Why did your Google Search Console chart suddenly slope downward around September 10, 2025? Because Google quietly retired the &num=100 search parameter.
The &num=100 search parameter setting was a staple for automated large SERP capture used by rank tracking solutions and analytics tools. It let SEOs pull 100 results at once, making it easier to see the full search engine results and track performance from pages one to ten.
Without notice, Google took that option away, forcing ten times as many requests to capture the same data, driving up costs for SEO tools and large-scale SERP-scrapers. The shift caused a sharp drop in reported desktop impressions across the industry. What looked like a performance problem was simply a change in how data is collected.
Let’s get into the details.
Google Retires the &num=100 Parameter – and Shakes Up Rank Tracking
Around September 10, 2025, as Search Engine Journal first reported, Google stopped honoring the &num=100 parameter, which once allowed SEO tools to pull 100 results per crawl. Without it, rank-tracking software must now make roughly ten times more requests to capture the same dataset, dramatically increasing cost and complexity. Some have argued the move is part of Google’s push to curb aggressive AI-driven scraping, with SEO tools caught in the middle.
The effects were immediate. Analysts and tool providers immediately noted gaps in ranking reports and sudden drops in Google Search Console desktop impressions.
Many experts believe that past impressions were inflated by automated crawlers as bots loading pages with 100 results inflated impression counts far beyond what real users typically see. While it is definitely jarring to see your performance metrics trend down, the reality is that cutting the parameter stripped that artificial volume from reporting, meaning this change now provides a more realistic view of what your actual audience is seeing and when.
Breaking Down the &num=100 Changes and How They’ll Impact You
The sudden drop in impressions after September 10 does not mean your audience vanished. What changed is how tools capture data. It’s about a new, more accurate data reality. Google’s change rightsizes the way impressions are counted and rankings are tracked, creating a new baseline for measurement that curbs bots and centers humans. While this might sound like a technicality, the change can have real consequences for how rankings, impressions, and reporting are delivered to you.
1. Reporting visibility beyond page one just got harder (and more expensive)
Until now, rank-tracking tools like BrightEdge, Conductor and Semrush could capture the top 100 search results with a single request. That meant page two through ten rankings (the “striking distance” keywords that often represent the easiest growth opportunities) were visible at scale.
With the &num=100 parameter gone, each page of search results must be scraped separately. That’s 10x as many requests, and 10x the cost, to collect the same dataset. Some tools will make that investment. Others won’t. The result: fragmented, inconsistent, or incomplete visibility into deeper keyword rankings, depending on the platform you use.
For businesses, this means two things to anticipate:
- Gaps in keyword reporting below page one. Striking distance opportunities may no longer be surfaced as clearly or consistently.
- Potential pricing changes. Because crawling is now more resource-intensive, expect keyword limits or pricing adjustments from SEO platforms in the months ahead.
2. Your impression numbers are being “right-sized”
This update also impacts Google’s own tools, including Google Search Console. Impressions, average position and click-through rate all dropped sharply, not because people stopped seeing your content, but because fewer bots are inflating the counts.
Before September, many page two through ten impressions came from automated crawlers loading 100 results at a time. Those inflated numbers are now gone. What you see going forward will reflect a more human-centered measure of visibility.
For business leaders, that means:
- Reports before and after September aren’t apples-to-apples. Year-over-year and month-over-month comparisons of impressions, average position, and average click-through rate will be inflated across the change.
- Dashboards and KPIs need recalibration. Expectations with leadership will need to be reset to reflect the new baseline.
3. People, not bots, are still at the center
The sharp drop in impressions after September 10 does not mean demand collapsed. It reflects a shift in how reporting tools count them. The most valuable impressions, the ones from real people, are unaffected. Your content is still reaching your audience, and your strategies should continue to focus on driving meaningful engagement with them.
This update limits inflated bot data. While not perfect (some crawlers will still pay the cost to crawl deeper pages), the trend is toward reports that better reflect real user behavior. The takeaway is clear: SEO success remains rooted in delivering value to people, not in chasing impressions or rankings alone.
Refocusing Your SEO Reporting on What Really Matters
This change disrupts measurement, not performance. Your audience has not vanished, and demand for your products or services has not collapsed. What’s changed is the way impressions and rankings are reported. The real drivers of SEO success remain constant: your audience’s interest, engagement and trust in your brand.
What’s needed now is a sharper focus on what truly matters: building meaningful connections with people through high-quality, helpful content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness. Impressions and rankings still serve as useful signals, but they are just that: signals. The real outcomes to anchor strategy around are sentiment, engagement, and business growth.
The fundamentals haven’t shifted. By centering people, investing in content that serves them, and aligning SEO reporting with big-picture business objectives, you ensure your brand’s visibility continues to grow in ways that matter most. And if your business needs help reframing its approach or navigating this new measurement landscape, Noble Studios is here to guide the way.
If you would like to understand how this change may affect your brand and explore ways to adapt, reach out to our team.
