Google Search Pagination: The Dropping ‘O’ Trick Explained

Back in 2008 we spotted a fun quirk in google search pagination: add two parameters to a search URL and the long “Gooooogle” logo at the bottom of the results would suddenly drop its O’s. This article explains what that trick was, why it stopped working, and how to move through Google results in 2026.

Quick answer: The old trick added &num=100&start=990 to a Google search URL, which jumped to the far end of the results and shrank the “Gooooogle” footer. Google has since changed how results load, and in September 2025 it stopped honouring the num=100 parameter. Today you move between pages with the Next button or by scrolling on mobile.

What was the dropping Google ‘O’ trick?

For years, every Google results page ended with the Google logo stretched into “Gooooogle”, with a page number under each O. It was a playful way to show how many pages of results you could click through.

In 2008 a post on the SEOmoz blog (now Moz) pointed out that two URL parameters could change it:

• num=100 asked Google to show 100 results on one page instead of the default 10.
• start=990 skipped ahead to result number 990, close to the end of what Google would show for a query.

To try it, you added &num=100&start=990 to the end of any search URL in the browser’s address bar. On that last page there were hardly any further pages to link to, so the footer shrank and the logo appeared to “drop” its O’s.

It was a harmless Google hack, but it showed something useful: the search results page was driven by simple URL parameters that anyone could edit.

Does the google search pagination trick still work?

No, not in the same way. Several things have changed since 2008:

• Continuous scroll came and went. Google introduced continuous scrolling on mobile in 2021 and on desktop in 2022, then removed it on desktop in 2024 and brought back the “Gooooogle” page bar with a Next button.
• num=100 no longer works. Around mid-September 2025 Google stopped returning 100 results per page with this parameter. SEO and rank-tracking tools that relied on it now have to load results page by page.
• Google rarely shows hundreds of results. For most searches, Google shows a limited set of pages and then stops, even when it says it found millions of matches.

How to move through Google results in 2026

On desktop

Scroll to the bottom of the results and use the page numbers or the Next link under the “Gooooogle” logo. You can still add the start= parameter to a search URL (for example start=10 for page two) to jump ahead, but expect Google to stop after a few pages.

On mobile

On phones, scroll to the end of the results and use the option at the bottom to see the next set. There is no setting to show 100 results at once.

Get better results instead of more results

If you are digging deep into results because you can’t find something, it usually works better to refine the search. Use quotes for an exact phrase, a minus sign to exclude a word, or site: to search inside one website. Our guide to Google search tips covers these, and the Google Power Searching lessons go further. Google also has an Advanced Search page with these filters in a simple form.

Other fun Google tricks

The dropping O was one of many playful quirks people found in Google over the years. If you enjoy these, see our list of Google Easter eggs that still work, such as “do a barrel roll” and the hidden games.

FAQ

What did &num=100&start=990 do in Google?

num=100 showed 100 results per page and start=990 jumped to result 990. Together they took you to the very last page of results, which made the “Gooooogle” footer lose most of its O’s.

Can I still see 100 Google results on one page?

No. Google stopped supporting the num=100 parameter in September 2025, so results load ten or so at a time.

Why does the Google logo at the bottom have so many O’s?

The “Gooooogle” footer is Google’s page bar. Each O sits above a page number you can click to see more results.

Does Google still use infinite scroll?

Google removed continuous scroll from desktop search in June 2024 and went back to page links with a Next button, and said mobile would follow.