Google says "This site may be hacked"
Seeing a warning attached to your own site is alarming, and it costs you visitors immediately. The good news is that these warnings are removed once the site is genuinely clean and you ask for a review. The important part is fixing the cause first, because a review that fails can take longer the second time.
We reply within 1 business day (Mon–Fri, 9–5 ET)
What you're seeing
- A grey line reading "This site may be hacked" under your listing in Google results
- A full red screen in Chrome saying "Deceptive site ahead" or "The site ahead contains malware"
- A security issues message in Google Search Console
- Traffic falling off a cliff with no other explanation
Why it happens
Two different warnings
The grey "This site may be hacked" line comes from Google Search when it believes pages were added or changed by someone else. The red full-page warning comes from Safe Browsing, which browsers use, and means Google believes the site actively harms visitors.
Spam pages added to your site
Attackers publish hundreds of pages on your domain to rank for their own keywords. Google sees them and flags the site.
Malicious code served to visitors
Injected scripts that redirect people or push downloads, which is what triggers the red browser warning.
A compromised ad or script
Occasionally the malicious code comes from a third-party script the site loads rather than from your own files.
What to do right now
Do this
- Open Google Search Console and read the Security Issues report, which often names sample affected pages
- Search Google for "site:yourdomain.com" to see what pages Google has indexed under your domain
- Change your WordPress and hosting passwords
- Get the site cleaned before requesting a review
Don't do this
- Don't request a review before the site is clean. A failed review delays the next one
- Don't assume the warning is a mistake. Google is usually reacting to something real
- Don't hide the pages with a plugin. The underlying files still need removing
How we fix it
- 1Clean the infection itself: injected code, spam pages, backdoors, and rogue accounts
- 2Remove the spam URLs and repair sitemaps so Google stops finding them
- 3Verify the site is clean from outside, the way Google looks at it
- 4Submit the review request in Search Console and Safe Browsing and track it
- 5Harden the site so the warning doesn't come back
Cleanups start at $349, with a money-back guarantee: if we can't clean your site, you don't pay.See pricing
Questions
How long until the warning goes away?
Once a review is requested on a genuinely clean site, Safe Browsing reviews are often resolved within a few days, and search warnings can take a little longer to clear from results. Google controls the timing, so we can't promise an exact date.
Is my site definitely hacked?
Usually yes. Occasionally the trigger is a third-party script or an ad network rather than your own files, which is one of the things we check.
Will my rankings come back?
Most sites recover once the warning is lifted and the spam pages are gone, though it isn't instant. Cleaning quickly gives the best outcome.
Other symptoms
- Visitors get redirectedYour site sends people to spam, scam, or adult sites, often only on mobile or from Google.
- Strange pages in GoogleJapanese, pharma, or casino pages you never created show up under your domain.
- Your host suspended youYour hosting company took the site offline or quarantined files for malware.
- Your site sends spamYour host or email provider says your server is sending spam or phishing emails.
- You're locked outYour admin password stopped working, or there are admin users you didn't create.
- It keeps coming backYou cleaned the site, and the malware was back within days.
- Card skimmer on checkoutCustomers' card details are being captured at checkout by injected code.
- Fake login pagesSomeone is hosting fake bank or Microsoft login pages in a hidden folder on your site.
- Pharmacy spam in GoogleYour search listings mention pills or pharmacies, even though your pages look normal.
- A scanner says I'm infectedWordfence, Sucuri, or another plugin reports malware you can't get rid of.
Hacked right now? Let's get it fixed.
Start your cleanup and we'll take it from there. If we can't clean it, you don't pay.
We reply within 1 business day (Mon–Fri, 9–5 ET)