This article describes the History and Personalization in Search services settings that apply to Google Workspace for Education editions.
Starting rollout in October, Search services will introduce new settings for Personalized Recommendations and Search Services History, including Save Media. Search services include Google Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate and News. Search services map to Workspace Additional Services such as Search and Assistant, Google Books, Google Maps, Google My Maps, Google News, Google Translate, Google Search Console, and Programmable Search Engine.
Update for admins in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK), and Nigeria: These settings are now expected to launch in these locales in 2027. You will receive an email with more information about the new settings before launch.
Note: Some Search services may not be accessible to all users. These new settings do not change existing service access controls. Learn more.
How History and Personalization in Search services works
- When Search Services History (including Save Media) is on, Google saves activity in an end user's Google Account from the signed-in Search services available to that end user. History is used to tailor a user's experiences on Google services. For example, students will be able to revisit their past searches to continue their learning journeys on multi-day research projects. End users can also get personalized recommendations based on their history, depending on their personalization settings. History includes things like a user's searches, info from sites they visit with Search services, generative AI responses, and related media like images, files, and audio and video recordings from a user's interactions. History can also include info about a user's location from their device's general area and IP address. Learn more about location data, retention and use at g.co/privacypolicy/location. Google does not use your end user's Search Services History data to train generative AI models. Users can stop saving history or media, and can view or delete their history anytime in their account settings. Users can also turn Search Services History and the Save Media subsetting off at any time. Learn more.
- When Personalized Recommendations is on, signed-in Search services available to your end users can offer personalized recommendations based on info and insights in their Google Account, like saved activity across Google sites and apps, including associated info like general location. For example, Search may use students' past queries on science topics to personalize its response so concept explanations are more relevant to what the student is learning. When Personalized Recommendations are off, Search services won't personalize users' recommendations but will still tailor their experience based on current context, like their location and recent searches. Turning off Personalized Recommendations does not turn off users' Search Services History setting or delete activity saved to a user's Google Account by Search Services History. Personalization features will roll out gradually for students and may not be available in all locales. Learn more.
Manage History and Personalization settings in Search services
After launch, users will have new settings for Personalized Recommendations and Search Services History, including Save Media.
Admins will have a new admin setting that will allow you to control Personalized Recommendations in Search services for your users designated as under 18. This admin setting will have no effect on users designated as over the age of 18 in your domain.
These changes for history and personalization will start rolling out in October, except in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK, and Nigeria, where we expect these settings to launch in 2027.
How to control Search Services History
As an admin, you can control Google Search, Shopping, Hotels and Flights history for your users by turning off access to the Search and Assistant service.
You can control saving of history from other Search services like Google Books, Google Maps, Google My Maps, Google News, Google Translate, Google Search Console, and Programmable Search Engine by turning off access to those services.
Note: Assistant activity is saved in Web & App Activity, which is not a control available to Workspace for Education users designated as under 18.
How to control Personalized Recommendations for users designated as under 18
After the rollout of Personalized Recommendations in Search services in October, admins will be able to control whether users designated as under 18 can enable Personalized Recommendations in Search services.
Note: Your selection will apply to your users designated as under 18, except for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK), or Nigeria, as these settings will launch at a later time in these locales. We will inform you through email when the rollout is complete. When Personalized Recommendations is enabled by the admin and end user, this setting can offer personalized experiences in Search services that are enabled in the Google Admin console.
Search services History and Personalization Controls
| Search Services History (incl. Subsetting for Save Media) | Personalized Recommendations in Search services | |
|---|---|---|
| User Eligibility | All users outside of EEA, Switzerland, the UK, and Nigeria. | All users outside of EEA, Switzerland, the UK, and Nigeria. |
| Scope of Controls |
Search Services History saves activity in an end user's Google Account from the signed-in Search services available to that user.
Includes activity from Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and News. Includes media like images and files the user uploads and audio from voice searches and location info. |
Search services can offer users personalized recommendations in the signed-in Search services available to that user based on info and insights in their Google Account, like saved activity across Google sites and apps, including associated info like general location. |
| Applicable Services (when enabled) |
Search services (currently Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and News). Search services map to Workspace Additional Services such as Search and Assistant, Google Books, Google Maps, Google My Maps, Google News, Google Translate, Google Search Console, and Programmable Search Engine. Some Search services may not be accessible to all users. |
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| Admin Controls After Launch |
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After launch, admins can manage Personalized Recommendations for your users designated as under 18 in the Admin Console. |
| End User Control(s) |
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FAQs
What are Search services?
Search services include Google Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate and News. Search services map to Workspace Additional Services such as Search and Assistant, Google Books, Google Maps, Google My Maps, Google News, Google Translate, Google Search Console, and Programmable Search Engine. Some Search services may not be accessible to all users.
What value do Personalized Recommendations in Search services and Search Services History provide to my users?
Personalized Recommendations in Search services: When Personalized Recommendations is on, signed-in Search services available to your end users can offer personalized recommendations based on info and insights in their Google Account, like saved activity across Google sites and apps, including associated info like general location. For example, Search may use students' past queries on science topics to personalize its response so concept explanations are more relevant to what the student is learning.
Search Services History: History is used to tailor a user's experiences on Google services, even if Personalized Recommendations in Search services is not on. For example, students will be able to revisit their past searches to continue their learning journeys on multi-day research projects. When Personalized Recommendations in Search services is on, history collected subject to this setting is also used to personalize experiences in Search services that have been enabled by the admin.
What controls will be available to end users?
End users will have two new settings: Personalized Recommendations and Search Services History, including a Save Media subsetting.
Are these history and personalization settings launching in all locales?
No, the initial launch includes customers in all countries except the EEA, Switzerland, the UK, and Nigeria. We expect the settings to launch in those locales in 2027.
How can admins control access to Search services?
Admins can control access to Google Search, Shopping, Hotels and Flights via the Search and Assistant service. Admins can control access to Google Books, Google Maps, Google My Maps, Google News, Google Translate, Google Search Console, and Programmable Search Engine via individual service controls. Learn more about turning on or off additional Google services.
How do the admin controls for Search Services History affect end user settings?
As an admin, you can control Google Search, Shopping, Hotels and Flights history for your users by turning off access to the Search and Assistant service. You can control saving of history from other Search services like Google Books, Google Maps, Google My Maps, Google News, Google Translate, Google Search Console, and Programmable Search Engine by turning off access to those services. If the control for a Search service is set to Off, Google will no longer save activity data from that service in Search Services History. Search Services History may still save activity data from other Search services in Search Services History, if admins enable those Additional Services and users leave Search Services History enabled. Learn More.
How does the admin control for Personalized Recommendations affect end user settings?
As an admin, you can opt out of Personalized Recommendations in Search services for your end users designated as under 18.
If you allow users designated as under 18 to configure the Personalized Recommendations setting, your end users will be able to turn Personalized Recommendations on or off at any time.
If you turn off the Personalized Recommendations setting for users designated as under 18, your end users' Personalized Recommendations setting will be turned off. Users will not be able to turn it back on unless you change the admin setting.
Which admins are eligible for the pre-launch opt-out period?
Super admins or services admins in K-12 institutions outside of the EEA, Switzerland, the UK, and Nigeria can opt out their users designated as under 18 from Personalized Recommendations in Search services until September 25, 2026. Your selection will apply to your users designated as under 18 when Personalized Recommendations in Search services is rolled out in October in applicable regions.