How To Turn off Google SearchWiki
Posted by Saad as Google, News, Tips & Hacks 41 CommentsGoogle SearchWiki is new feature built inside Google’s Search that lets you customize the search results by moving a site up or down or even adding new pages etc. This feature has created a lot of buzz on the internet as many people has expressed their dissatisfaction for making this feature a default inside Google’s Search. There are many other on-going discussion in twitter about #SearchWiki.
Google doesn’t offer anyway to turn off SearchWiki. So if you are logged in to your Google Account, SearchWiki will be enabled for you by default. Of course you can turn off SearchWiki by logging out from your account, but thats very inconvenient, right? So the biggest concern regarding SearchWiki is, How the heck do I turn this damn thing off? Google Operating System has came to the rescue with a solution to this problem.
How to Turn Off Google SearchWiki
To prevent Google SearchWiki from showing up when you use Google, you can use a Firefox Plugin called Greasemonkey. After you install the extension, Restart your Firefox and then add the No SearchWiki script. This will stop SearchWiki from showing up even while you are logged in and Google’s search results will look clean again!
Google Operating System blog confirmed that this script also works in Opera, which has built-in support for userscripts. In Opera: Just go to Tools>Preferences>Advanced>Content>JavaScript Options, choose a folder in the “User JavaScript files” box and then save the script in that folder.
Update 1: A user in comment have me a heads up about another possible way of turning off Google SearchWiki. The method is pretty simple – If you are currently using iGoogle (The Google’s Start Page), your URL will be something like this – http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en so if you add a small parameter in the end and make it http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en&hl=all it kind of removes SearchWiki from all subsequent searches.
Update 2: Franz Enzenhofer of facesaerch.com has created another cool script that runs on Greasemonkey that basically gives you an option to turn on/off Google SearchWiki. Screen shoots provided below (via facesaerch blog):
After looking at the screen shots, I personally find this option better as it will allow me to Turn it On/Off rather than turning it off completely. For Detailed Instructions of installation, Head over to this page – http://www.facesaerch.com/blog/disable-google-search-wiki/
http://www.facesaerch.com/blog/disable-google-search-wiki/
Update 3: Ok I figured that many of you like SearchWiki and find it a useful service and I respect your personal choice & opinion. If you find the service useful, by all means you should use it 
But some people have found it annoying as it tends to clutter up the results page which is why a “how-to” has been made for its removal. But anyway for those who loves SearchWiki, here is something cool for you:
SearchWiki With Sound Effects
Do you know that you can have Sound effects for every action you perform in SearchWiki? The sound is recorded by the Google co-founder Sergey Brin himself, this sound effect is sure to please!
Learn How to Enable SearchWiki Sound Effects
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Share- Tags: Google, searchwiki
- Posted on 22nd November 2008
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http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Web_Search_Help-UsingWS/browse_thread/thread/3d76baecf04b18d3
This post describes a way to get around searchwiki, and seems to work.
I have turned off my web history and have no indication that Googlewiki is on. Does your modification mean you can turn on web history and automatically get Googlewiki? Or is Googlewiki on in stealth mode? Please explain further the interaction between Google, Google Wiki, and Google History.
Personally, I hate using web history. I always want a fresh search, since the web changes every second. I don’t know what I’m missing if I use my own history. If I like a site, I’ll bookmark it.
@andoo – Thanks for the info!
Updated the post.
@Forgiven Sinner – Thanks for dropping by!
Well, If you don’t see SearchWiki features then it probably means it hasn’t been enabled in your region/account yet. So wait for few days and You will see the option.
Once its enabled, SearchWiki will be there by default and you won’t be able to disable it. It really annoyed many users, so people came out with this hack…..
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/22/google-searchwiki-vanishes/
Seems some people are no longer seeing searchwiki. I test using my normal iGoogle page minus the addition, and it does seem to be the case for me.
[...] I started searching for a way to disable. First I found this post , via Saad Kamal, on Google Operating System, but that didn’t work to well for me. This greasemonkey based solution [...]
