Google to Remove Sitelinks Search Box from Search Results Starting November 21st

Google is continuing to make changes to its search engine, and one of the more recent updates is the removal of the Sitelinks Search Box, a feature that allowed users to search within a specific website directly from the search results page. As announced by Google, the search box will be discontinued starting November 21, 2024, due to declining usage.

For those unfamiliar with the feature, the Sitelinks Search Box appeared beneath the main link to some websites in search results. It allowed users to quickly search for content within that specific site without needing to navigate to the website’s homepage first. For example, if you searched for "The New York Times," Google would sometimes display a search box beneath the link, giving you the option to search within The New York Times' archives directly from Google.

Why Is Google Removing the Sitelinks Search Box?

Google’s decision to remove the search box comes after over a decade of it being a part of the search interface. In their announcement, Google explained:“It’s been over ten years since we initially announced the sitelinks search box in Google Search, and over time, we’ve noticed that usage has dropped. With that, and to help simplify the search results, we’ll be removing this visual element starting on November 21, 2024.”

With the feature seeing limited use, it makes sense for Google to eliminate it, especially as the company continues to streamline its interface and prioritize its efforts in artificial intelligence and other advanced search functionalities. As Google evolves its search engine, it’s likely that they are focusing on making search results more intuitive and removing less useful features to make the experience smoother.

What This Means for Users

While the removal of the Sitelinks Search Box may sound like a significant change, the impact is expected to be minimal for most users. Many people were either unaware of the feature or seldom used it. As one writer from The Verge noted,"Had I not seen this announcement from Google, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed its disappearance because I barely ever used the thing."

For users who do want to search within a particular website, there are still alternatives. You can always use Google’s site-specific search functionality by typing "site

.com" followed by your search term in the main search box. For instance, if you wanted to search for something specifically within The New York Times, you could type:

"site.com [search term]"

This will provide the same result as the Sitelinks Search Box, but without needing the now-retired visual element in the search results.

A Sign of Google’s Larger Evolution

The removal of the Sitelinks Search Box is just one of many small changes Google is making to improve and refine its search engine. Google has been making a significant shift towards incorporating more AI-powered features, including AI-based search results, language models, and conversational interfaces. With such powerful tools at the forefront of Google’s future, it’s not surprising that older and less popular features are being phased out.

As Google leans more heavily into AI-driven searches, it’s likely we will continue to see similar adjustments aimed at simplifying the user experience and making room for more sophisticated and useful features. This change, while small, marks another step in Google’s ever-evolving approach to providing users with the most relevant and efficient search tools.