Hacked site cleanup
We find what got in, clean it out, close the way it came through, and explain it all in plain English.
Strange redirects, a warning in Google, pages you never wrote. It’s stressful, and it’s fixable. Tell us what you’re seeing. We take a look first, then tell you what it will take before any work starts.
Example, fictional business
12+ years
serving local businesses
Real people
US-Based Team
Look first
a quick assessment before any quote
Cleanup included
for sites on the Agent Care Plan
01 / Signs your site may be hacked
Some of these can have other causes, which is why we always look before we quote. Some hacks only show to visitors coming from Google, so you may not see it yourself.
Often only people arriving from search or on a phone.
A red screen, or “this site may be hacked” in search.
Listings for things you don’t sell, under your web address.
Or sent an email about malware or unusual activity.
New admin users, or files nobody on your team added.
Links, text or pop ups nobody on your team added.
Fixed once, then the same problem showed up again.
A call or email about something odd on your site.
Sound familiar? Not sure what you're looking at? That's fine. Describe it in your own words and our team will work out what's going on.
02 / If it's happening right now
A few small things help us move faster. Everything else is our job.
03 / What cleanup covers
Removing the bad code is only part of it. If the way in stays open, it comes back. So every cleanup covers the whole job.
01 · Assess
We review what you’re seeing, any notices from your host or Google, and how far it seems to reach.
02 · Contain
We take steps to stop the damage, like switching off a redirect, while the cleanup happens.
03 · Remove
We go through files and the database for hidden code, spam pages, bad links and fake accounts.
04 · Restore
Damaged software is replaced with trusted copies, or restored from a clean backup where that makes sense.
05 · Close
We look for how they got in, like an outdated plugin or a weak login, and fix it.
06 · Reset
We review who has admin access and help you reset passwords, so old logins stop working.
07 · Verify
We open your pages, forms and checkout, and recheck the live site, just like our weekly care.
08 · Explain
What we found, what we fixed, and what we’d recommend next, in writing.
Some sites need more, like a problem on the hosting server itself, custom software or a large network of sites. If we find something outside the usual scope, we explain it and quote it before doing more.
04 / Warnings and spam in Google
A warning in Google, or search results full of pages you never made, is often how people find out. Once your site is clean, we help clear up what Google shows.
Google decides when it reviews a site and when a warning comes off, and search results can take a while to settle. We can’t promise a date or your rankings, and nobody honest can.
05 / You get it in writing
No jargon and no mystery. When your site is clean, you get a short written summary you can keep or forward to your team.
06 / How it works
How long it takes depends on what got in and the access we can get. We tell you what we know as we go, and we never start paid work without your okay.
01
Your website address, what you’re seeing, and any notices from your host or Google. Use the form
02
We look at the problem, confirm what access we need and, if you’re not on the plan, send a written quote.
03
We remove what got in, restore clean files and close the way it came through.
04
We test your pages and forms, recheck the live site and ask Google for a review if needed.
05
You get your summary and our advice. Sites on the Agent Care Plan stay watched every week.
About logins: we never ask for passwords through the public form or by plain email. Our team sets up a secure way to share access as part of step two.
07 / Keep it from happening again
Many hacks get in through software that wasn’t kept up to date. On the Agent Care Plan, our team looks after your site every week, so there are fewer ways in, and help is already on hand if something does go wrong.
08 / Pricing
Every hacked site is different, so we don’t publish a price. If you’re on the Agent Care Plan, cleanup is part of it. If you’re not, you get a written quote after a quick look, before any work starts.
For a site that needs help now, even if we don’t look after it yet.
Security and uptime monitoring, with cleanup if anything goes wrong.
Anything extra? If the cleanup turns up something outside the usual scope, like a problem on another company’s server or custom software, we explain it and quote it before doing more. Ask us about your site.
09 / Hacked site questions
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly, or email support@hostagent.net.
Not through the public form, and not by plain email. Once you get in touch, our team sets up a secure way to share your logins and hosting access. Please leave passwords out of your first message.
Redirects, Google warnings, strange pages in search, unknown logins and a notice from your host are the common signs. Some have other causes, so we look first and tell you what it is.
Get in touch as soon as you notice. Our team reads every request and replies with next steps. How long the cleanup takes depends on what got in and the access we have, and we’ll tell you what we know after the assessment.
Usually, yes. We can often work through your hosting account instead. Tell us what you do have access to and we’ll figure out the rest together.
Yes, in most cases. Send us the notice they sent you, since it often says what they found. Once the site is clean, the host can review it and switch it back on.
Usually the way in is still open, or a hidden file or account was missed. Finding and closing that is part of every cleanup we do.
That’s the goal. Your pages, posts, images and design stay. Where something has to be replaced, we use clean copies or your backups, and we tell you about anything that couldn’t be saved.
We fix what caused it and ask Google to review your site. Google decides when the review happens and when the warning comes off, so we can’t promise a date.
Yes. The plan includes security and uptime monitoring, with cleanup if anything goes wrong, plus weekly hand updates and backups on and off the server.
Share your website address and any notices from your host or Google. We’ll look first, then explain the next steps and the cost. Prefer email? Write to support@hostagent.net.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
