Stop Google Shopping Activity & Personalized Results

Updated 7 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to stop Google from saving your shopping activity and using it to personalize product results across Search, Shopping, and YouTube. You’ll learn how to pause or delete this data, and how to turn off personalized ads based on it. No special tools are needed—just a web browser and your Google account.

What You’ll Need

A web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
Access to your Google account (you’ll need to sign in)
If you use two-step verification, have your phone or backup codes ready

Step-by-Step

Open your Google Account settings. Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in if prompted.
Navigate to Data & privacy. In the left sidebar or top menu, click Data & privacy.
Find the “History settings” section. Scroll down until you see History settings. Click on Web & App Activity.
Pause Web & App Activity. Click the blue Turn off button (or the toggle switch). A pop-up may appear; confirm that you want to pause it. This stops Google from saving your searches, including product searches and clicks.
Return to Data & privacy. Go back to the Data & privacy page. Under History settings, click YouTube History.
Pause YouTube History. Click the toggle to turn off YouTube History. This prevents Google from using your watched videos and searches to personalize product recommendations (since YouTube is a major source of shopping intent).
Go to “Ad settings”. Still on the Data & privacy page, scroll down to the Ad settings section and click Ad personalization.
Turn off ad personalization. Click the toggle to turn off Ad personalization. This stops Google from using your shopping activity (and other data) to show you personalized product ads. You’ll see a confirmation dialog; click Turn off to confirm.
Delete past activity (optional but recommended). To remove already-saved shopping activity, go back to Web & App Activity. Click Manage activity. Use the filter bar (the magnifying glass icon) to filter by date or product. Select the items you want to delete, or click the three-dot menu and choose Delete activity by to remove everything from a specific date range. Confirm the deletion.
Verify your changes. After completing the steps, go to myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy and check that all three toggles are off: Web & App Activity, YouTube History, and Ad personalization.

Common Mistakes

Only pausing one type of activity. If you pause Web & App Activity but not YouTube History, Google can still infer shopping interests from your YouTube viewing (e.g., product reviews, unboxings).
Forgetting to turn off ad personalization. Pausing activity stops the saving of data, but Google may still use data from other sources (like your search on a shared device) to personalize ads. Turning off ad personalization is a separate, necessary step.
Deleting activity but not pausing. If you delete past activity but leave the toggle on, Google will start saving new activity immediately. You must pause it first or at the same time.
Using incognito mode as a substitute. Incognito mode doesn’t stop Google from saving activity if you’re signed in. You must change the account settings.
Not checking other devices. If you use multiple devices (phone, tablet), the settings are account-wide, so they apply everywhere. But you may need to sign out and back in on some devices for the changes to fully take effect.

Tips

Use the “auto-delete” option. Instead of pausing entirely, you can set Web & App Activity to auto-delete after 3 or 18 months. This keeps some functionality (like personalized search suggestions) while limiting long-term storage.
Check your “Other Google activity” settings. Some shopping-related data may be stored under “Other Google activity” (e.g., your interactions with Google Shopping on third-party sites). Review this section periodically.
Use the “Google My Activity” page. You can review and delete activity in bulk at myactivity.google.com. Use the search bar to filter by “Shopping” or product names.
Consider a separate browser profile. If you want to keep your main Google account fully clean, create a separate browser profile for personal shopping that isn’t signed into Google.
Understand the trade-off. Turning off personalization means you’ll see less relevant ads, but you’ll also lose some convenience (e.g., search suggestions based on your past activity).

Troubleshooting

The toggle won’t turn off. If you see a message that “your administrator has turned off this setting,” you’re likely using a Google Workspace account (school or work). Contact your IT administrator—you cannot change this yourself.
Activity still appears after pausing. Check if you have multiple Google accounts. Pausing on one account doesn’t affect another. Also, ensure you’re signed in to the correct account (check the avatar in the top-right corner).
Personalized ads still appear. Ad personalization may take up to a few hours to fully update. Also, clearing your browser cookies can help. If you’re still seeing personalized ads, it could be from a different source (e.g., a third-party app) or from a device where you’re not signed in.
You can’t find the settings. Google occasionally changes the layout. Use the search bar in your Google Account settings and type “Web & App Activity” or “Ad personalization” to jump directly to the correct page.
Deleting activity fails. If you get an error when trying to delete activity, try using a different browser or clearing your browser cache. If the issue persists, wait a few hours and try again—Google may be temporarily overloaded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does pausing Web & App Activity stop all data collection?

No. It stops Google from saving your search and browsing activity to your account. However, Google may still collect some data for security and basic services (like protecting your account), and it may use cookies to remember your preferences.

Will I still see ads after turning off ad personalization?

Yes, you’ll still see ads, but they won’t be based on your shopping activity or other personal data. Instead, you’ll see generic ads that may be less relevant to you.

Can I delete only some shopping activity, not all?

Yes. Go to Web & App Activity → Manage activity. Use the search bar to filter by product name or “Shopping” category. Then select individual items and delete them. You can also use the “Delete activity by” option to delete a specific date range.

Do these settings apply to my phone and tablet?

Yes, they are account-wide. Once you change the settings, they apply to all devices where you’re signed in to that Google account. However, you may need to close and reopen apps or browsers for the changes to take effect.

Will turning off personalization affect my Google Assistant or smart home devices?

It may affect personalized responses (e.g., “Good morning” with your news), but basic functionality like timers and reminders will still work. You can keep Web & App Activity on but turn off ad personalization to minimize impact.

How do I know if my changes are working?

After a few hours, check your Web & App Activity page—no new entries should appear. Also, visit a shopping site and notice whether the ads are generic or personalized. You can also use Google’s “About ads” feature (click the AdChoices icon) to see if your data is being used.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.