Unwanted software

Unwanted software (malware) means programs and applications that can cause serious harm to the user or their device. Having such programs on your site also carries serious reputational risks.

If the indexing bot detects dangerous or unwanted programs (or links to them) on your site, it will flag a threat of distributing unwanted software.

What qualifies as unwanted software

• When a user opens the site page:

  • The page launches a malicious script.
  • A program unexpectedly downloads to the user's device.

• When downloading a file from the site, an executable file of a different format is downloaded instead.

• The site has viruses and spyware.

• The site contains programs that, when downloaded and launched, can secretly install the following software without the user's knowledge:

  • Any extra software.
  • Software with intrusive methods to draw users' attention.
  • Hidden miners that use the device's computing power for cryptocurrency mining.

How to fix or prevent the violation

1. Remove malicious code fragments and links to unwanted software from your site pages.
2. Check your site for dangerous files using third-party services and antiviruses.
3. The text for downloadables should be easily visible and positioned in a prominent location. Make the text large, readable, and contrasting against the background.
4. Include information about the functionality of downloadable files on your site as well as what exactly they do.
5. Warn the user if there are multiple download options for a file on your site, such as downloading the original program or a version with additional components.
6. If the user is downloading an installer (downloader) instead of the actual program, clearly warn them about this.
7. Buttons and links for direct downloads should be well visible.