Until recently, ChatGPT users could share conversations via public URLs. If users opted in, these links were publicly accessible—and many were indexed by Google and Bing, showing up in search results for common queries.
That changed on July 31, 2025, when OpenAI disabled indexing for all shared links. The company is now working with search engines to remove previously indexed content.
What This Means for Search Visibility
- Newly shared ChatGPT links will not appear in search engines.
- Old indexed links may still be visible temporarily, but will soon lead to dead pages as OpenAI deletes them.
- Private or non-shared chats remain inaccessible to search engines.
If you never manually shared a conversation, your data was never public.
Why OpenAI Removed the Feature
OpenAI acted quickly after critics raised concerns that shared conversations included:
- Personal information like names, locations, and resumes
- Mental health discussions and trauma-related content
- Work-related or confidential messages
Although OpenAI anonymized shared chats, privacy researchers and users warned that sensitive information was still visible. OpenAI’s security chief confirmed that the feature presented too much risk for accidental oversharing.
What to Do If You’re Concerned
- Review your shared links in ChatGPT and delete any you no longer want public.
- Avoid including sensitive data in any conversation you plan to share.
- To check if your content was ever indexed, use a search like:
site:chat.openai.com/share your keyword
Note that most indexed links are disappearing gradually, and OpenAI is working with Google to accelerate removal.
The Bigger Picture: Changing Search Trends
This rollback comes at a time when Google is:
- Prioritizing AI Overviews, which answer queries without linking to sites
- Testing Web Guides, which reduce reliance on traditional links
- Competing directly with ChatGPT for information delivery
OpenAI’s decision to remove indexed conversations may help preserve user privacy, but it also changes how people access and discover AI-generated content through Google.
Summary
ChatGPT web links are disappearing from Google search results because OpenAI has ended public indexing of shared conversations. If you didn’t explicitly share a chat, your data was never public. This move highlights growing concerns about AI privacy and the evolving way we find information online.
