# Website flagged as unsafe by Google, Facebook or antivirus

> Your site shows "Deceptive site ahead", can't be shared on Facebook, or is blocked by antivirus software. Here's how to clean it and get the warning removed.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/website-security/website-flagged-as-unsafe/

Browsers, social networks and antivirus programs warn people away from sites they believe contain malware, phishing or spam. Common warnings are:

- Google Chrome: **"Deceptive site ahead"** or **"The site ahead contains malware"** (a red page)
- Facebook: **"Your content couldn't be shared"**, or links are removed from posts
- Antivirus software or company firewalls blocking your site

## 1. Check why you were flagged

- **Google:** check [Google Safe Browsing site status](https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search) for your domain, and **Security & Manual Actions → Security issues** in Google Search Console. It often lists example pages.
- **Facebook:** paste your link into the [Facebook Sharing Debugger](https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/). It says if the link is blocked.
- **Other services:** [VirusTotal](https://www.virustotal.com/) checks your address against many antivirus services at once and shows which ones flag it.

## 2. Clean your website

The warning won't be removed until the cause is gone. Scan and clean your site, then close the way in by updating everything and changing passwords. See [Scanning for malware with Imunify360 and Monarx](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/website-security/scanning-for-malware-with-imunify360-and-monarx/).

Also check for:

- phishing pages someone uploaded, such as fake bank or login pages, often in a hidden folder
- links in your pages to other sites that are flagged
- redirects to other sites in `.htaccess` or your theme files

## 3. Ask for a review

- **Google:** in Search Console, go to **Security issues**, tick **I have fixed these issues**, and click **Request Review**. Describe what you cleaned. Reviews usually take a few days. See [Requesting Google to review hacked sites](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/website-security/requesting-google-to-review-hacked-sites-and-remove-the-deceptive/).
- **Facebook:** in the Sharing Debugger, click **Scrape Again**. If it's still blocked, report the block as a mistake using Facebook's feedback link on the error message.
- **Antivirus companies:** each one has a form for reporting a false positive, or a "request review" link on VirusTotal results.

## Facebook shows the wrong image or text

If your link shares fine but shows old details, it's a caching issue, not a block. See [I shared my website on Facebook but it displayed an incorrect preview](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/getting-started/guides/i-shared-my-website-on-facebook-but-it-displayed-an-incorrect-preview/).

## Related articles

- [Repairing and securing a hacked site](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/website-security/repairing-and-securing-a-hacked-site/)
- [Cleaning up an SEO spam hack](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/website-security/cleaning-up-an-seo-spam-hack/)