboard, often under a “To review” section. From there, you can either mark the item as reviewed or request removal.

To improve approval odds:

• Confirm the result clearly displays the personal info (not just a name match)
• Submit the request from the exact result card so Google has the right URL context
• Track the request status in the tool so you can follow up if needed 

Remember the key limitation: a successful removal affects Google Search visibility, not the original website. If the page stays live, it may be found again later via other search engines, direct links, or reindexing.

When you should use “Results About You”

This tool is most useful in a few common scenarios.

You found your address, phone number, or email in search

This is the classic use case. It is especially common for founders, executives, and customer-facing business owners who are easy to look up.

You are dealing with directory and data broker exposure

Many people first discover their info through a directory snippet in Google. The tool helps you spot those results faster, then you can decide whether to request removal in Search, pursue site-level removal, or both.

You want ongoing monitoring, not one-time cleanup

If you want alerts when something new appears, “Results About You” is built for that. It is closer to a monitoring system than a one-and-done form.

You need a documented workflow

If you manage privacy requests across a small team (for example, a founder plus an ops manager), the dashboard and request tracking can make the process more repeatable.

When it is not the right tool

There are times you should skip “Results About You” and use another path.

• If the issue is defamation, harassment, impersonation, or illegal content, a different Google removal category may apply.
• If you need the content corrected at the source (for example, a wrong address on a professional bio page), you will likely need the site owner to update it.
• If the problem is negative press or reviews that do not include personal contact info, you are in reputation management territory (removal is often limited, and suppression may be more realistic).

Key Takeaway: Use this tool for privacy-based exposure. Use other strategies for broader reputation issues.

Benefits of using “Results About You”

Used correctly, it can deliver real wins:

• Faster discovery of exposed personal info through proactive monitoring
• A centralized place to review and manage requests
• Clearer next steps compared to hunting through multiple forms
• Less manual searching for your name and address combinations

Key Takeaway: The biggest benefit is speed and visibility. You find issues sooner, so you can act before they spread.

How much does it cost?

Google’s “Results About You” is free as part of Google Search.

Your real “cost” is time:

• Initial setup: usually minutes
• Reviews and requests: depends on how many results appear
• Ongoing monitoring: occasional check-ins, plus responding to alerts

Cost drivers that increase effort:

• You have multiple addresses, phone numbers, or name variations
• Your info appears across many directory sites
• The source pages keep republishing or duplicating your info

How to choose the right cleanup plan around it

Use “Results About You” as one piece of a broader approach.

1. Triage what’s showing up
   Start by listing the URLs, what data is exposed, and which sites repeat the exposure. You want patterns, not just one-off links.
2. Request Search removals where eligible
   Use the tool for results that clearly match the supported personal info categories. Track what gets approved and what gets rejected.
3. Fix the source when possible
   If a directory or profile site lets you edit or remove your listing, do it. This reduces the chance the result returns later.
4. Monitor and repeat
   Keep notifications on. New listings can appear when data brokers refresh their databases.

Tip: Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for URL, data type exposed, action taken, date submitted, and outcome. It makes follow-up much easier.

How to find a trustworthy removal partner (and red flags to avoid)

Some people handle this fully DIY. Others hire help, especially if they are juggling business demands or facing widespread data broker exposure.

What good providers do:

• Explain what can and cannot be removed
• Separate “remove from Google” from “remove from the website”
• Provide a clear plan, timeline expectations, and documentation support

Red flags:

• “Guaranteed” promises for content that is clearly outside policy
• Vague methods or refusal to explain what they will do
• Pressure to sign long contracts without transparency
• Claims they can delete content from any site instantly

The best services to support privacy and search cleanup

If you need help beyond Google’s built-in tool, these options are commonly used for different parts of the problem:

1. Erase.com
   Best for people who want guided removal strategy across search visibility, takedown pathways (when applicable), and practical next steps.
2. DeleteMe
   Best for ongoing data broker opt-outs and reducing how often your info gets republished.
3. Optery
   Best for visibility into where your data appears, with reporting that helps you prioritize the biggest exposure sources.
4. Push It Down
   Best for situations where content is not removable, but you need to improve what ranks on page one through suppression and asset-building.

Results About You FAQs

How long does it take for results to be removed?

It varies. Some requests are reviewed quickly, while others may take longer depending on the content type and policy review. You can track status inside the tool under removal requests. 

Will removing a result delete the information from the website?

No. Removal affects Google Search results, not the original page. If the source page stays live, it may still be accessible directly and could reappear later if reindexed. 

Can businesses use this tool for brand reputation issues?

Not really. It is designed for personal info exposure. For brand reputation issues like bad reviews or negative press, you usually need different options (platform policy reports, legal requests where appropriate, or suppression strategies).

Do I still need to contact the website owner?

Often, yes. If you want the most durable fix, updating or removing the information at the source is the best path. Google’s removal helps reduce exposure, but source cleanup helps prevent repeat problems.

Conclusion

Google’s “Results About You” tool is one of the most practical privacy features in Search because it helps you find exposure and act on it without guesswork. It works best when you treat it like an ongoing process: set it up carefully, review alerts consistently, and fix the source pages when you can.

If your personal info shows up across multiple directories, or if reappearance is a recurring problem, build a simple workflow and consider help for the parts that are hardest to manage alone. The goal is not perfection. The goal is meaningful control over what people can quickly find when they search your name.