Google’s “&num=100” Change and SEO Tools That Still Track Top 100 Results
What Is the &num=100 Change in Google?
In September 2025, Google quietly disabled the &num=100 URL parameter that allowed loading 100 search results on one page. This parameter had long been a trick for SEOs and tools to retrieve the Top 100 Google results in a single request. After the change, using &num=100 no longer works – Google will only show the first page (10 results) and at most a second page before cutting off. In practice, getting 100 results now requires gathering 10 pages of 10 results each, dramatically increasing the workload (and API calls) needed to see the full Top 100. Rank tracking platforms that relied on one query for all 100 positions suddenly had to make 10× more requests (or risk only tracking the top 10–20). This silent update caused disruptions across many SEO tools and datasets almost overnight.
Why Did Google Remove the 100-Results Option?
Google hasn’t given an official statement, but several likely reasons emerged. One theory is that loading 100 results at once was heavily used by bots and scrapers rather than real users – inflating impressions and putting strain on Google’s infrastructure. By capping results to 10 per page, Google instantly reduced the server load from automated scraping and eliminated those “extra” 90 impressions that no actual user would scroll through. It also aligns with user behavior: virtually no one clicks through ten pages of results anymore, so Google is focusing on what people actually see. In short, Google likely wanted to make search more efficient and reflective of reality – cutting out excessive bot queries and focusing metrics on the first page (where the vast majority of clicks happen). This change also combats aggressive scraping (often for AI/data tools) by making it more costly and complex. It’s part of Google’s broader move toward “quality over quantity” in search results and data reporting, especially as AI-driven results and zero-click answers become more prominent.
How Can SEOs Adapt to the &num=100 Change?
For SEO professionals, the removal of &num=100 means rethinking rank tracking strategies. Many rank tracker tools initially broke or stopped past page-1 rankings when Google flipped this switch. To adapt, SEOs have a few options:
- Use tools that adapted – First, check your current rank tracking platform. Some providers quickly implemented workarounds (like fetching multiple pages via pagination or custom scraping) to continue delivering Top 100 data. If your tool now limits results (e.g. only shows Top 10 or Top 20), consider switching to one that still provides full Top 100 visibility (we’ll cover a few such tools below). A number of major platforms simply accepted the new 10-results rule, but a handful of others adjusted their systems to keep deep results available.
- Expect higher costs or limits – Getting 100 results now requires more effort, so even tools that adapted might raise prices or consume more credits. In some cases, a “keyword” tracked at 100-depth might count as multiple keywords in your plan (for example, one tool now counts a Top 100 check as 2 keywords’ worth of data) – effectively doubling the cost for deep tracking. Be prepared for potential pricing changes or the need to upgrade plans if you must monitor beyond page 1 regularly.
- Adjust your reporting – The &num=100 change also affected SEO metrics. Many teams saw Google Search Console impressions plunge after September 10, 2025 as those deep results stopped counting, while average position metrics jumped upward. SEOs should annotate reports for that date and explain to stakeholders that a drop in impressions doesn’t necessarily mean a drop in performance – it’s a data collection change. Moving forward, focus on metrics that matter (clicks, conversions) and communicate that visibility beyond page 1 is now harder to track. If a tool only shows Top 10, clients might panic about “lost” rankings that are actually just beyond 10. You may need to educate clients or bosses that rank #15 or #80 won’t appear unless using special tracking, and set expectations accordingly.
- Use alternate methods if needed – In a pinch, you can still retrieve results beyond page 1 manually or via custom scripts. On Google itself, you can click through pages or use the “Next” button (desktop still allows pagination or continuous scroll, loading results 10 at a time). For programmatic needs, some specialized SERP data APIs let you specify deeper results. For example, certain services (DataForSEO, SerpApi, etc.) allow fetching page-by-page or setting a depth parameter to get up to 100 results by stitching multiple calls. However, these often come with additional costs and complexity (and Google’s anti-scraping measures like CAPTCHAs can make DIY scraping tough). In general, adapting might mean tracking only the top 10–20 for routine monitoring and doing deeper checks less frequently or with dedicated tools.
In summary, SEO pros should stay flexible. This change is a good reminder to focus on what truly impacts business (page-1 rankings and traffic) while still having a plan to capture deeper ranking data when it’s strategically needed.
5 SEO Platforms That Still Track the Full Top 100 Results
Despite many tools cutting off at 10–20 results after Google’s update, a few platforms have committed to providing full Top 100 SERP data. Below we highlight five SEO platforms that adapted to the &num=100 change so you can still get complete ranking visibility. We’ll cover how each implemented changes to keep deep results, and what it costs today to track full top-100 rankings with each.
