Google has officially removed all documentation for the sitelinks search box feature, marking the complete retirement of this legacy search tool. Alongside this, the ‘nositelinkssearchbox‘ rule has been archived, cementing the feature’s phase-out as of November 2024.
What Was the Sitelinks Search Box?
Introduced in 2014, the sitelinks search box allowed users to perform site-specific searches directly from Google’s search results page. While innovative at the time, the feature saw a steady decline in usage over the years, prompting Google to discontinue it earlier this year.
What’s Changed?
As part of its efforts to streamline and modernize technical documentation, Google has implemented two major changes:
- Complete Removal: All sitelinks search box documentation has been eliminated.
- Archival: The ‘nositelinkssearchbox’ rule is now archived.
Why Did Google Retire This Feature?
Google attributes the decision to diminishing user engagement. Announcing the retirement, Google stated:
“It’s been over ten years since we introduced the sitelinks search box, and over time, we’ve noticed that usage has dropped. To help simplify the search results, we’ll be removing this visual element starting on November 21, 2024.”
What Does This Mean for Website Owners?
For SEO professionals and site administrators, the removal of this documentation signals that there’s no need to allocate resources to implement or maintain sitelinks search box functionality.
- Existing structured data for the sitelinks search box can remain in place without causing technical issues, though it will no longer be used by Google.
- Rankings and other sitelinks features remain unaffected.
Key Takeaway
This update underscores the importance of keeping technical SEO practices aligned with current standards. If your internal processes or guidelines still reference the sitelinks search box, it’s time to phase them out.
Google’s documentation cleanup reflects its ongoing commitment to maintaining relevant and up-to-date resources for the SEO community.
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