Google Removed the “num” Parameter, But Your AWR Rankings Are Safe

Philip Petrescu

Sep 19, 2025

min read

Google recently made a major change to how search results can be retrieved: the “&num” parameter has been removed.

For years, this parameter allowed SEO tools to request up to 100 search results in a single query. Without it, fetching multiple pages now requires multiple requests, increasing costs and complexity for rank tracking software.

What Is the “num” Parameter in Google Search?

The “num” parameter was used in Google’s search query string to control the number of results returned at once (e.g., &num=100). This made it possible for SEO tools and rank trackers to efficiently retrieve multiple pages of results in a single request.

With its removal, retrieving 5 pages of Google results now takes 5 separate requests. Retrieving 10 pages requires 10 requests.

Industry Impact: Fewer Results from Rank Tracking Tools

This change has had an industry-wide impact. Many rank tracking tools immediately ran into data collection issues and responded by limiting the number of pages they deliver.

For marketers using those platforms, this often means:

Fewer results per keyword
Shallower visibility into the SERPs
Missing competitor insights and long-tail keyword opportunities

But accurate rank tracking is the foundation of SEO strategy. Without sufficient depth, you risk missing the bigger picture.

How AWR Responded to Google’s Change

At AWR, rank tracking has been our core focus for over 20 years. We’ve adapted to countless Google updates, and our mission hasn’t changed: deliver accurate, dependable rankings, no matter what.

When faced with this change, we had three possible options:

Raise prices and pass costs on to customers.
Limit depth and provide fewer results (the option many tools chose).
Absorb the costs and keep everything unchanged for our customers.

After careful consideration, we chose option 3.

What This Means for AWR Customers

No disruption: AWR ranking updates continued to run on schedule while others struggled.
No change in depth: you’ll keep receiving the same number of results per project, whether you track 5 or 10 pages.
No action needed: your projects, dashboards, and reports remain the same.

Behind the scenes, the change is significant:

A depth of 5 pages now requires 5× more requests.
A depth of 10 pages requires 10× more requests.

We’ve scaled our infrastructure to handle this increased demand and absorbed the additional provider costs so your AWR data remains accurate, fresh, and reliable.

Why This Sets AWR Apart from Other Rank Trackers

Not all SEO tools made the same decision. Some reduced the number of results delivered, leaving customers with less visibility at the same subscription cost.

By choosing to absorb the extra costs ourselves, AWR ensures you continue to see the full competitive landscape, without compromise.

That’s why, for more than 20 years, agencies and enterprises have trusted AWR to provide the deep, reliable SERP data they need.

A Pro Tip: Review Your Depth Settings

While AWR continues to deliver your chosen SERP depth, this is also a great opportunity to review your project settings.

👉 Ask yourself: Do I really need 10 pages of results, or is 5 or 2 enough for my reporting and strategy?

By optimizing depth, you can focus on the insights that matter most while reducing unnecessary traffic to Google.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Rank Tracking After Google’s Change

Google will continue to evolve its systems, and changes like the removal of the “num” parameter are part of that ongoing process.

At AWR, our role is simple: to make sure that no matter what happens behind the scenes, your rankings remain dependable.

So rest assured: your AWR data is safe, your visibility is intact, and your reports will continue to reflect the full SERP picture you rely on.

Want to learn more?
If you have questions about depth settings, update schedules, or large projects, reach out to our support team. We’re happy to help.

Your rankings are safe with AWR. Always.