Google has issued a new warning to sites using back button hijacking techniques, saying those sites have two months to remove or disable those techniques. If they do not, they will be subject to both subject to manual spam actions or automated demotions within Google Search.
Back button hijacking. Google explained that “when a user clicks the “back” button in the browser, they have a clear expectation: they want to return to the previous page. Back button hijacking breaks this fundamental expectation.” Google added:
- “It occurs when a site interferes with a user’s browser navigation and prevents them from using their back button to immediately get back to the page they came from. Instead, users might be sent to pages they never visited before, be presented with unsolicited recommendations or ads, or are otherwise just prevented from normally browsing the web.”
While Google has previously said this has no impact on Google Search, that will change in two months.
June 15, 2026. Starting in about two months, June 15, 2026, Google will begin enforcement of this action. “We believe that the user experience comes first. 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,” Google added.
Why now? Google said they have “seen a rise of this type of behavior, which is why we’re designating this an explicit violation of our malicious practices policy, which says:”
- “Malicious practices create a mismatch between user expectations and the actual outcome, leading to a negative and deceptive user experience, or compromised user security or privacy.”
Google is now giving sites two months notice to take action. “To give site owners time to make any needed changes, we’re publishing this policy two months in advance of enforcement on June 15, 2026,” Google wrote.
Why we care. If you are using this technique, you probably want to remove it from your pages. You have a couple of months to make the change before any penalties or actions are taken against your website.
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