· updated 2026-10-07
When Safe Browsing flags a domain, Chrome, Firefox and Safari all show a full-page red warning. In practice traffic drops to a few percent within hours.
The order
- Do not treat the symptom. The warning disappears only when the cause does.
- Preserve the state. Server logs, a file copy and a database snapshot — before any cleanup.
- Search Console → Security issues. Google lists a few specific URLs where it found malicious content. That is a starting point, not the full list.
- Find the vector. An outdated plugin, a stolen password, another site on the same server.
- Clean and harden. Rotate every credential, including database and FTP.
- Request a review. Search Console → Security issues → “Request review”. A response usually arrives within one to three days.
The most common mistake
Submitting the request too early, after cleaning only the files Google listed. A rejected request extends the process because the next review is slower. One extra day of investigation beats a week of waiting.
If the site belongs to an institution or processes personal data, the reporting obligation is assessed in parallel — see our incident response page.