Legitimate websites may require that their visitors install software. These sites often do so to
provide their users with additional functionality beyond what's available in standard web
browsers, like viewing a special type of document. Please note, however, that if your site
requires specific software for your visitors, the implementation of this software installation
process is very important. Incorrect implementation can appear as though you're installingmalware, triggering our malware detection
filters, and resulting in your site being labeled with a 'This site may harm your computer'malware warningin our search results.
If using your site requires a special software install, you need to first inform visitors why
they need to install additional software. Here are two bad examples and one good example of how
to handle the situation of a new visitor to such a site:
Bad: Install the required software without giving the visitor a chance to choose whether or
not they want to install the software.
Bad: Pop up a confirmation dialog box that prompts the visitor to agree to install the
software, without providing enough detail for the visitor to make an informed choice. (This
includes the standard ActiveX control installation dialog box, since it doesn't contain enough
meaningful information for a visitor to make an informed decision about that particular piece of
software.)
Good: Redirect the new visitor to an information page which provides thorough details on
why a special software installation is required to use the site. From this page the visitor can
initiate the installation of the required software if they decide to proceed with installation.
Has your site been labeled with a malware warning in our search results due to a poorly
implemented software installation requirement? Updating the installation process to ensure that
visitors are fully informed on why the installation is necessary, and giving them a chance to opt
out, should resolve this issue. Once you've got this in place, you can go toWebmaster Toolsand request amalware reviewto expedite the process of removing any malware warnings associated with your site in Google's
search results.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],[],[[["\u003cp\u003eLegitimate websites sometimes require software installations, but poor implementation can trigger malware warnings in Google Search results.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eWebsites requiring software installations should clearly explain the need and provide users with an informed choice to proceed.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAvoid automatically installing software or using vague confirmation dialogs without sufficient information.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eRedirect new visitors to an informational page detailing the software's purpose and allowing them to initiate installation if they choose.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIf your site has a malware warning, update the installation process and request a malware review in Google Webmaster Tools.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Websites requiring special software must properly implement the installation process to avoid malware warnings. Poor implementations, like forced installs or vague confirmation dialogs, can trigger malware filters. Instead, redirect new visitors to an informative page detailing why the software is needed, allowing them to choose installation. If a site receives a malware warning due to faulty software install practices, improving the process and submitting a malware review in Webmaster Tools can resolve the issue.\n"],null,["# Request visitors' permission before installing software\n\nFriday, January 29, 2010\n\n\n*Cross-posted on the\n[Google Korea Blog](https://googlekoreablog.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_15)*\n\n\nLegitimate websites may require that their visitors install software. These sites often do so to\nprovide their users with additional functionality beyond what's available in standard web\nbrowsers, like viewing a special type of document. Please note, however, that if your site\nrequires specific software for your visitors, the implementation of this software installation\nprocess is very important. Incorrect implementation can appear as though you're installing\n[malware](/search/docs/monitor-debug/security/malware), triggering our malware detection\nfilters, and resulting in your site being labeled with a 'This site may harm your computer'\n[malware warning](/search/blog/2008/10/malware-we-dont-need-no-stinking)\nin our search results.\n\n\nIf using your site requires a special software install, you need to first inform visitors why\nthey need to install additional software. Here are two bad examples and one good example of how\nto handle the situation of a new visitor to such a site:\n\n\n**Bad**: Install the required software without giving the visitor a chance to choose whether or\nnot they want to install the software.\n\n\n**Bad**: Pop up a confirmation dialog box that prompts the visitor to agree to install the\nsoftware, without providing enough detail for the visitor to make an informed choice. (This\nincludes the standard ActiveX control installation dialog box, since it doesn't contain enough\nmeaningful information for a visitor to make an informed decision about that particular piece of\nsoftware.)\n\n\n**Good**: Redirect the new visitor to an information page which provides thorough details on\nwhy a special software installation is required to use the site. From this page the visitor can\ninitiate the installation of the required software if they decide to proceed with installation.\n\n\nHas your site been labeled with a malware warning in our search results due to a poorly\nimplemented software installation requirement? Updating the installation process to ensure that\nvisitors are fully informed on why the installation is necessary, and giving them a chance to opt\nout, should resolve this issue. Once you've got this in place, you can go to\n[Webmaster Tools](https://search.google.com/search-console)\nand request a\n[malware review](/search/blog/2007/08/malware-reviews-via-webmaster-tools)\nto expedite the process of removing any malware warnings associated with your site in Google's\nsearch results.\n\n\nWritten by\n[Jonathan Simon](/search/blog/authors/jonathan-simon),\nWebmaster Trends Analyst"]]
