Can a single line of code change erase 90% of the internet? That's what's happening with Google when it removes the parameter `num=100` , which allowed up to 100 results to be displayed per page. Now the maximum is 10. This isn't just a cosmetic change: it's an impoverishment of the "visible internet" —and it has profound implications for those who depend on organic traffic and the AI models that feed on that data.
1. From 100 to 10: the silent trim
The parameter num=100 was a gateway to discovering deeper, less visible but valuable content.
By closing it, Google concentrates the power of digital discovery on the first pages, leaving the rest in the shadows.
According to Search Engine Land , 77% of sites have lost impressions after the change, which shows that many pages depend on that queue to be found.
2. The new visibility block: Google takes center stage
This change is neither accidental nor neutral. It comes just as Google is promoting Gemini , its AI that has full access to the search engine's index, while other models—ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity—are losing data surface.
The strategy is clear: reduce what third parties can see in order to strengthen control over the ecosystem. Essentially, it's a technical adjustment with strategic consequences.
3. Side effects: SEO, AI and visibility economics
When the "visible internet" shrinks, language models (LLMs) lose raw material. Less accessibility = less data diversity = stronger biases.
For creators, especially those in niche markets, the blow is greater: without visibility, even the best becomes invisible.
At Brain and Code we've already discussed how AI "devours" web content, transforming human content into its food (see "The Bot Feast: How Artificial Intelligence Devours the Internet"). ( Brain and Code Tech ).
Google has always been the great digital marketplace. Today, it limits who can enter.
The change isn't just about SEO, it's about power. The message is brutal: if it's not in the top positions, it doesn't exist .
The question is no longer how to scale on Google, but how to survive when the visibility space is smaller than we thought.