Now that is pretty cool when you think about it.
jess
Don’t stay logged into your Google account while searching?
Seriously, what is the issue here?
People are not seriously complaining about a SERVICE provided FOR FREE that they can opt out of by logging out (as all security conscious people should) before you search?
@Grant – Well I dont know about you but I need to stay logged into my Google account all the types because of the tons of Google Service that I really depend on –
Google Apps
Gmail
Google Docs
Webmaster Tools etc.
So if I need to login in/off every time I want to search thats pretty annoying.
http://blog.vivekjishtu.com/2008/11/google-clean-search-without-wiki.html
This post describes a way to get around SearchWiki, and also search Google anonymously.
@saad
Ok, so there is a cost for the service, either find another service that fits your needs or put up with something you don’t like.
Who knows, google MAY indeed be evil, they may not, I just can’t see the fuss in complaining about something that has been given to everyone for free. We don’t have the right to complain about anything they do and still expect to use their service.
By all means complain and have a reasonable, logical cause to argue. Just don’t expect to get results when the best argument is that they “may” use the results to improve their service.
@Grant – Hay I’m not “complaining” now, and I wasn’t “complaining” when Google was plain simple without that feature.
They included this feature without thinking of giving an option to the user to “opt-out” from it…So for those who likes the feature you have the option to embrace it by all means but for those who don’t like it, I just gave them another option to go around it.
So nobody is complaining here..People did complain before (because everyone likes Google the way it was before) and now they have a solution…so Its all good.
i find this very absurd, if you never CLICK any of the buttons to up a page’s ranking on your personalized search, then the damn thing isnt doing anything…and all you’re really doing with greasemonkey is restyling the page so you cant see the little icon for making the page more ‘popular’…..i think it’s a very useful feature that could, if used properly, completely obliterate the need for bookmarks, but that’s beside my point in writing here: if you dont like it, why is it so hard to ignore three less than a centimeter sized icons?
@andrew – Andrew, Thanks for dropping by.
Well first of all I don’t agree with you on the point that the ‘damn thing isn’t doing anything’. Its cluttering up the search page… I know that greasemonkey is just sort of hiding the things..and I guess Thats the only option people have at this moment! Until Google comes out with a opt-out solution, I guess its up to the people to decide whether they want to see those buttons and comments or whether they want to go back to see the clean Google.
And If installing the script isn’t the only solution. There is another solution in the update section of my post. Adding a special parameter with the Search query can remove the SearchWiki…
And This is probably another reason –
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/22/google-searchwiki-is-back-heres-how-to-kill-it-for-good/
I am not saying that I hate SearchWiki….I am a hardcore Google Fan, I think have used all the Google products that they have released so far. I use everything Google as i have a strong loyalty for the brand …But I don’t like the fact that they have released a new ‘feature’ and they are making it compulsory for every1 to use it.
Thanks for the tip, however I’m quite surprised that people would find this feature annoying.
Google provides several extras like the cache and translate options that many people do not use.
I would advise to simply ignore this new feature, but I suppose this tip will help those who really don’t like it. Thanks for sharing.
Chris
http://www.ProfitsWithChris.com/blog
[...] recent article about how to remove SearchWiki has created some Buzz, so much buzz that it went to the front page of digg. But there were mixed [...]
techcrunch covered a more sophisticated greasemonkey script to get rid of the searchwiki garbage
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/22/google-searchwiki-is-back-heres-how-to-kill-it-for-good/
@in the name of techcrunch – I have updated my post with the new option. Thanks for the heads Up.
And to all SearchWiki lovers, I have also added something cool for you! Check back the post….
Now that is pretty cool when you think about it.
Cool I’ll have to give this a try.
SearchWiki is the stupidest thing I’ve seen from Google since their “customized search” sham. Thanks for the cool tutorial on how to disable it.
[...] details: How to Turn Off SearchWiki [...]
