Turn off AI in Google Search with one simple modifier
▼ Summary
– Adding “-ai” to the end of a Google Search query removes AI Overviews from the results.
– There is no official setting to permanently turn off AI Overviews, as they are a built-in feature like Featured Snippets.
– The “Web” filter and other workarounds exist to return to the traditional “10 blue links” search format.
– Google Search modifiers, such as quotation marks for exact phrasing, have long been available and are detailed on a support page.
– The “-ai” modifier is a temporary, per-query fix rather than a permanent solution.
A simple query tweak can strip AI Overviews from your Google Search results, offering a quick workaround for users who prefer the classic experience.
Officially, Google has not provided a dedicated toggle to disable AI Overviews. The company has consistently positioned them as a core part of Search, comparable to Featured Snippets or Knowledge Panels. While a “Web” filter exists to revert to the traditional “10 blue links” layout, other methods remain less obvious.
One lesser-known trick involves a straightforward search modifier. Simply append “-ai” to the end of your query. The resulting search will automatically exclude AI Overviews. It is that easy.
Google Search modifiers – also called “operators” – have been around for years. A familiar example is using quotation marks around a phrase to force an exact match. However, many other useful tweaks exist, including this “-ai” one. Google maintains a support page detailing a wide range of these operators.
This modifier is not a permanent setting, but it provides a practical way to avoid AI Overviews when you need a cleaner, more traditional search experience.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