1. SE Ranking
SE Ranking is one of the few all-in-one SEO platforms that never stopped showing the full Top 100 results. When Google removed the &num=100 parameter, SE Ranking’s team reacted quickly – within days, they adjusted their rank tracking system so that users could continue seeing rankings beyond the first page for all tracked keywords. In other words, SE Ranking still retrieves page 2, 3, and so on behind the scenes (through safe methods) and compiles the Top 100 positions for you. This commitment set SE Ranking apart, as many competitors simply gave up on deep results. If your keyword is #85, SE Ranking will still show it, ensuring no sudden blind spots in your SEO data.
Implementation: SE Ranking likely achieved this by smart pagination and scraping adjustments in their backend. They even publicized the fact that “Most SEO tools gave up the Top 100. SE Ranking didn’t.” – a point they’ve highlighted in webinars and content. All rankings are updated daily by default, and the platform continues to provide visibility metrics (like share of voice) across the full Top 100 range in reports. Users have noted that the dashboard still happily displays positions 1–100 with no gaps, meaning SE Ranking absorbed the extra cost of 10x queries so their customers wouldn’t lose data.
Pricing: SE Ranking is also known for its affordable, flexible plans. Pricing is based on the number of keywords (with full 100-result tracking included for each) and update frequency. As of late 2025, the Essential plan is $65/month and supports tracking about 500 keywords daily (1 user, up to 5 projects). The mid-tier Pro plan ($119–199/month) increases limits to 2,000–3,500 keywords and adds features like Share of Voice and integrations. For agencies and large projects, the Business plan (starting at $259/month, scaling to $599/month) allows 5,000 to 15,000 keywords with API access and unlimited projects. All plans include full Top 100 tracking on daily updates – there’s no extra fee specifically to see beyond page 1. In SE Ranking’s case, your only limitation is the number of keywords in your subscription, not the depth of results. Even the $65 plan gives you 500 keywords worth of deep rankings every day, which is a great value for comprehensive tracking. (Note: SE Ranking offers 20% off if billed annually, and you can purchase additional user seats or features as needed.)
2. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a leading SEO suite, and it felt the &num=100 change acutely in its Rank Tracker. Initially, Ahrefs had to limit rank tracking to the first page of Google because their third-party data providers could no longer pull results beyond page 1. This meant many users saw their tracked keywords “stuck” at a max position of 10. Ahrefs acknowledged the issue and promised to find a solution. By early October 2025, they rolled out a fix but only for Enterprise-tier customers: “Tracking the top 100 results is now possible in Rank Tracker for Enterprise customers.”. This indicates that Ahrefs implemented an advanced (and likely resource-intensive) method to fetch deeper results, and they’ve reserved it for their highest-paying users while they evaluate scaling it more broadly. Standard Ahrefs users as of late 2025 may still see only top 10 (or top 20) results for each keyword, as the company cautiously monitors the situation. Essentially, full Top 100 tracking on Ahrefs is currently a premium feature due to the increased costs.
Implementation: On the Enterprise plan, Ahrefs now performs multiple queries or uses alternate data sources to compile positions 11–100 for tracked keywords. They noted they are “investigating potential solutions to scale these changes” beyond Enterprise, but haven’t made promises for lower plans yet. This approach reflects the costliness of deep tracking – Ahrefs chose to reintroduce it first for the segment of customers who need it most and can justify the expense. Enterprise users get daily updates with all 100 positions, whereas Lite/Standard/Advanced plan users might currently be limited to page-1 rankings (until Ahrefs finds a sustainable way to include more).
Pricing: Ahrefs’ plans range from $129/month (Lite) up to $449/month (Advanced) for most users, and then the Enterprise plan around $1,499/month (often billed annually) for large-scale needs. The Enterprise tier – which is the one that now includes full 100-result tracking – typically allows 10,000 tracked keywords and 100 projects, along with higher data limits and API access. In contrast, the lower tiers come with significantly fewer keywords (e.g. 750 keywords on Lite, 2,000 on Standard) and currently do not guarantee Top 100 results data beyond page 1. For an agency or business that relies on Ahrefs’ extensive toolset and must have Top 100 rankings, the Enterprise plan is the viable option (albeit a costly one). At ~$1.5k per month, it’s a considerable investment, but it does restore the deep SERP visibility that was lost. Smaller users of Ahrefs might temporarily accept tracking only top 10 or use a secondary tool to grab deeper rankings until Ahrefs possibly extends that capability to more plans.
