How to Submit a Google Takedown Request

Overview

This guide walks you through the complete process of submitting a copyright takedown request to Google Search. Google takes copyright infringement seriously and provides a structured process to report and remove infringing content from their search results.

Important Notice

You could be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you falsely claim that content is copyright infringing. Only the copyright holder or their authorized representative can submit a copyright removal request.

Before You Start

Prerequisites

You Must Be:

The copyright holder of the content
An authorized representative of the copyright holder
Able to provide proof of copyright ownership

What You'll Need:

URLs of the infringing content
URLs showing your original copyrighted work
Your contact information
Digital signature (your full name)

Understanding the Process

What Google Can Do:

Remove links from Google Search results
Remove images from Google Image Search
Remove videos from Google Video Search
Remove cached pages

What Google Cannot Do:

Remove content from the actual website hosting it
Prevent direct URL access to the content
Remove content from other search engines

Content May Still Exist

Even if Google removes search results, the content may still exist elsewhere on the web. You may need to contact the website owner directly to request removal from their site.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access the Legal Removal Request Page

Go to Google's Legal Support Page
Click the "Create a request" button
This will take you to the troubleshooter tool

Direct Form Link: https://reportcontent.google.com/forms/dmca_search?product=websearch

Troubleshooter (alternative path): https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905

Step 2: Select Google Search

On the product selection page:

Select "Google Search" from the list of Google products
Click "Next" or confirm your selection
Select "Google Search" again when prompted for which product your request relates to

Multiple Products

If the content appears in multiple Google products (e.g., Google Images, YouTube), you must submit a separate notice for each product.

Step 3: Choose Legal Reason

Select the following options in order:

Reason to report content:
- Select: "Legal Reasons to Report Content"
- Description: "Relating to country/region-specific laws, such as privacy or intellectual property laws"
Type of legal issue:
- Select: "Intellectual Property"
Intellectual property type:
- Select: "Copyright: Report unlawful use of copyright-protected work"
Confirm copyright ownership:
- Click: "Yes, I am the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf"
- This will direct you to the DMCA form

Direct URL: You can go straight to the copyright removal form: https://reportcontent.google.com/forms/dmca_search?product=websearch

Step 4: Complete the Copyright Removal Form

Personal Information

Required Fields:

First Name: Your legal first name
Last Name: Your legal last name
Company Name: (Optional) Fill if filing on behalf of a company
Email: The email where Google will send responses (uses your signed-in Google account by default)
Country/Region: Select your location

Copyright Holder:

Select "Myself" if you are the copyright owner
Select "Other" if representing someone else

Email Address

Replies will be sent to the Google or Gmail account you're signed in to. To use a different email, sign out and refresh the form.

Live Event Content

Is this an unauthorized stream of an upcoming live event?

Select "No" for all standard copyright infringement cases (photos, videos, content)
Select "Yes" only if reporting a live-stream piracy of an upcoming event

This question appears before the work description. For most cases, select No and continue.

Your Copyrighted Work

Identify the copyrighted work:

Provide a detailed description of your copyrighted work. Be specific and clear.

Examples:

"The photographs of [subject] which can be viewed at [your website URL]"
"My published video titled '[Video Title]', originally posted on [platform] on [date]"
"My original image/video content featuring myself, created on [date]"

Where can we see an authorized example?

Provide URL(s) where Google can verify your original copyrighted work:

Your official website
Your verified social media profile
Your content platform profile (OnlyFans, Patreon, etc.)
Any platform where you originally published the content

Format:

Enter one URL per line
Maximum 1000 URLs
Must be publicly accessible for verification

Example:

https://www.yourwebsite.com/portfolio/image1
https://www.instagram.com/yourprofile/post/123456
https://onlyfans.com/yourprofile

Location of Infringing Material

Provide URLs of infringing content:

List the specific URLs where your copyrighted content appears without authorization.

Important:

Use specific page URLs, not homepage URLs
One URL per line
Maximum 1000 URLs per submission
Be as specific as possible

How to find the correct URL:

Navigate to the exact page with your content
Copy the full URL from the browser address bar
Include any query parameters if needed

Acceptable URL formats:

https://example.com/videos/12345
https://example.com/gallery/image-name
https://example.com/user/profile/content/67890

Unacceptable URL formats:

https://example.com (homepage only)
example.com (missing protocol)
https://example.com/search?q=... (search results page)

Multiple Works

If reporting multiple copyrighted works, complete the first work's information and its infringing URLs, then click "Add a new group" below the URL box to add the next work. Each group has its own description, original work URL(s), and infringing URL(s).

Step 5: Sworn Statements

You must agree to the following legal statements by checking the boxes:

Statement 1: Good Faith Belief

"I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."

Statement 2: Accuracy and Authorization

"The information in this notification is accurate and I swear, under penalty of perjury, that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."

Statement 3: Lumen Database

"I understand that a copy of each legal notice may be sent to the Lumen project for publication and annotation. I also understand that Lumen redacts personal contact information from notices before publication, but in many cases, will not redact my name."

Legal Consequences

These statements are legally binding. Providing false information can result in legal liability, including damages, costs, and attorneys' fees.

Step 6: Digital Signature

Sign and date your request:

Date: Today's date is pre-filled — confirm it is correct
Signature: Type your full legal name exactly as entered in the First Name and Last Name fields at the top of the form
- Must match your first and last name exactly — the submission will fail if they don't match
- This is your digital signature and is legally binding
- Example: "John A. Smith"

Digital Signature

By typing your full name, you are providing a digital signature that is as legally binding as your physical signature.

