"Deceptive site ahead" on your website? Here's how to clear it.
That red screen is Google warning visitors away from your site. It can be cleared. The order matters: find out why, fix it everywhere, then ask Google to review it. This page walks you through each step in plain words.
It's a Google Safe Browsing warning, and it can be cleared.
Google Safe Browsing has flagged something on your site as deceptive (often a hacked page you can't see), and Chrome shows the red screen to warn visitors. It goes away once Google reviews the site and finds the problem fixed. Do it in this order.
Find out why
Search Console's Security Issues report names the problem and lists example pages.
Fix it everywhere
Every affected page, not just the ones Google listed.
Ask for a review
One clear "Request Review" from Search Console.
Wait for Google
The warning comes off when Google's review passes.
Is the warning on your site, or someone else's?
Someone else's site
Close the tab. The warning is there to protect you, and there's nothing for you to fix.
Your own business website
This page is for you. Customers who click your link, your Google listing or your ads are being told to turn back, so it's worth starting today. Everything below is what to check, in order.
The different warnings, in plain words.
Owners often mix these up. You may also hear the red screens called a "dangerous site" warning. Here's what each one means for you.
Google found content that tries to trick people, such as a fake login or payment page, a misleading ad, or a page pretending to be someone else.
Google found code that may try to install harmful software on a visitor's device. Usually a sign the site has been hacked.
Something on the site offers downloads Google considers unwanted or harmful.
Not a red screen. It's a line under your result in Google Search. Different label, same first step: open the Security Issues report.
Why it happens, even when you didn't do anything.
Most owners we hear from had no idea anything was wrong. Google names three causes.
Someone broke in and changed things
A hacker added pages or changed content on your site, often pages you'd never find from your menu.
Ads or embedded content
Deceptive ads, or third-party content embedded in your pages, can get the whole site flagged.
A service that isn't clearly yours
A third-party payment, donation or booking service that isn't clearly labelled as acting for you.
What to do today, in order.
These are Google's own steps, explained. Tick them off one at a time.
Get into Search Console, and check who else is in it
Make sure you're listed as an owner of the site in Google Search Console. While you're there, check the list of users and owners. Google asks you to make sure
no new, suspicious owners have been added
. A stranger listed as an owner is a strong sign someone got in.Open the Security Issues report
It names the problem and shows sample pages. Trust this over anything else you've been told.
Google:you should rely on the Security Issues report as the source of truth
Check the sample pages from outside your own network
Use your phone on mobile data, or a computer somewhere else, not your office or home Wi-Fi. A page can look clean to you and still be bad for everyone else.
Google:clever hackers can disable their attacks if they think the visitor is a website owner
Check ads and embeds, and refresh a few times
Look at every ad, widget and embedded tool. Reload the page several times, and check it on a phone too, because mobile can show something different from desktop.
Google:ad networks may rotate the ads
Fix it throughout your site
Remove the bad pages, close the way in, change passwords, and check the pages Google didn't list too. A part-fix won't clear the warning.
Google:Fixing the issue on just some pages will not earn you a partial return
Asking Google to review your site.
When everything is fixed, open the Security Issues report and press Request Review. Send it once, when you're sure.
Google asks a good request to cover three things. Keep it short and specific.
Bought this business or website recently? Say so in your request. Google has a note for exactly this case ("But I just bought this site!"), so explain when you took over and what you've changed since.
What to write in your request
- The issueExactly what was wrong, in the words the report used.
- The stepsWhat you did to fix it, across the whole site, and how you closed the way in.
- The outcomeWhat the site looks like now, and that the sample pages are clean.
How long until the warning goes away?
Only Google decides, and we won't promise a date. Here's what Google itself says.
A review can take from a few days to a few weeks.
can cause longer turnaround time… or even get you marked as a repeat offender.
If you think Google got it wrong.
It happens, especially with a link or tool you share with lots of other sites. Check Search Console first, then use these.
Your first fix is free. Then from $100 a month.
Send us your website. We'll tell you what's behind the warning.
Your first fix is free, before you pay a cent. We can't promise when Google lifts the warning; that's Google's call. We can find what's wrong and explain it in plain words.
- We look at it the way a customer would
- Plain-words note of what we found
- No call needed, no forms, no card
Someone looking after it, every month.
Month to month, and everything stays in your name. Prices in US dollars. See every plan
Is there a contract? No. Every plan is month to month: cancel any month, keep everything, and pay $0 setup.
Questions owners ask.
Something else? Ask in the chat, email hello@penguina.website or WhatsApp us.
What does "Deceptive site ahead" mean?
It's a Google Safe Browsing warning that Chrome shows before your site opens. Google has found something on the site it thinks could trick visitors, such as a fake login or payment page or a misleading ad. It can be cleared: find out why, fix it everywhere, then ask Google to review it.
Why is Google showing it on my website when I didn't do anything?
Google names three causes: someone hacked the site and added pages or changed content, deceptive ads or embedded third-party content, or a third-party payment, donation or booking service that isn't clearly labelled as acting for you. In Google's words, "hackers can take control of innocent sites".
How do I get rid of the "Deceptive site ahead" warning?
Open the Security Issues report in Google Search Console, check that no new, suspicious owners have been added, look at the sample pages from outside your own network, check ads and embeds, and fix the problem throughout the site. Then press Request Review once, explaining the issue, the steps you took and the outcome.
How long does it take for the warning to go away?
Google decides, so nobody can promise a date. Google's Security Issues help says "A review can take from a few days to a few weeks", and its guide to deceptive content says reviews take "several days".
Should I request another review if the warning is still showing?
Only once the fix is really finished. Google warns that resubmitting before the fix is done "can cause longer turnaround time… or even get you marked as a repeat offender".
Is "This site may be hacked" the same as "Deceptive site ahead"?
No. "This site may be hacked" is a note under your result in Google Search, not the red screen in the browser. The first step is the same: open the Security Issues report in Search Console and see what it lists.
My site looks fine to me. Why is it still flagged?
Some hacks hide from the owner. Google says "clever hackers can disable their attacks if they think the visitor is a website owner", and that "ad networks may rotate the ads". Check the sample pages on mobile data or another network, refresh a few times, and check on a phone too.
What if Google flagged my site by mistake?
Check the Security Issues report in Search Console first. Then look up your address on the Google Transparency Report's Safe Browsing site status page, and if you still think it's wrong, use Google Safe Browsing's form to report an incorrect phishing warning.
I just bought this business or website. What should I do?
Fix the issue, then say so in your review request. Google has a note for this case ("But I just bought this site!"), so explain when you took over and what you've changed since.
How much does it cost to fix?
Your first fix is free, before you pay a cent. We look at your site the way a customer would and tell you in plain words what we found. We can't promise when Google lifts the warning. After that, plans start at Keep, $100 a month, with $0 setup.
Is there a contract?
No. Every plan is month to month: cancel any month, keep everything, and pay $0 setup. See "Is there a contract?" on our pricing page.