Google to penalize sites that hijack the back button

Google is broadening its spam policies to crack down on “back button hijacking,” a deceptive practice where websites interfere with browser navigation, blocking users from returning to the page they came from.

Instead, users are usually redirected to pages they have not visited or are shown unsolicited recommendations or ads.

“Back button hijacking interferes with the browser’s functionality, breaks the expected user journey, and results in user frustration. People report feeling manipulated and less willing to visit unfamiliar sites,” Chris Nelson, Google Search Quality Team, explained.

“Inserting deceptive or manipulative pages into a user’s browser history has always been against our Google Search Essentials,” he added.

But from now on, this behavior will be explicitly classified as a violation under the “malicious practices” category. Pages that engage in back button hijacking may be subject to manual spam actions or automated demotions, which can affect a site’s performance in Google Search results.

Enforcement begins on June 15, 2026.

Recommended actions

To align with the new policy, site owners should ensure their sites do not interfere with users’ ability to navigate browser history.

If a site uses scripts or techniques that insert or replace deceptive or manipulative pages, they should be removed or disabled.

Google also encourages site owners to review their technical implementation, including third-party code or advertising platforms, and remove or disable any elements responsible for back button hijacking.