3. Semrush
Semrush, another industry-leading SEO platform, took a slightly different approach. When Google killed the 100-results view, Semrush reassured users that tracking the Top 10 and Top 20 was unaffected, since their system could already handle those reliably. For Top 100, Semrush didn’t make big public statements, but they quietly continued to provide data up to the Top 100 in their Position Tracking tool, presumably by deploying additional scraping on the backend. Essentially, Semrush still shows you if you rank #57 or #89 on a keyword – they didn’t remove that from the interface. However, the company has been cautious in communications, not outright guaranteeing that this will always be the case going forward. The wording suggests that Semrush managed to keep full SERP tracking running for now, but if Google introduces even stricter anti-scraping measures, they might revisit their approach. As of late 2025, though, Semrush users continue to enjoy deep ranking reports (the familiar Top 100 view with distribution charts, etc., remains intact).
Implementation: Likely Semrush now performs multiple page fetches for each keyword in the background. They have the resources to do this at scale, given their large user base and infrastructure, but it’s also about cost-benefit. Semrush’s stance was essentially “we’ve got it covered for now, but no promises”. It indicates that while they didn’t want to alarm users, they are monitoring how sustainable it is. Practically, if you use Semrush’s Position Tracking, you’ll still get metrics like “Top 3 vs Top 10 vs Top 100 keywords count” and see your keywords’ exact positions up to 100. So for end users, not much changed – except perhaps a bit more appreciation that Semrush is doing extra work behind the scenes to maintain that data feed.
Pricing: Semrush offers three main plans: Pro at $139.95/month, Guru at $249.95/month, and Business at $499.95/month. These plans include tracking for 500, 1,500, and 5,000 keywords respectively, among many other SEO features. Notably, all plans come with one user seat (additional seats cost extra). Importantly, Semrush has not charged separately for Top 100 tracking – it’s included as part of the Position Tracking tool in all plans. So even the entry-level Pro plan allows deep ranking checks on your 500 keywords. This makes Semrush a solid choice if you already use it, since you get comprehensive rank data plus their extensive keyword research, link analysis, and content tools in one subscription. Just keep in mind that Semrush’s overall pricing is on the higher side, and certain advanced features or high query volumes may require the higher-tier plans. If your priority is full SERP tracking alongside a broad SEO toolkit, Semrush delivers it (with the caveat that the situation could evolve if Google further tightens things). For now, though, you can trust Semrush to show even those page-9 rankings – they’re simply baked into the cost of your plan.
4. Pro Rank Tracker
Pro Rank Tracker (PRT) is a specialized rank tracking service that, much like its name suggests, focuses primarily on keyword tracking and reporting. Unlike many “big suite” tools, PRT from the outset emphasized flexible, in-depth rank monitoring, and it explicitly records full SERPs up to the Top 100 for each keyword by default. This made PRT a hero to some SEOs after Google’s change – while others struggled to get beyond 10 results, PRT continued to show positions 1 through 100 for all tracked terms without interruption. The platform is designed for accuracy and transparency, and it didn’t shy away from the increased workload. As a result, agencies and users who rely on comprehensive ranking reports (including those lower spots) turned to or stuck with PRT when other tools faltered.
Implementation: PRT likely adjusted by using pagination and their own scraping infrastructure to fetch all 10 pages of Google results needed. Since PRT’s core product is rank tracking, they allocate resources specifically for this purpose. Their system supports daily automatic updates and even on-demand refreshes on higher plans, and crucially, it still captures the full Top 100 rankings for each query so you can monitor not only your site but also how competitors are moving below you. The commitment to full SERPs can generate a lot of data (and possibly noise if you only care about page 1), but it’s invaluable for seeing the broader competitive landscape. For example, PRT users can easily identify who’s ranking in positions 50–100 and watch those entrants that might climb upwards, giving a competitive edge. The platform didn’t “drop” deep results at all – if anything, they highlighted that as a differentiator.
Pricing: Pro Rank Tracker is known for flexible and affordable plans, especially compared to enterprise-focused tools. Plans are tiered by the number of keywords tracked. As of now, the Starter plans range from $49 to $89/month for tracking 500 to 1,000 terms (daily updates, full 1-100 SERP coverage included). The Pro plans (around $109–149/month) cover 1,500 to 2,500 keywords and add features like on-demand updates and multi-user access. For agencies or large operations, the Agency plan starts at $180/month and scales up for 3,000+ keywords (even 20,000+ with custom quotes), including API access and unlimited users. All these plans inherently include Top 100 tracking – there’s no special surcharge to get deeper results. PRT’s value proposition is that you pay roughly $0.10 or less per keyword in many tiers, which is quite cost-effective given that each “keyword” yields 100 positions of data. For an agency managing numerous campaigns, PRT can be significantly cheaper than the likes of Semrush or Ahrefs, especially if rank tracking is your primary need. It’s worth noting PRT also offers white-label reporting and a mobile app for clients, which makes it popular among SEO agencies. If you want a dedicated rank tracker that didn’t flinch at Google’s change, PRT is a strong contender – you get the full SERP data and robust reporting without breaking the bank.
5. Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) is a veteran SEO tool (around for over two decades) renowned for its scalable rank tracking and customizable reporting. Unsurprisingly, AWR adapted to the &num=100 retirement with a thoughtful solution. It still allows tracking up to the Top 100 results, but with a twist: AWR now counts each keyword tracked to 100 results as two keywords towards your plan quota. If you choose to limit tracking to the Top 50 results, it counts as one keyword. This approach acknowledges the increased cost of gathering deeper data – essentially, AWR lets the user decide if a given keyword merits the full Top 100 treatment (at double cost) or if Top 50 is sufficient to save on usage. The good news is that AWR absolutely can retrieve all Top 100 positions on a daily basis; the consideration is just how you budget your keyword credits.
Implementation: Under the hood, AWR supports over 4,000 search engines and has always been built for depth. Fetching multiple pages of Google SERPs is well within its capability, and it even offers update frequencies as high as every hour on certain plans. When Google changed their rules, AWR decided not to drop to Top 10 or 20 like some tools, but instead to be transparent about resource usage – hence the 2 credits for 100 results policy. This means if you have, say, 1,000 keywords in your plan and you want all of them tracked to the Top 100, you’d effectively use 2,000 of your 7,000 (or whatever) keyword allotment. Many users mix and match: perhaps track your critical head terms to 100, and less important long-tails to 50, optimizing within your quota. The platform itself continues to display full SERP details. AWR is often praised for its accuracy and thoroughness in rank tracking, providing not just positions but also metrics like pixel height (how far down the page a result appears) and rich snippet tracking. It was built for power users who want as much data as possible, so maintaining Top 100 was a given – they just made it optional per keyword so clients can control costs.
Pricing: Advanced Web Ranking’s plans are structured by the number of keywords and update frequency. The Pro plan at $99/month includes tracking around 7,000 keyword rankings (with daily/weekly updates). The Agency plan at $199/month doubles that to 14,500 keywords and allows more frequent updates (even daily or hourly if needed). The Enterprise plan for $499/month covers up to 35,500 keywords, and AWR also offers custom plans starting ~$700/month for even larger needs. All plans support unlimited projects (websites) and come with advanced features like white-label PDF reports, API access, and competitor analysis. With the Top-100-counts-as-two rule, effectively the $99 Pro plan could track 3,500 keywords with full 100 results, or 7,000 keywords with top 50 only – or any combination in between. Even at double credits, AWR’s quotas are quite generous (e.g. 7k keywords on Pro vs typical 500 on similarly priced plans of other tools). This makes AWR very attractive for agencies or large sites that need to monitor thousands of keywords deeply. It’s a bit of a power-user tool (not as simplistic as some newer SaaS UIs), but it is trusted for its reliability. In fact, AWR was cited as being “valued for ... full SERP tracking up to the top 100 results” by many SEOs. If you don’t mind managing keyword credits, AWR gives you the full picture of search rankings at a reasonable price point.
FAQ: Google’s &num=100 SERP Change
What was the &num=100 parameter on Google?
It was a URL query parameter (&num=100) that told Google to display 100 organic results on one page instead of the default 10. SEO professionals often used it (manually or via tools) to quickly see the Top 100 search results without clicking through multiple pages. Google removed this functionality in 2025, so the parameter no longer works as intended.
When did Google remove the 100-results option?
Google rolled it out quietly around September 10–13, 2025. Many in the SEO community noticed around September 11th that &num=100 no longer returned full results. There was no big announcement; the change happened behind the scenes as a test that quickly became permanent.
Why did Google disable 100-result pages?
The primary reasons are likely efficiency and data accuracy. Loading 100 results in one go was heavy on Google’s servers (and often used by scrapers, not real users). Also, virtually no users browse all 10 pages of results, so Google decided to align with actual user behavior. By limiting to 10 per page, Google reduces server load and prevents automated tools from easily grabbing tons of results. It also means Google Search Console impressions now reflect more realistic visibility (only counting results that would actually be seen on page 1 or 2).
How did this change impact SEO rank tracking tools?
