How to Google without the AI overviews

How to Google without the AI overviews

Google searches start with a big AI-generated summary at the top of the page. Sometimes they can be useful, but if you prefer to see classic search results with real articles, research or direct links to websites, the AI summaries can get in the way. You can tweak your searches to skip the AI overviews. While there is not an official way to turn off the AI Overview permanently, these tips will help you limit them.

Add an exclusion

Use a minus sign to exclude certain terms from your results. For example:

    educational technology -ai

Switch back to web results

When Google started adding AI Overviews, it also added a Web filter for search results. You'll find it under the search bar. If it isn't visible, click the More button and select it from the menu that appears. 

We can't set the Web filter to be the default view for all searches so it's something you have to manually select each time you search. It also filters out YouTube previews and search snippets so all you get are direct web link results.

Search trusted sites directly

If you know sources where good information usually lives, search directly within that site using the site: command. 

    site:edu "online course design"

This tells Google to show only results from .edu websites - no AI summaries included.

Article by Karen Matthes, Extension Learning Technologies, klm@umn.edu