Google to launch an automatic tool for reconsidering hacked websites without webmasters needing to request it

Sep 25, 2015 23:37 GMT  ·  By

The Google Webmaster team has announced simpler procedures for admins of former hacked sites to follow, allowing them to reinstate their site in the company's search results.

Earlier this year, Google started bringing in admins of hacked websites into its Mountain View and Dublin headquarters for small brainstorming sessions on how to improve the reconsideration process for compromised websites.

These discussions led Google to undertake a series of steps into helping webmasters around the world protect their sites and prevent future hacks, while also beginning work on new tools that simplify the process of reviewing and re-allowing former hacked sites into the company's search results.

While only 15% of the webmasters they surveyed said they were dissatisfied with Google's hacked website review process, the ones that did blame it on poor communication and a lack of useful information.

Google will send customized notes and will automate some procedures

To prevent future problems, Google says it will expand on its "Note from your reviewer" feature it premiered last year. This feature allows Google staff to send customized notes to administrators of hacked websites, when these have requested a review to be reinstated.

According to Google, the company's staff used this feature for 70% of all reconsideration requests, which cut down the average review time by 29%.

This is not enough for the company though, which also started work on an automated system for reinstating hacked websites, without site admins needing to go to their Google Search Console account and request a manual review (by pressing a button).

This new automated feature is currently in beta, and Google engineers say that "if our systems detect that the hacked content is no longer present, in some cases we will automatically remove the manual action."

Additionally, earlier this year, to help website owners fix hacking issues, the company launched the Hacked Sites Troubleshooter, a step-by-step guide, now available in 23 languages.

Sample "Note from your reviewer" message
Sample "Note from your reviewer" message

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Example of a Hacked site manual action on a Partial match
Sample "Note from your reviewer" message
Open gallery