Proton lays out four easy workarounds to see less Google AI in Search

Proton’s official guide is aimed at people who are not trying to win a philosophical argument about AI. They simply want Google Search to return to a more familiar web-links-first feel, and the company collects the quickest current workarounds in one place.

What is the fastest option

The guide’s first recommendation is the Web filter inside Google Search itself. Because it requires no installation and no account changes, it is the lightest method for readers who only want to skip AI-heavy results once in a while.

The trade-off is that you may need to choose it again on each new search. In other words, it works well as a quick detour, not necessarily as a permanent default.

Query and URL tricks also work

Proton also highlights two low-friction options: adding -ai to your query and appending &udm=14 to the URL. Both are attractive because they can be used instantly without extra extensions.

Their weakness is durability. If Google changes interface behavior, the effect may shift too, which is why the guide also points users toward bookmarks and custom search-engine shortcuts for longer-term convenience.

Why this matters now

When the first search screen changes, the speed of information gathering changes with it. Readers who mainly want articles, documentation or forum posts often prefer a clean list of web links over a large summary block.

That is why this guide lands as a usability story more than an anti-AI manifesto. It is about pulling some control of the results page back toward the user, while keeping an eye on how Google may change the interface again later.