Deceptive site ahead warning
Dangerous site warning in Chrome / Chrome red warning page / site flagged by Google Safe Browsing
The Deceptive site ahead warning is a red alert Chrome can show when Google Safe Browsing detects social engineering content on a site, meaning content that tricks people into doing something dangerous. Chrome advises visitors against continuing, so traffic from Chrome can stop until the content is removed and a review is approved.
Google's Search Central documentation says Chrome may display a Deceptive site ahead warning when Google detects social engineering content on a site. It defines a social engineering attack as one where a web user is tricked into doing something dangerous online. Chrome's own help page describes a red warning that says Dangerous site.
Behind both is Google Safe Browsing, a list of websites that might put visitors at risk. Chrome's help page says it covers malware, abusive extensions, phishing, malicious and intrusive ads, and social engineering attacks. Phishing and malware detection is on by default in Chrome.
The owner's first stop is the Security Issues report in Search Console. It lists deceptive content, Google's reporting term for social engineering, with sample URLs where it has them. After all of that content is removed, the owner requests a security review from the same report.
The site's owner may not have put the content there. Google's documentation says hackers can take control of innocent sites and add pages meant to trick visitors into handing over personal information. If the report shows no sample URLs and the owner is confident the site is clean, Google's instruction is still to request a review.
In practice
An accounting firm hears from a client that its website showed a red warning in Chrome. The Security Issues report in Search Console lists deceptive content, with sample URLs inside a folder nobody at the firm recognizes. The developer removes those pages, closes the hole they came through, and requests a security review from the report.
Not the same as
- Not secure warning
- Chrome's Not secure label is about the connection to the site. The Deceptive site ahead warning is about content on the site that Google judges to be tricking visitors.
Why it matters to you
The warning stands between the site and Chrome visitors with protection switched on, whichever link brought them. A sudden drop in calls and form fills with no change in ads or rankings is a reason to open the Security Issues report. The report only helps if someone has access to it before the day it is needed.
What to ask or check
- 01Who has access to the site's Search Console property, and does anyone check the Security Issues report?
- 02Does the report list deceptive content, and for which sample URLs?
- 03Once the content is removed, has a security review been requested from the report?
What people get wrong
That the warning means the business behind the site is running a scam. Google's documentation says hackers can take control of innocent sites and use them to host social engineering content.
Red flags
- Nobody on the team has access to the site's Search Console property.