It broke or limited many rank trackers. Tools that used to pull one query for the Top 100 suddenly only got 10 results back, leaving positions 11-100 uncollected. Some tools initially showed incomplete data or stopped reporting ranks beyond #10–20. Rank tracking companies had to scramble to update their systems – either running multiple page-by-page queries (increasing costs) or, in some cases, temporarily capping their results at page 1. This caused data gaps until fixes were in place.
Which SEO tools still show the Top 100 results?
A handful of platforms adapted quickly and continue to provide full SERP data. SE Ranking is one notable example that kept showing 1–100 for all keywords. Others include Semrush (still shows deep results), Pro Rank Tracker (always records full top 100), Advanced Web Ranking (supports top 100 as an option), and some smaller tools like SERPWatcher/Serpstat also brought back 100-results views. Many big-name tools, however, either require multiple API calls or restrict deep results unless you’re on a higher plan.
Can I still retrieve 100 Google results manually or via an API?
Manually, you can get 100 results by clicking through pages (Google web search will show 10 results per page; you’d click “Next” through to page 10 if available). There’s no longer a one-click “show 100” option. Via API or scraping, it’s trickier but possible: you must retrieve results page by page. Some SERP APIs let you specify a depth (e.g. fetch 100 results by internally paging), but you may need to pay for multiple requests. In short, you can still gather Top 100 data, but it requires either more effort (multiple calls) or using services specifically designed to handle Google’s pagination.
Why did my Google Search Console impressions drop in September 2025?
This was a widespread effect of the &num=100 change. If your site had many rankings beyond page 1, those were counted as “impressions” before (when bots loaded 100 results) but stopped being counted after Google’s update. So GSC showed a sharp drop in total impressions for many sites, and a concurrent rise in average position (since those page-2+ rankings weren’t factored in anymore, your average rank improved mathematically). It doesn’t necessarily mean you lost traffic or actual visibility to users – it’s that Google stopped counting the instances where your site was ranking, say, #37 with nobody likely seeing it. It’s important to annotate this change in your reports so stakeholders understand it’s a data change, not a sudden performance collapse.
Does the &num=100 change affect mobile search results?
Not as much. Google had already introduced continuous scrolling on mobile (loading more results as you scroll) prior to this, which naturally limited how deep most mobile users go. The &num=100 parameter was primarily a desktop workaround. After the change, desktop search now behaves more like mobile, in that you don’t easily get huge lists of results at once. Mobile was essentially capped in practice due to infinite scroll fetching a few pages worth automatically. So the impression drops and rank tracking issues were more pronounced on desktop results data. In summary, mobile SERPs were largely unaffected, whereas desktop tracking had to adjust significantly.
Is tracking beyond page 1 still important for SEO?
It depends on your goals, but for many, yes. Tracking beyond page 1 can reveal opportunities and monitor progress. If you’re optimizing content, you want to know if it’s on page 2 or 3 (positions 11–30) and improving over time towards page 1. For competitive research, seeing who ranks in the Top 50–100 can highlight emerging competitors or how volatile a niche is. Also, agencies often need to report full rankings to clients – otherwise a client who moved from #95 to #45 would never know about that positive movement if only Top 10 are shown. That said, the true business value of rankings past page 2 is modest (since click-through rates there are very low). So it’s a balance: strategically, you track deep rankings to inform your SEO strategy and brag about gains, but you focus on page-1 rankings for traffic and ROI. With Google’s change, the industry conversation has shifted more toward prioritizing quality of rankings over quantity, yet most SEO professionals agree that having full visibility (through the right tools) is still important for a complete picture. In short: you don’t ignore what’s beyond page 1, but you interpret it in context.
Conclusion: The Future of Rank Tracking Beyond Page One
Google’s retirement of the &num=100 parameter was a wake-up call for the SEO industry — a reminder that data access in search isn’t guaranteed and that SEOs must stay agile as Google continues reshaping how results are delivered and measured. While some rank-tracking platforms struggled or scaled back, a select few — SE Ranking, Semrush, Pro Rank Tracker, Advanced Web Ranking, and Ahrefs (Enterprise) — stepped up with solutions to keep Top-100 visibility alive.
For everyday SEOs and digital marketers, the takeaway is clear:
- Choose tools that adapt fast — platforms like SE Ranking and PRT proved their agility.
- Budget for deeper data — full-SERP visibility now costs more to collect, but remains invaluable for strategy and reporting.
- Focus on meaningful metrics — rankings beyond page one still matter, but context and conversion data matter even more.
As search evolves toward AI-driven results, zero-click answers, and personalized experiences, the ability to see the full competitive landscape — not just the first 10 links — becomes a strategic edge. The &num=100 change didn’t kill deep SEO analysis; it simply raised the bar for which tools (and marketers) can keep up.