Sign in

Web Search Help

Search history and settings: Search preferences

We want your web search to be exactly the way you want it. Here's a quick review of the search options you can set (and, of course, change whenever you like) on the Google Preferences page.

Most of your Google preferences are saved in a small browser file on your computer, called a cookie, and only apply to the computer and browser you used to set those preferences. If storing cookies on your browser isn't enabled, you won't be able to save your preferences. Learn how to enable cookies.

Interface language

You can customize the language of your Google homepage. Choose the language you'd like to use by using the drop-down menu in this section of the Preferences page. For example, if you choose Spanish in the drop-down menu, messages and buttons on Google.com will display in Spanish. Moreover, Google will automatically prefer webpages written in Spanish in your search results.

Back to top

Search language

Google automatically tries to find results written in your selected interface language when you search, but you can choose to have Google also prefer webpages written in any additional languages that you'd like. Just select the checkboxes for those languages in this section of the Preferences page.

Finally, this isn't on the Preferences page, but while we're talking languages, did you know we can translate sites written in other languages into English, and vice versa? Check out our Language Tools page.

Back to top

Location

In this section of the Preferences page, you can specify your location for us to use when customizing your results in Google Web Search and other products. For example, if you search for [ restaurants ], we can try to find one nearby, even if you don't include a location in your search.

If you'd rather not set an explicit location, simply delete the location in this field and save your preferences. You may still see local results based on other factors such as your computer's IP address. Learn more about location

Back to top

SafeSearch filtering

Many users prefer not to have adult sites included in search results (especially if kids use the same computer). Google's SafeSearch screens for sites that contain explicit sexual content and removes them from your search results. No filter is 100 percent accurate, but SafeSearch should eliminate most inappropriate material.

You can choose from among three SafeSearch settings:

  • Moderate filtering excludes most explicit images from Google Images results but doesn't filter ordinary web search results. This is your default SafeSearch setting; you'll receive moderate filtering unless you change it.
  • Strict filtering applies SafeSearch filtering to all your search results (i.e. both image search and ordinary web search).
  • No filtering, as you've probably figured out, turns off SafeSearch filtering completely.

Learn more about SafeSearch.

We do our best to keep SafeSearch as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible, but inappropriate sites sometimes slip through the cracks. If you have SafeSearch activated and still find websites containing offensive content in your results, please visit our webpage removal request tool to tell us about the site or image you found.

For more pointers on keeping your family safe on the web, read Google's Tips for Online Safety.

Back to top

Number of results

Unless you change this preference, you'll see 10 search results per page. We set it this way because this produces the fastest response time. But if you want to see more results per page, you can increase the number to 20, 30, 50 or 100, if you have Google Instant disabled.

(This setting doesn't affect results in Google Images. The number of results you see in Images is determined by the size of your screen.)

Back to top

Results window

Clicking any search result usually loads that page in the same window or tab you used when you searched. If you'd prefer to have the results you click open in a separate window (or, for some browsers, tab), enable this option. (Hint: this option's great if you often open more than one search result.)

Back to top

Predictions

As you type in the search box, you'll see a list of predictions appear that are similar to the query you're typing. These predictions are a mix of popular searches by users around the world and your Web History, if you have it enabled.

If you see a "Google Instant" section, allow search results to appear dynamically as you type by selecting "Use Google Instant - predictions and results appear while typing." Learn more about Google Instant

Back to top

Subscribed links

Add information from additional sites to your Google search results by subscribing to those sites. This may be helpful if you often go to a particular site to search for information. Visit the Subscribed Links Directory to find sites that you can subscribe to. Learn more

Back to top

Was this information helpful?

Tell us how we're doing: Please answer a few questions about your experience to help us improve our Help Center.