Google Says Goodbye to Sitelinks Search Box

Starting November 21, 2024, Google will remove the sitelinks search box from search results to simplify the user experience.

The End of an Era: Saying Goodbye to the Sitelinks Search Box

After more than a decade since its introduction, Google has announced that the sitelinks search box , a visual tool that allowed users to search directly within a site from search results, will be permanently removed starting November 21, 2024. This decision was made following a decline in use of this feature, with the aim of simplifying search results.

What will change for websites

This change will have a global impact, applying to all languages ​​and countries. However, it will not affect site rankings or other visual elements such as sitelinks themselves. Additionally, you will not need to change your site’s structured data: while the sitelinks search box will no longer be supported, its presence will not generate errors in Search Console reports .

What will happen to Search Console reports?

Once the sitelinks search box is removed, Google will also remove the related rich results reports from Search Console , and will no longer highlight the markup in the rich results test. However, the WebSite structured data , which is also used for site names , will continue to be supported.

What to do now?

There is no need to take any action on your site to remove the structured data related to the sitelinks search box , as their presence will not cause problems or errors in your reports. For further clarification, Google encourages users to contact the Search Central community or interact via social media.