Thanks for this tutorial, i promoted this page in searchwiki:) Honestly i see no real reason for a searchwiki. If it ever will affect the serps this tool will be heavily missused. I also think people can use it to write lots of bad comments on a competitor or even hire people to do it.
[...] How To: Disable Google SearchWiki from Firefox and Opera – Google SearchWiki is new feature built inside Google’s Search that lets you customize the search results by moving a site up or down or even adding new pages etc. This feature has created a lot of buzz on the internet as many people has expressed their dissatisfaction for making this feature a default inside Google’s Search. [...]
@John R – Thanks John!
I am glad that it worked for you.
@Johan Svensson – Hi Johan! Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate your up-vote in SearchWiki
even though I can’t really see it (…not using SearchWiki ATM).
I agree with your points. It will certainly encourage a lot of spam. I don’t know what Google is thinking.
Now that is pretty cool when you think about it.
i don’t understand why some people are saying we have ‘no right to complain about a service google provides FOR FREE,’ etc… google has always provided many ways for users to give feedback on their experience, especially when new features are added. they want to know what people think because they want to keep their existing user base and hopefully expand it. they go out of their way to give us opportunities to give feedback, praise, ‘complain,’ comment… so basically it just seems kind of weird and defensive that people are sort of attacking this post simply for describing a work-around to something they consider an annoyance, which is what millions of people do on their websites every day… express their opinions, you know… yes, we could ignore it, but not all of us want to. that’s why people make helpful posts like this one for those of us who DO want to change it. if you don’t, we’re not criticizing you, we’re not saying google is evil or stupid – it’s just a matter of personal preference, and there’s nothing wrong with someone using a website they own to share their thoughts and provide a resource for others who feel similarly…
@Kate – I’m certainly with you on this one..
Since the greasemonkey plugin doesnt actually kill the rankings that you setup here is a tip to fix your rankings back to how they were:
1. Add “&hl=all” to your search query.
2. Goto http://www.google.com/reviews/w and restore all the results that you edited.
[...] debate on the merits of personalized search — im surprised and watching closely, but now from afar — I wish http://www.customizegoogle.com/ would add a switch to turn this [...]
[...] Michael Arrington @ Techcrunch just reported that Google is going to provide a Opt-out button for Google Search Wiki in Quarter 1 of 2009. This is great because users who are not happy with this feature of Google, doesn’t have to rely on 3rd party plugins to disable search wiki. [...]
[...] think about these new features? Some people are pretty annoyed by SearchWiki so you can choose to remove searchwiki if you don’t need [...]
I had searchwiki distort my searches even though I logged out of my Google Accout.
I had to ask someone where a site I was doing SEO for was ranking because Google was telling me what it thought I wanted to see… of course I wanted to see my site #1 worldwide, but I was the only one seeing it that way
(I’m #4 in Maryland and #5 in the UK btw)
[...] in Google. News is an opt-out program is coming soon, but until then follow this post or the SearchWiki hack. For those that do not know, the Search Wiki includes the Promote, Remove, Comment, and Add buttons [...]
[...] Google is receiving about it is ‘how the hell do I turn it off?’ (the answer: Sign out, jump through some hoops in Firefox or just bend over and take it) – and of course this has spamming written all over it: Just ding up all your results, ding down [...]
[...] rod within the search industry drawing the ire of many and prompting the creation of Greasemonkey scripts to turn off SearchWiki functionality. It even spilled over into ‘mainstream’ media with TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington [...]
Awsome post. I have to say thanks when its due, so here it is, THANKs!
Yep, I need to turn off those noisy things
Quick and dirty fix: Add &filter=0 to the end of the search url. Nice if you want to temporarily disable searchWiki to see where a site would rank otherwise.
How do I turn on SearchWiki? It isn’t displayed by default on my account. If I scroll to the bottom and select “See all notes for this SearchWiki”, I can see the notes, but otherwise I cannot. How do I turn this on by default?
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