Antivirus Blacklisted Your Website? How to Get Delisted and Regain Visitor Trust
- Vision Factory
- Jul 14
- 4 min read
Introduction
In today's virtual world, credibility is paramount. When your website is marked as unsafe by an antivirus program or blacklisted entirely, it can ruin the hard-won trust you've spent so many years building. Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, and other security companies are there to protect people from getting harmed on the internet—yet sometimes erroneously block sites or do so due to weaknesses you were not even conscious of possessing. The result? Visitors get scared away, SEO rankings tank, and business reputation is lost. The good news is that delisting and regaining trust is entirely possible—if you act fast and put the appropriate measures in place.
Why Antivirus Software Blocks Websites
Antivirus suppliers make use of automated tools and algorithms to scan for and block potential sites with malicious code, harmful content, or suspicious behavior. The most common reasons a site can be flagged include:
- Malware infections such as trojans, ransomware, or malicious JavaScript.
- Phishing attacks, where the site impersonates another to harvest user data.
- Expired or misconfigured SSL certificates, which present the site as insecure.
- Spammy or cloaked redirects, usually added without the owner's knowledge.
- Situated on a common server with other domains that are malware.
Sometimes even valid sites get blacklisted by over-cautious algorithms or because of an old reputation for their domain or IP. It is then possible for the site to get blocked by major browsers and marked with warnings such as "This website may be dangerous."
Step 1: Identify the Antivirus or Security Firm That Alerted You
You cannot repair the problem until you find out who flagged your site. Here's how :
- Use web-based scanners like Google Safe Browsing, VirusTotal, or Sucuri SiteCheck. These scan your domain through multiple security providers and alert you to any warnings.
- Monitor Webmaster Tools like Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools for security issues.
-Ask users for screenshots if they refer to security warnings—it can tell you if the warning is from Norton, McAfee, or some other antivirus.
After identifying the vendor source of the blacklist, you can then go to the vendor's official website and look for their website reputation check or false positive submission form.
Step 2: Clean Up Your Website Immediately
If your website has been hacked, it needs to be cleaned out—both in order to be delisted, and so it won't be hacked again.
- Scan for malware using tools like Sucuri, Wordfence (for WordPress installations), or SiteLock.
- Eliminate any infected files, unauthorized scripts, or unidentified admin users.
- All software plugins, themes, and the CMS (such as WordPress, Joomla) need to be up to date.
- Update all passwords, such as FTP, cPanel, database, and CMS admin logins.
- Check your index.php and .htaccess files for any hidden redirects or scripts.
- Change to secure hosting, especially if present host is not actively helping.
If you are not technical in nature, have your site security checked by an expert and accordingly have the problems fixed.
Step 3: Request a Review from the Antivirus Vendor
Once your website is clean, it is time to ask the security company to delist it. Most antivirus companies provide a public form or support ticket system for this.
Below are some popular vendors and their review websites:
When posting a review, include:
Step-by-step explanation of the steps you took to solve the problem.
List of tools that you used to scan and clean the website.
Confirmation that your SSL certificate is current, and your website is secure.
Once it is submitted, it could take days or even several weeks before your site gets processed and delisted.
Step 4: Restore Visitor Trust
Even after you have fixed the technical problem, users may not be eager to come back to your site. Here is how you can win them back:
Put security badges on your home page, showing that you're using SSL or that you've passed malware scans.
Blog post or update: Create a blog post or update explaining what happened and what you've done to fix it. Transparency builds credibility.
Improve site speed, design, and UX, which all contribute to perceived trust.
Encourage customer reviews and feedback that are capable of reversing past negative notions.
Check your domain regularly with tools such as Google Search Console and uptime monitors.
For past visitors who have viewed warning pages or were otherwise unable to access your site, you should send them an email (if you have an email list) to let them know the problem has been fixed.
Step 5: Never Blacklist Again
Having gone through the ordeal of being delisted, your primary concern should be to ensure it does not happen again. This is how:
Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) that blocks out malicious traffic.
Ensure software and plugins are always updated.
Enable two-factor authentication for all administrator accounts.
Use regular automatic backups so that you can restore your site quickly in case of an attack.
Periodically scan for viruses and perform website checks, even if all appears well.
Being proactive not only will protect your site, but it will also signal to security vendors that you're a responsible, dependable webmaster.
Conclusion
Being blacklisted by antivirus software actually feels like a crushing blow—but it's a challenge you can overcome with the appropriate response. Take a close look at why you were blacklisted, scrub your site, ask an expert to review it, and be proactive in regaining trust, and you can restore your reputation and lock down your site for years to come. In today's cybersecurity-conscious world, being proactive, responsive, and transparent is the key to long-term online success.
Comments