Configure Google Search to Display Only Websites, Filtering AI and Video Results

Have you ever felt that when searching for important information on Google, you now encounter mostly AI summaries, videos, or product recommendation boxes? It takes considerable time to scroll down and find actual website links. This article from SyncTech Solution will introduce a technique to configure your computer's browser to make Google display only website results by default, helping you work faster and more precisely.

### Understand Before You Fix: What is the Secret Code “&udm=14”?

Behind this technique is the addition of a special parameter called `&udm=14` to the end of Google's search URL. This parameter acts as a command telling Google, “I only want results from the ‘Web’ tab.” This is effectively the same as manually clicking the “Web” tab every time you perform a regular search.

While Google has never officially announced the details of this parameter, and it may change in the future, current observations show that using `&udm=14` largely filters out results that are not direct website links, such as:
- AI Overviews: AI-generated summary boxes that usually appear at the top.
- Knowledge Panels: Summary information cards displayed on the side.
- Carousels and Modules: Scrollable result sections for videos, images, news, or products.

The results you will get back are the classic blue website links that many are familiar with, making information retrieval for work more efficient and less distracting.

### Before You Begin: Preparation for Safety

Although this setting is safe and easily reversible, a little preparation will give you more confidence.

- WHAT: Note or record your current Search Engine settings.
- WHERE/HOW: Go to your browser’s Search Engine settings page (instructions in the next section) and see which Search Engine is set as the Default. This is usually the standard Google version.
- WHY: To allow you to quickly revert to your original settings if you are not satisfied with the new results, or if this technique stops working in the future.

### Safe Procedure: Configuring Google Search for Web-Only Results

The following steps will guide you through adding a custom Search Engine in popular browsers like Chrome and Edge. Other browsers such as Brave or Vivaldi have very similar steps (menu names may vary slightly).

Important Limitation: This method will only affect searches you type into the browser’s **Address Bar**. If you go to google.com and type into the search box on the website directly, you will still get the original results.

1. Open Browser Settings Window
WHAT: Access the main settings menu.
WHERE/HOW: Click the three-dot icon (⋮) in the upper-right corner of the browser, then select “Settings.”
WHY: To access the section for managing various browser functions.
EXPECTED RESULT: A new window or tab displaying the settings page will open.

2. Locate the Search Engine Management Section
WHAT: Navigate to the page for managing search engines.
WHERE/HOW: In the left-hand menu, look for the heading “Search engine” (for Chrome) or “Privacy, search, and services” then scroll down to find “Address bar and search” (for Edge). Click into that menu.
WHY: This section is the hub for adding, removing, or changing the browser’s default Search Engine.
EXPECTED RESULT: You will see a list of installed Search Engines and options for managing them.

3. Add a New Search Engine
WHAT: Create our own “Web Only” search option.
WHERE/HOW: Look for the “Add” button within “Manage search engines and site search” and fill in the fields that appear as follows:
Search engine: `Google (Web Only)` (or another name you can easily remember)
Shortcut: `googleweb` (optional, but convenient to have)
URL with %s in place of query: Copy and paste this URL: `https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14`
WHY: `%s` is a variable that the browser will replace with your search query. `&udm=14` is the special parameter we want to add every time.
EXPECTED RESULT: After clicking “Add,” you will see “Google (Web Only)” appear in your list of Search Engines.

4. Set the New Search Engine as Default
WHAT: Make all searches from the Address Bar automatically use this new option.
WHERE/HOW: In the list of Search Engines you just added, look for the three-dot icon (⋮) next to “Google (Web Only)” and click to select “Make default.”
WHY: To ensure the browser uses the URL with `&udm=14` every time you search via the address bar.
EXPECTED RESULT: The Search Engine you created will be moved to the top of the list and labeled (Default).

### Verify Results: Check if the Configuration Was Successful

After completing the setup, try a simple check:
1. Open a new browser tab.
2. Type a general search query, such as “latest technology news,” into the **Address Bar** at the top and press Enter.
3. Observe the results on the Google Search page: Below the search box, you should see the **“Web”** tab selected, not the “All” tab, and in most cases, AI Overviews or videos will not appear among the top results.

### If It Doesn’t Work: What to Do Next?

If the results remain unchanged, it might be due to the following reasons:
- Incorrect URL: Recheck your Search Engine settings in Step 3. Ensure you have copied and pasted the URL `https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14` completely and accurately.
- Searching in the wrong place: Reiterate that this method only works for searches from the **Address Bar**, not the search box on the google.com webpage.
- Google changed: As this is an unofficial method, it's possible that Google may discontinue the functionality of the `udm=14` parameter in the future. Should that happen, you can return to the Search Engine management page and set the original Google Search Engine back to Default.
- Controlled by corporate policy: If you are using a company computer, your IT department may sometimes restrict browser setting changes for security reasons. In such a case, you should consult your organization's IT department.

For mobile users (iPhone/Android), setting this as the default is more difficult, but you can create a shortcut or bookmark to perform web-only searches instead, which is also a convenient alternative.

Summary
Customizing your default Search Engine with the `&udm=14` parameter is a simple yet powerful technique for those who desire concise and straightforward search results, reminiscent of the past. While it is a temporary and unofficial workaround, it is always safe and reversible, allowing you to control your information retrieval experience and work with maximum efficiency.

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