Display & Video 360 · Status at source date: Newsletter archive
Google back-button hijacking becomes an explicit spam policy violation, enforced June 15
Google has expanded its spam policies to explicitly prohibit back-button hijacking: using scripts or browser history manipulation to prevent users from returning to the previous page. The practice is now classified under the malicious practices spam policy, meaning sites may face manual spam actions or automated ranking demotions from June 15, 2026.
This update uses a PMC cover because no suitable source image was available when checked on 8 Sept 2026. Available source and video links are retained.
What changed
Google notes the behaviour can originate from third-party libraries or advertising platforms on a site, placing responsibility on site owners regardless of source. Since December 2024, Google has linked manual search penalties to advertising eligibility: meaning a manual action under this policy could affect paid advertising too.
Why it matters for advertisers
For you, this means auditing landing pages and ad-served pages before June 15, specifically reviewing History API manipulation, exit-intent overlays tied to navigation events, content recommendation widgets, and third-party ad scripts.
Perspective from the original PMC newsletter.Sources & contributor credit
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Original newsletter text and archive evidence
Google back-button hijacking becomes an explicit spam policy violation, enforced June 15
Google has expanded its spam policies to explicitly prohibit back-button hijacking: using scripts or browser history manipulation to prevent users from returning to the previous page. The practice is now classified under the malicious practices spam policy, meaning sites may face manual spam actions or automated ranking demotions from June 15, 2026. Google notes the behaviour can originate from third-party libraries or advertising platforms on a site, placing responsibility on site owners regardless of source. Since December 2024, Google has linked manual search penalties to advertising eligibility: meaning a manual action under this policy could affect paid advertising too.
For you, this means auditing landing pages and ad-served pages before June 15, specifically reviewing History API manipulation, exit-intent overlays tied to navigation events, content recommendation widgets, and third-party ad scripts.
Source captured . No explicit first-contributor label was provided for this update.
