You’ve just had an article about you deleted from a website. But it still shows up on Google. Why is that?
Deleting a page from a site doesn’t remove it from search instantly. Google needs time to re-crawl the page, recognize it’s gone, and update its index. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Here’s how the process works, how long it usually takes, and what you can do to speed it up.
For a complete breakdown of all your options, check out our full guide on How to Remove Google Search Results.
Why Deleted Pages Still Show Up on Google
Cached pages stick around
When a page is removed from a website, Google doesn’t notice right away. Search engines rely on crawlers—automated bots that scan websites and update search results. These bots don’t visit every page every day.
Even after a page is deleted, Google might still show:
- The page title and description
- A cached version (a snapshot saved by Google)
- The URL with an outdated preview
This is why you might still see an article that technically no longer exists.
How Long It Usually Takes
Expect 7 to 30 days
If nothing is done, Google will eventually notice that the page is gone. It will then remove the listing or update it with a “404 Not Found” notice. But this isn’t instant.
In most cases, it takes:
- 7 to 14 days for low-traffic sites
- 14 to 30 days for higher-traffic or indexed sites
- Longer if the page had strong SEO or backlinks
The delay depends on how often Google crawls the site and how important that page was in its system.
According to Google’s own documentation, content updates can take up to several weeks to be fully removed from search results, especially if no manual request is made.
How to Speed Things Up
Use Google’s removal tool
If you’ve confirmed the article is deleted, you can request faster removal using Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool.
Steps:
- Go to Google’s Remove Outdated Content Tool
- Paste the URL of the deleted article
- Submit the request
- Check back for status updates in a few days
If the page is gone, Google will usually process the request within 24 to 72 hours.
Example: A business owner had an article taken down from a blog that incorrectly claimed his store had closed. The blog removed the page, but Google still showed it. He used the removal tool, and the listing disappeared in five days.
What If the Article Is Still Online?
Google won’t remove pages that still exist unless they break certain rules. If the article is still live but updated, the removal request won’t work. In that case, you need to either:
- Contact the site owner to fully delete the page
- Ask them to block the page using a noindex tag
- Submit a legal request if it violates your rights
Google has strict rules about what it will and won’t remove. Just because something is negative doesn’t mean it qualifies for removal.
That’s why some people choose to suppress the content instead. They build newer, better content that ranks higher and pushes the bad link down.
If you’re trying to remove news articles from Google, this process applies too. News sites may remove outdated or inaccurate stories, but you’ll still need to follow up with Google to clear the cache and search preview.
For a complete breakdown of all your options, check out our full guide on How to Remove Negative news Articles.
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Removing a page from a website is a good start—but it’s not the finish line. Google doesn’t see it disappear right away. Without action, the listing could hang around for weeks.
If you want to move faster, use Google’s tools. Monitor your search results. Be proactive. And if you’re dealing with news articles or press stories, make sure to request removal from both the site and search results.
The internet has a long memory. But with the right steps, you don’t have to let old pages shape your story today.
