Check if your site shows Google something different (cloaking)
Free cloaking checker. Wardzo compares what Googlebot and a normal browser see on your homepage to detect hidden SEO spam, sneaky redirects and other signs of a hacked site.
Some of the most damaging hacks are invisible to the site owner. Attackers inject spam that is shown only to Googlebot, or redirect only visitors who arrive from search results. Your site looks fine to you, and Google sees a pharmacy store.
What this checker compares
- Final redirect destination for a browser and for Googlebot
- HTTP status code for each
- Spam keywords (pharma, casino, loans and similar) that appear only in the crawler's version
- Off-site redirects from your homepage
Limits
Some cloaking only targets visitors who arrive from a search results page, or specific countries. A clean result lowers the risk but does not prove a site is clean.
Checks included
| Check | Severity | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Spam content shown only to Googlebot (cloaking) This is a classic sign of a hacked site: search engines see spam links or pages that visitors never see, and Google may penalise or flag the site. | critical | Treat it as a compromise: scan the server files and database for injected code, update everything, change passwords, then request a review in Google Search Console. |
| Googlebot and visitors are redirected to different places Different redirects for search engines and people are a common sign of a malicious redirect hack. | high | Check .htaccess, server config, plugins and injected scripts for user-agent based redirects. |
| Spam-like keywords found on the homepage Pharma, casino or loan keywords on an unrelated site can indicate injected SEO spam. | low | If these words do not belong on your site, search your pages and database for injected links. |
| Homepage redirects to another domain This is often intentional, but unexpected off-site redirects can be a sign of a hijack. | info | Confirm the redirect target is yours and intended. |
| Googlebot user agent got a different response Often caused by bot protection (which blocks fake Googlebots like ours), but worth a look. | info | Use Google Search Console's URL Inspection to see what the real Googlebot receives. |
This free tool runs the full passive Wardzo scan and shows these checks first. Nothing is stored in full: secrets are masked, and anonymous reports are deleted after 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
What is cloaking?
Showing search engines different content from what users see. Attackers use it to hide spam links and pages on hacked sites so the owner never notices.
Can a difference be legitimate?
Sometimes. Bot protection services may answer crawlers differently. Wardzo reports small differences as informational and only flags spam content or different redirects as serious.
Related
- What is cloaking in SEO?
Cloaking means showing search engines different content or redirects from what human visitors see. It is a spam technique and a common sign of a hacked website.
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