Google to Penalise Sites for Back Button Hijacking in Major Search Policy Update

20 articles · Updated · 9to5Google · Apr 13

Google will begin penalising websites that engage in 'back button hijacking' under its updated spam policies from June 15, 2026.
Sites that prevent users from returning to previous pages or insert deceptive content into browser history risk lower search rankings or manual penalties.
Google urges site owners to audit their code, including third-party tools, to ensure compliance and avoid impacting their visibility in search results.

Is Google's back button hijacking policy truly for users, or also to control ad monetization?

Could legitimate Single Page Applications be inadvertently penalized by Google's new policy?

Should browsers themselves implement protections against history manipulation, not just Google?

What specific technical methods can site owners use to prevent unintentional history manipulation?

How will site owners accurately audit third-party scripts for hidden history manipulation in two months?