Step 7: Review and Submit

Before submitting:

Review all information for accuracy
Verify all URLs are correct and specific
Ensure your signature matches your name exactly
Confirm you've checked all required statements

Submit your request:

Click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the form
You will receive an email confirmation with a reference number
Save this reference number for tracking

After Submission

What Happens Next

Immediate:

You receive an email confirmation
Your request is assigned a reference number
Google begins reviewing your submission

Review Process:

Google evaluates the validity of your claim
May request additional information or clarification
Verifies copyright ownership through provided URLs
Checks that reported URLs contain infringing content

Timeline:

Initial Review: 24-48 hours
Removal (if approved): 24-72 hours after approval
Total Time: Typically 2-5 business days

Email Communication

Monitor your email for:

Confirmation of receipt
Requests for additional information
Questions or clarification requests
Approval or denial notification
Removal confirmation

Response Required:

Reply promptly to any requests for information
Provide additional details if requested
Check spam/junk folders for Google emails

Tracking Your Request

Reference Number:

Included in confirmation email
Use to track status
Quote in any follow-up communication

Check Status:

Monitor email for updates
Search results may take time to update
Cached pages may persist temporarily

Transparency and Public Records

Lumen Database

What is Lumen?

Independent research project studying takedown requests
Publicly accessible database of removal notices
Promotes transparency in content moderation

What Gets Shared:

Your name (in most cases)
The copyrighted work description
URLs of infringing content
Date of request

What's Protected:

Personal contact information (email, phone, address)
Private details are redacted before publication

Public Record

Copyright removal requests are public record. Your name and the details of your claim will likely appear in public databases. This is a legal requirement for transparency.

Google Transparency Report

Public Information:

Google publishes aggregate data about removal requests
Individual requests may be viewable
Part of Google's transparency commitment

View Reports:

Google Transparency Report

Best Practices

Effective Requests

Do:

✅ Be specific and detailed in descriptions
✅ Provide exact URLs to infringing content
✅ Include clear proof of copyright ownership
✅ Use professional, factual language
✅ Respond promptly to Google's inquiries
✅ Keep records of all submissions

Don't:

❌ Submit false or misleading information
❌ Use generic or vague descriptions
❌ Provide only homepage URLs
❌ Submit without verifying copyright ownership
❌ Ignore requests for additional information
❌ Submit duplicate requests unnecessarily

Multiple Infringements

If you have many URLs:

Group by copyrighted work
Submit up to 1000 URLs per work
Use "Add a new group" for additional works
Consider submitting multiple forms if needed

Batch Processing:

Organize URLs before starting
Prepare descriptions in advance
Have proof URLs ready
Complete form in one session

Following Up

If No Response:

Wait 5-7 business days before following up
Check spam/junk email folders
Use your reference number when contacting support
Be patient - high volume of requests

If Denied:

Review the reason for denial
Gather additional evidence if needed
Consider consulting an attorney
May resubmit with better documentation

Common Issues and Solutions

Request Rejected — "False Information" Claim

Google's Response:

You may receive a rejection stating that Google has "reason to believe that your request may contain false information" and warning about potential legal consequences for abuse of the copyright removal process.

Why This Happens:

Google receives many fraudulent or bad-faith requests
Automated systems flag requests that appear suspicious
Insufficient substantiation of copyright ownership
Lack of clear authorization documentation
Pattern matching against known abuse indicators

How to Respond:

If you believe the rejection is in error and your request is legitimate, reply with additional substantiation:

Subject: Re: Copyright Removal Request — Response to Rejection / Additional Substantiation

Dear Google Copyright Team,

Thank you for your response. We respectfully contest your determination and wish to provide additional substantiation for this removal request.

About the Submitting Organisation

This request was submitted by [Your Organization Name] ([your-website.com]), a professional content protection service that acts on behalf of verified content creators. We operate under formal legal representation agreements with our clients, which include identity verification (KYC) and explicit written authorization to submit copyright removal requests on their behalf.

About the Rights Holder

The rights holder in this matter is [Rights Holder Name], a professional content creator who has:

- Completed full identity verification (KYC) with our platform
- Granted [Your Organization] explicit written authorization to act as their legal representative for copyright enforcement purposes
- Confirmed original ownership of the content referenced in the removal request

Substantiation of the Claim

The infringing URL(s) referenced in our original request contain search results that index stolen or unauthorized content featuring [Rights Holder Name]. The content was created by and belongs exclusively to [Rights Holder Name]. It has been published or indexed without their consent, in violation of their copyright.

This request is submitted in good faith, with full awareness of the legal consequences of submitting false DMCA claims under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). We affirm that the information provided in our original request and in this response is accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Our Request

We respectfully ask that Google reconsider this removal request in light of the above. If additional documentation is required — such as a copy of our authorization agreement with the rights holder, proof of identity, or further details about the original content — we are happy to provide it promptly.

Please do not hesitate to contact us directly:

[Your Name]
[Your Organization]
[[email protected]]
[your-website.com]

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Organization]

What to Include:

Clear identification of your organization and role
Explanation of your authorization process (KYC, written agreements)
Specific details about the rights holder
Affirmation of good faith and legal awareness
Offer to provide additional documentation
Professional contact information

Supporting Documentation:

Authorization agreement with the rights holder
Proof of identity verification (KYC documentation)
Evidence of original content ownership
Any previous successful takedown requests (if applicable)

Professional Representation

If you operate a content protection service representing multiple clients, maintain clear records of authorization agreements and identity verification. Proactively offering to provide these documents can expedite the review process.