How to disable web search results on Windows 11

If you want search suggestions in the Start menu or Windows Search box, you can disable the feature on Windows 11.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
Pureinfotech Logo
Windows 11 with web results disabled
Windows 11 with web results disabled
  • To disable web search in Start on Windows 11, open Group Policy (gpedit.msc) > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer, open and enable the “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box” policy.
  • Alternatively, open the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer” path in the Registry, create the “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” key, and set it to “1.”
  • This process removes the Bing AI button from the Start menu and Windows Search interfaces.

On Windows 11, it’s possible to disable web results when searching in the Start menu or Search box in the Taskbar, and in this guide, I will outline the steps to complete this process.

Whenever you search for anything using the Windows Search box or Start menu, if the system can’t find a match for a document, picture, video, setting, or app, you will get a list of web results suggestions from Bing. If you click one of the links, the page will open in Microsoft Edge. Also, if you click the Bing AI button, the query will open on the browser with Copilot on the web.

Although this may be a helpful feature, it’s not for everyone, and the problem is that the system does not provide an option to disable web results or the Bing AI button from the interface. However, you can turn off these web suggestions, search highlights, and remove the Bing AI button using the Group Policy Editor or Registry.

If the device is running Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, the easiest way to turn off search suggestions is to use the Group Policy Editor to enable the policy that disables the feature. Otherwise, if you use Windows 11 Home, the Group Policy Editor won’t be available, but you can use the Registry Editor.

In this guide, I will teach you the steps to disable web results in the Search box and Start menu on Windows 11.

Warning: It’s important to note that modifying the Windows Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It’s assumed you know what you’re doing and have created a full backup of your system before proceeding.

Disable web search results on Windows 11 from Registry

To disable web search and remove the Bing AI button from the Registry on Windows 11 (Home or Pro), use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

  3. Browse to the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

  4. Right-click the Windows key, select the New menu, and choose the Key option.

    Explorer regedit key

  5. Name the key Explorer and press Enter (if applicable).

  6. Right-click the newly created key, select the New menu, and choose the “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.

    DisableSearchBoxSuggestions

  7. Name the DWORD DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and press Enter.

  8. Double-click the newly created key and change its value from 0 to 1.

    Windows 11 disable search suggestions Registry

  9. Click the OK button.

  10. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, Windows Search will no longer offer web results, and the Bing AI button will be removed from the interface. However, the search experience will continue to offer results for files, apps, and settings.

If you want to revert the changes, open the Registry, and in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer path, right-click the “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions”  DWORD, and select the “Delete” option.

Disable web search results on Windows 11 from Group Policy 

To disable web search on Windows 11 (Pro) from Group Policy, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

  3. Browse to the following path:

    User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

  4. Double-click the “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box” policy.

    File Explorer policies

  5. Select the Enabled option.

    Windows 11 disable web results suggestions

  6. Click the Apply button.

  7. Click the OK button.

  8. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, you will no longer see web results when using Windows Search from the Taskbar or Start menu. In addition, this method will also remove the Bing AI button from the interface.

If you want to revert the changes, you can use the same instructions outlined above, but in step 5, select the “Not Configured” option.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.