Google to penalize “back button hijacking” starting June 2026

Google has announced an update to its Search spam policies that explicitly targets “back button hijacking,” a deceptive browsing manipulation technique.

The change will take effect on June 15, 2026, and sites engaging in the practice risk search ranking penalties or manual actions.

According to Chris Nelson of the Google Search Quality team, the move formalizes an already discouraged behavior under its broader “malicious practices” rules, but now elevates it to a clearly defined violation amid a noticeable rise in abuse cases.

Back button hijacking refers to techniques that interfere with a user’s browser navigation, specifically preventing them from returning to a previous page using the back button. Instead of behaving as expected, users may be redirected to unrelated pages, shown intrusive ads, or trapped in a loop of unwanted content. These manipulations are typically implemented using JavaScript or browser history APIs that insert or replace entries in the user’s navigation history.

Google states that this behavior creates a mismatch between user intent and actual outcomes, ultimately degrading trust in web browsing. Reports from users have indicated growing frustration with such tactics, with some noting they are less likely to revisit unfamiliar websites after encountering these experiences.

The policy update builds on Google’s existing Search Essentials guidelines, which already prohibit deceptive practices that manipulate user experience or compromise security and privacy. However, by explicitly naming back button hijacking, Google aims to remove ambiguity and give site owners clearer guidance on what constitutes a violation.

Google, a dominant force in global search with billions of daily queries, plays a central role in shaping web standards and behavior through its ranking algorithms and policies. Changes to its spam policies can significantly impact website visibility, traffic, and revenue, particularly for publishers and ad-supported platforms that rely heavily on search engine referrals.

Enforcement of the new rule will begin on June 15, 2026, giving site owners a two-month window to audit and adjust their implementations. Websites found violating the policy may face automated ranking demotions or manual penalties applied by Google’s review teams.

Google also noted that back button hijacking is not always intentional. In some cases, it may originate from third-party scripts, embedded libraries, or advertising platforms integrated into a website. As such, site owners are urged to thoroughly review their codebase, including external dependencies, to ensure that no components interfere with standard browser navigation.