CROSS-CUTTING, GUARDRAILS & FUTURE-PROOFING (Lever 8)CriticalVerified
Sneaky redirects
Redirecting users somewhere different from what Google sees, or based on device or referrer to deceive, is a sneaky redirect and a spam violation. Redirects must be honest.
What it is
Users and crawlers sent to different URLs.
Why it matters
Spam violation.
How to fix it
Use honest, identical redirects.
How to find it on your site
- Test redirects as different user agents, devices and referrers.
- Look for cases where the crawler and users land in different places.
- Remove deceptive conditional redirects.
- Use straightforward, honest redirects only.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Sneaky redirects are a spam violation that can trigger action. Honest, consistent redirects keep you safe.
Impact
Severe; penalty risk. Direct.
Evidence
Sneaky redirects violate spam policies. Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search