Google Update: Why You Can’t Pull 100 Results per Query Anymore (And What to Do About It)

TL;DR: What Just Happened?

• Google disabled the &num=100 parameter, which used to fetch 100 search results per query
• This impacts keyword visibility, impressions, and average position metrics
• It’s already affecting dashboards, client reports, and SEO tool data worldwide
• There’s no rollback expected; this is now your new reality
• But don’t worry, we’ve got the plan, the fixes, and the answers you need

Google Removes &num=100 Parameter: What SEO Managers Need to Know in 2025

Noticed a Sudden Drop in Your Google Impressions?

It’s not just you.

It’s not your strategy.

It’s not even your SEO agency.

It’s Google, and a silent technical shift just changed how the search engine reports your performance.

What’s actually going on: Google has removed support for the &num=100 URL parameter, a tool SEO professionals have used for years to fetch up to 100 search results in a single query.

Though never officially documented, it was widely adopted across tools and strategies. Its quiet disappearance is now reshaping how we track rankings, interpret visibility, and report SEO performance.

If you rely on Google Search Console, keyword tracking tools, or SEO reports, this article will walk through what changed, why it matters, and what you can do about it, particularly if you're running SEO campaigns in markets like India.

Let’s break it all down.

What Changed – The Technical Breakdown

For years, SEO tools, data analysts, and power users added &num=100 to Google search URLs to fetch Google 100 results per page. It was efficient, predictable, and deeply embedded in rank tracking systems.

In mid-September 2025, Google silently disabled support for this parameter.

It wasn’t exactly a feature Google promoted, but it worked, and for many of us, it became part of the workflow. According to search industry reports, Google confirmed that the &num=100 parameter and its removal is part of a broader simplification of result rendering.

Here’s why it mattered:

• You could grab deeper SERP data in fewer steps
• Rank tracking tools could surface positions beyond page one with ease
• Impression data felt more complete, especially for long-tail keywords

Agencies found it foundational for tracking at scale and then, suddenly, it was gone.

Now, you can only fetch the default ~10 results per page

• SEO tools that used this for scraping or batch-tracking now must paginate (and often don't)
• Impressions from positions 11–100? Vanished.
• Your reports now show less not because you’re ranking lower, but because Google simply stopped showing you that part of the iceberg

This isn’t a “bug.” It’s the new normal.

Who This Impacts

Right around September 10 to 12, SEO teams started noticing that the &num=100 parameter was no longer working. If you try adding it now, you’ll likely just see the standard 10 results, or nothing changes at all. This has majorly impacted: 

1. In-house SEO Leads

   Your GSC impressions tanked. Your boss is side-eyeing the quarterly dashboard. You need answers and fast.

   Fact: 87.7% of sites lost impressions in Google Search Console
    
2. Marketing Managers
   
   Your KPIs just took a nosedive, but clicks are stable. Confused? This blog’s for you.
    
3. Digital Agencies
   
   Your clients are emailing: “Why are our rankings down?” They’re not. But you’ll need this article to explain why it looks like they are.
    
4. SEO Tools / Rank Trackers
   
   Your systems just got a lot less efficient. Scraping now requires 10x more requests. Time to adjust.
    

Google later commented that it had never officially supported this parameter. The deprecation wasn’t a bug. It was intentional. Search Engine Land was among the first to cover it.

Here’s what that means:

• You can’t view 100 results on a single SERP anymore
• Rank tracking tools need to paginate one result page at a time
• SEO reporting platforms relying on that visibility now show fewer impressions and keyword positions

How This Messes With Your SEO Metrics

1. Your GSC Impressions Probably Dropped
   
   Don’t be surprised if you’ve seen a sudden drop in impressions in Google Search Console. Many of those impressions used to come from pages three to ten, results that aren’t as easily visible anymore.
    
2. Average Position Looks “Better”, But It’s Not
   
   Fewer low-ranking terms are being counted, so your average ranking position may look like it improved. Spoiler: It didn’t. You’re just seeing less of the picture.
    
3. Your CTR Might Be Lying to You
   
   Click-through rate (CTR) may rise artificially. That’s not because you’re suddenly nailing your meta titles. It’s because fewer impressions are being tracked. Your click volume may be the same, but it’s being divided across a smaller denominator.
    
