In September 2025, Google made a seemingly small but truly disruptive change — it removed the &num=100 parameter, which for years allowed displaying 100 search results on a single page. This wasn't just a technical update; it was a deliberate strategy meant to transform Google into a closed information ecosystem.

This decision sparked immediate chaos in the SEO industry. The costs of running analytics tools increased tenfold, because instead of one query returning 100 results, you now had to send ten separate ones. Many companies were forced to raise prices or scale back services — for example, Semrush and Ahrefs already announced they will only show the top 20.

Behind this change lie deeper motivations: protecting valuable data from mass scraping, exerting economic pressure on third-party companies, and laying groundwork for AI Overviews.

The End of the Advanced User Era

Implementation Timeline (September 2025)

The elimination of the &num=100 parameter did not happen overnight. Around September 11–12, 2025, early alarms reached users globally — the function was unstable, sometimes returning 100 results, sometimes reverting to the default ten. It was a signal that Google was running wide A/B tests.

This phase allowed Google to identify tools and bots that heavily relied on this function. The final global shutdown occurred between September 14–15, confirmed by analytics platforms like Keyword Insights, which reported mass failures in monitoring systems.

The Mechanics of the Change: Technical Analysis

The &num=100 parameter was a simple but key tool for SEO analysts — it enabled retrieving a large data set with one query, minimizing costs and complexity.

By removing it, the equation changes radically. Instead of one query returning 100 results, you must now run ten queries of 10 results each. This not only multiplies the number of requests, but also exposes automated systems to Google's defensive mechanisms, triggering more frequent CAPTCHA challenges.

A Historical Context of Access Control

The removal of &num=100 fits into Google's long-term trend of restricting user control:

  • 2018: Removal of the persistent "number of results per page" setting for regular users
  • 2022: Introduction of continuous scrolling, eliminating traditional pagination
  • 2024: Partial return of pagination — but without restoring configuration of number of results

This pattern reveals a consistent strategy — moving away from active user-driven data retrieval toward delivering highly curated answers by the platform itself.

The SEO Ecosystem in Chaos

The "End-of-Tools" Day

After September 14, most platforms that monitor Google rankings began reporting inaccurate or fragmentary data. Key features were impacted:

  • Keyword ranking tracking: Data beyond the first page became unreliable
  • Competitor analysis: Severe limitation in visibility into competitors' performance
  • Search intent research: Massive difficulty in analyzing result trends across many keywords

The New Economics of Data: Cost Revolution

The most painful consequence is a drastic shift in the economics of data acquisition. Moving from one to ten queries means at least a tenfold increase in operational costs, including:

  • Higher server resource usage
  • Infrastructure to evade Google defenses
  • Automated CAPTCHA-solving services

This cost multiplier threatens many business models, forcing tool providers to raise subscription prices or limit functionality.

Reactions from Key Players

Top SEO tool providers responded in various ways:

  • AccuRanker: Officially deprecated tracking Top 100, switching to monitoring only Top 20
  • Semrush: Emphasizes accuracy for Top 10, while labeling further positions as "provisional" or "in beta"
  • seoClarity: Claimed that users have not felt negative impacts, citing advanced data acquisition techniques
  • Senuto: Also affected — currently working on solutions to fetch data for top 50
  • Google Search Console: Surprisingly, the change impacted GSC data too, in some reported cases

On screen captures, one sees the average position rising without any change in impressions or traffic. Some report drastic drops in visibility. Interestingly, this issue seems to hit the desktop version; on mobile, the "100 results" option hasn't existed for years.

For example: Before the change, you may have had an average position of 50, based on one keyword at 10 and another at 90. With the new limits, Google might display only 10 and 20 → your reported average becomes (10 + 20) / 2 = 15. The keyword may still rank at ~90, but Google now reports it as 20+. Mind-blowing.

Strategic Motivations of Google

Building a "Walled Garden"

The main goal is to discourage mass scraping. In the AI race, search result data is a strategic asset. By limiting access, Google further fortifies its "data garden," making it harder for competitors to analyze unique resources.

By restricting results, Google erects a higher barrier around its ecosystem, making it difficult for others to tap into its data reservoir.

Monetization & Market Dominance

The decision has a strong economic foundation:

  • More ad impressions: Forcing users to traverse more pages naturally increases ad views
  • Pressure on the SEO industry: Raising data acquisition costs can act as a "tax" on third parties
  • Amplifying Google's control: Third-party tools become more dependent on internal APIs or limited access

AI-Powered Future

This change aligns with the growing vision of search, where traditional result lists are replaced by AI-driven answers (AI Overviews, AI Mode). In such a model, paging through 100 links becomes archaic. Deactivating it nudges users toward a new interaction style.

Navigating the New Reality

For SEO Agencies & In-House Teams

Necessary steps include:

  • Diversify data sources: Reduce reliance on a single source by combining Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and custom analytics
  • Focus on business metrics: Prioritize traffic, conversions, and revenue over rankings of hundreds of keywords
  • Educate clients: Transparently explain the new constraints and limitations of SEO reporting

For SEO Tool Providers

The industry faces a transformational challenge:

  • Invest in resilient technology: Develop advanced ethical scraping or tap alternative data sources
  • Be transparent: Users must know how data is collected, with clear caveats
  • Innovate beyond rankings: Build features less reliant on SERP data — technical audits, content insights, AI integrations

Final Thoughts

Removing the &num=100 parameter is more than a technical update — it's a symbolic move toward absolute control by Google over its ecosystem. It accelerates the transformation of search from an open tool to a closed platform delivering curated answers.

The era of free, unencumbered search result analysis is ending. In its place comes a new order — one where the platform owner dictates the rules. It's not the end of SEO, but it's definitively the end of the SEO world as we knew it.