Google will begin penalizing websites that use 'back button hijacking' techniques starting June 15, 2026. The tech giant plans to categorize the practice as a malicious activity under its existing search policies.
Back button hijacking occurs when a website manipulates a user's browser history. Instead of returning to the previous page, the user is redirected to a different internal page, often a pop-up or a collection of content suggestions.
Websites use these tactics to inflate pageviews and increase engagement. Some platforms, such as LinkedIn, have previously been noted for redirecting users back to a main feed when they attempt to navigate away from a specific profile or job posting.
Enforcement and penalties
Google stated that the back button should always function as expected. The company intends to enforce its existing malicious practices policy, which prohibits any behavior that creates a mismatch between user expectations and actual outcomes.
'Malicious practices create a mismatch between user expectations and the actual outcome, leading to a negative and deceptive user experience,' Google wrote in its developers blog.
Sites found violating this rule face automated or manual anti-spam actions. These penalties can lead to a significant drop in search engine rankings, directly impacting the revenue of sites that rely on organic search traffic.
Google is providing a two-month window for webmasters to rectify their site configurations. The company expects developers to eliminate these deceptive navigation patterns before the June deadline to avoid search visibility loss.