4. You’ve Lost Keyword Visibility, Especially Long-Tail

   Tools that previously surfaced positions 50, 80, or 100 are now showing far less. That doesn't mean those keywords aren’t ranking, it just means you’re not seeing them. This creates a false sense of decline in performance.

   Fact: 77.6% of sites lost unique ranking terms.
    

These shifts have been widely reported by independent technical audits and search performance monitoring platforms, which noted consistent impression and visibility drops across affected properties.

What We’re Seeing in the Indian SEO Landscape

There’s no official word from Google on region-specific impact, but based on what we, and some of our peers, are observing from Indian clients, here's a quick breakdown:

Pro tip: Compare your GSC data from Sept 1–10 with Sept 11–22, then break it down by device and location. That’s where the gaps start showing.

What You Should Actually Do About It

Let’s cut through the noise. Here's what we recommend for SEO managers right now:

1. Set a New Baseline
   
   Treat September 12-15 as your new SEO reporting baseline. Metrics before that date shouldn’t be compared without caveats.
    
2. Dig Into Segments, Not Totals
   
   Use filters in Google Search Console, by country, by device. That’s where you’ll see the keyword shifts more clearly. If you were ranking well on mobile in India, for example, that may be where the biggest data holes appear.
    
3. Don’t Panic. Cross-Check Traffic
   
   Pull session and click data from GA4. If sessions are holding steady but impressions dropped, then you’re fine. You’re ranking, you’re just not seeing it.
    
4. Reset Client Expectations (and Your Own)
   
   Start shifting conversations from keyword count to actual performance. It’s a great moment to refocus on traffic quality, conversions, and top 20 keyword growth.
    
5. Check Rank Tracker Settings
   
   Some tools have already adjusted how they pull SERP data. Make sure yours is configured to go beyond page one, if possible. If not, consider switching or adding another tool to your stack.

No, You Haven’t Lost Rankings (Probably)

Here’s something agencies have made clear: this isn’t a true ranking drop. Your content is still performing, it’s just no longer as visible in tracking tools.

We’ve seen it firsthand with clients. Their high-converting content still brings in traffic. Their leads haven’t slowed. But their “keyword count” is off one-fourth in reports.

This is about visibility limits, not SEO failure.

What We’re Doing at Verve Media

As soon as this shift became apparent, we adjusted our approach. Here's how we responded:

• Dashboards across Google Data Studio and GSC now reflect the post-Sept 12 data point
• Reports focus on top 20 rankings, traffic flow, and conversion paths
• We’ve built annotations into monthly reports so clients understand what changed, and why
• Performance models have been recalibrated to reflect this new visibility ceiling
• If you’re one of our clients, you’ve likely already seen the changes reflected in your reports this month.

If you’re not, and you’re struggling to make sense of your data, we’re happy to take a look.

Bottom Line

Google taking away the &num=100 parameter is less about your rankings and more about your access to those rankings.

Yes, it complicates reporting. But it also gives you a reason to zoom in on what really matters: actual performance, not vanity metrics.

Instead of asking “How many keywords am I ranking for?”, it might be time to start asking, “Which ones are driving value, and how can I get more of them?”

Feeling unsure about your post-September SEO reports?

Let Verve Media help you recalibrate your reporting, reset your baselines, and optimise your visibility strategy.

No external links. This is your proprietary content and positioning.

• Get in touch with our Digital Marketing Agency
• Explore our SEO Services
• Book a Consultation

FAQ: Google &num=100 Update

Q1: What changed with Google’s &num=100 parameter?

A: Google removed support for the &num=100 parameter, which previously allowed viewing 100 results per query. This Google parameter change limits data depth for Google SERP monitoring and affects rank visibility past page one.

Q2: Does this affect page-one rank tracking accuracy?

A: No. Page-one rank tracking remains accurate. The impact is on deeper rankings, which some SEO agencies previously used to assess long-tail performance.

Q3: Will reporting cadence or update frequency change?

A: Not frequency, but reporting focus may shift. Many digital marketing agencies now emphasise top 20 keywords, CTR, and conversion data post-change.

Q4. Can I still see positions 11–100?

A: Most tools no longer show full Google 100 results unless paginated manually. Access varies based on your platform’s Google SERP monitoring capabilities.

Q5. How do I track beyond page one now?

A: Use a rank tracking tool that supports deeper pagination, or partner with an AI SEO agency focused on Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) like Verve Media. Prioritise user-visible performance over raw position count.