Compromised Site in Google Ads: Root Cause, Cleanup, and Reapproval [Shopify + WordPress]

A U.S. Shopify store was disapproved for Compromised site. Root cause: a third-party iframe/script reference plus general hygiene gaps (broken links, missing robots.txt, weak trust signals). We removed the bad loads, hardened the theme/apps, refreshed policies, passed Search Console revalidation, appealed with a clean change log — and regained approval with stable serving. If you need help, reach out.

What “Compromised Site” Means in Google’s Eyes

“Compromised” broadly signals that Google detected malicious or unauthorized content on your pages. That can be injected code, obfuscated JavaScript, sketchy iframes, or scripts loading resources from domains your site doesn’t control. When this happens, Ads stops serving until you’ve fixed the root cause and proved the cleanup.

The Business Impact (and why you should act fast)

A disapproval like this means instant traffic loss and revenue at risk. Worse, once flagged, reviewers scrutinize the rest of your site for policy and trust issues — so your remediation must go beyond bare-minimum security fixes.

The Client & Context

• Platform: Shopify (theme + multiple apps)
• Market: United States
• Symptom set: Ads disapproved for “Compromised site,” Search Console security warnings, inconsistent theme behavior, and scattered technical issues (broken links/images, no robots.txt).

Our Forensic Workflow (Exact Steps)

1) Snapshot & Freeze

• Full site backup; versioned copies of theme and key templates.
• Freeze deployments until you complete the first clean pass.

2) Multi-Layer Scanning

• Server/host malware scanner and AV.
• Theme/app code diff vs. a clean baseline.
• Crawl & fetch: parse source for iframes, inline event handlers, obfuscated blocks, and external scripts from unfamiliar domains.

Finding: Repeated references to a non-site domain via iframe/script. This mapped to the policy language in the disapproval.

3) Containment & Removal

• Strip all references to the flagged domain across theme files, snippets, and app embeds.
• Remove unused apps; for necessary apps, reinstall from vetted sources.
• If new injections keep appearing after fixes, reinstall the theme from a clean copy. We considered (and recommend) this when an infection chain is unclear or too time-consuming to unwind.

4) Trust & Policy Reinforcement

Once a site is under review, Google evaluates holistically. We added or refreshed:

• Footer Company Name, Address, Phone (NAP), primary email, and time zone.
• Clear Delivery/Shipping, Refund/Returns, Terms, and Privacy pages; removed any exaggerated claims.
• Cookie consent behavior verified across templates; added missing structured data essentials.

We maintain a 160+ point compliance checklist built from dozens of suspensions/disapprovals (handy for cross-checking edge cases like “misleading claims” or payment visibility). For deeper suspension scenarios, see our full suspension guide on site.

5) Technical Hygiene

• Fix broken links and duplicate/broken images.
• Add robots.txt with platform-appropriate directives.
• Page-speed tune-ups (image compression, script ordering, app bloat reduction).
• Checkout flow consistency: verify payment methods and brand details show consistently from PDP → Cart → Checkout.

6) Search Console Revalidation

We used Search Console to mark issues as fixed and requested multiple security reviews. Expect 1–3 cycles — attach concise notes on what changed and when.

7) Google Ads Appeal (Change Log Included)

Our appeal covered:

• Summary of the issue and probable cause (third-party iframe/script).
• Exact files/areas cleaned; apps removed/reinstalled.
• Theme status (clean reinstall or verified revert).
• Links to updated policy pages and footer trust elements.
• Ongoing monitoring plan (weekly file integrity checks + monthly scans).

8) Approval & Stabilization

After revalidation and appeal, the account returned to Approved. We monitored for 2–4 weeks, watching for re-injections and maintaining a weekly crawl.

Related internal resources to link in this article:

• Google Ads Suspended? 2025 Fix Guide (great for readers who escalated from disapproval to suspension).
• Google Ads Disapproved? 2025 Guide and Compromised Site Case Study hub posts (to cluster topical authority).
• Performance case studies for credibility and downstream funnel.

FAQs

Q1: Can a single third-party iframe really trigger a “Compromised site”?
Yes. If the iframe/script sources content from a domain Google distrusts (or simply doesn’t expect on your site), that alone can trip security/policy systems.

Q2: We cleaned code but keep getting re-flagged. Why?
Persisting injections usually mean (a) a backdoored app or (b) a theme file that’s still infected. Remove questionable apps and consider a fresh, verified theme reinstall.

Q3: How quickly can we get re-approved?
Varies by complexity and review cycles. Plan for multiple Search Console and Ads review loops. The more complete your change log, the faster reviewers can green-light.

Q4: What else will reviewers check?
Everything — from claims on banners to refunds policy clarity, cookies/consent, and payment visibility. Treat this as a site-wide QA pass, not just a one-file fix.

Final Thoughts

The fastest path to reinstatement is structured: identify the true trigger, remove it everywhere, harden your stack, close policy gaps, and communicate clearly in appeals. If you need help, reach out — Google Ads management and reinstatements are our daily work.