Do you miss the days when a Google search only gave you a list of links instead of a slowly updating, reliable AI-generated bin? You can return to an earlier, simpler time by adjusting your Chrome settings.
Last week Google started adding AI suggestions to everyone’s search results. Some people may like these summaries, but for me they take a long time to load. I'd rather see a list of links immediately than wait a few seconds for a summary of those links to appear. May be filled with inaccurate information. If you agree, the good news is that Google now offers web search. Bad news: There's no easy way to set this as the default.
At least, that wasn't the case until Tedium reporter Ernie Smith found a way to force the search engine to show you Google web results.
How to view Google's web results by default
Basically, you need to create a custom search engine in your browser that points to the Google web experience. You can do this by adding https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14 as a search engine. Smith explains it well, but if you're not interested in all the technical details, just know that this URL points your browser specifically to Google's web results panel.
Smith outlines how to do this in Vivaldi, which is great, but I want to show you how to make the web the default in Google's own web browser (and the most popular web browser in the world): Chrome.
First, open Chrome's settings and go to Search Engines > Manage search engines and site searches .
Click the Add button, which you can find below the list of search engines.
Name the new search engine "Google Web Search." For shortcuts, I recommend just using "web" since Chrome will prevent you from using the word "Google" (a detail I find hilarious). Finally, and this is an important point, for the URL
https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14. This will direct your query to Google's web search.
Click Save . You'll see your new search engine in the list - click the three dots next to it, then click Set as default .
You have now set your new search engine as your default search engine. Go ahead and try searching for something: you'll just get links. Quick answers without AI-generated summaries.
Wait, why does my LinkedIn page rank higher than my personal website? What have I done to deserve this? That's okay: the point is, I can only see links from the web in search results now.
Of course, this workaround doesn't completely fix Google, but it makes using the search engine better and faster. (Read Lifehacker's guide on how to get Google to show you good search results again for more tips.)
