Google to punish ‘back button hijacking' from June 2026: Here's what website owners should do

Google has announced punishing websites that deceive users from “back button hijacking,” a malicious practice that traps users on a page and prevents them from reaching their previous destination.

The news is made official on the company’s blog post, where it is stated that there has been a rise in such practices recently. Not only does it trick users, but it also hampers browser functionality.

With back button hijacking, a website administrator inserts manipulative pages into a user’s browser history that force them to view unsolicited ads or prevent them from leaving the site altogether.

The crackdown will start from June 15, when Google will actively label this practice as “malicious” under its spam policies. Websites that do not avoid such practices may face severe penalties such as ranking down or, in worst cases, being removed entirely from Google Search history.

Google wrote: “Back button hijacking interferes with the browser’s functionality, breaks the expected user journey, and results in user frustration. People report feeling manipulated and eventually less willing to visit unfamiliar sites.”

These guidelines will be applicable irrespective of whether the hijacking occurred because of a third-party program inadvertently. It was strongly recommended by Google that the owners should examine their websites technically and remove all such scripts that prevent users from navigating back through browser history.

According to Google, a two-month grace period is being allowed to the owners so as to allow them time to make appropriate changes. Websites that may be penalized for such hijacking can apply to Google for demotion reconsideration.

Google urges website owners to avoid inserting any deceptive or manipulative pages into users’ browser history. If such practice has been adopted previously, site owners need to thoroughly review their technical implementation and disable any such code.

If the site has been fixed, submit a reconsideration request in Google’s search console.