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Guide · 11 November 2026

Edge says "This site has been reported as unsafe". What now?

That red page in Microsoft Edge comes from Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, Microsoft's own reputation service, not from Google. If you own the site, open the warning on your site, choose "More information" and then "Report that this site doesn't contain (malware/phishing) threats", and say on the form that you are the owner. Microsoft's reputation team reviews the site; nothing in Google Search Console changes this warning.

Source: Microsoft Learn, Unexpected block or warning on customer website in Microsoft Edge, 28 January 2026 · Microsoft Q&A, September 2024

What is SmartScreen?

SmartScreen protects Windows and Edge users from phishing and malware sites and from risky downloads. It decides about a site in two ways: it analyses the pages people visit for signs of suspicious behaviour, and it checks each site against a constantly updated list of reported phishing and malware sites. In Edge, the lists cover reported phishing, malware, exploit and scam sites. It is part of Windows itself, so it also checks files that other browsers and apps download and run.

Source: Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen overview, 23 April 2026 · Microsoft Defender SmartScreen FAQ, checked 11 November 2026

Why would SmartScreen flag a legitimate site?

Microsoft lists six things SmartScreen weighs, and a legitimate site can fail on any of them:

Reputation works both ways. Microsoft says that a URL, file, app or certificate with an established reputation shows no warning, and one with no reputation is treated as higher risk. A newly registered domain therefore starts at a disadvantage.

Ads can trigger it too. SmartScreen warns about malicious ads shown on a legitimate site, and in that case its warning names the blocked content and the site that hosted it.

Source: Microsoft Learn, 28 January 2026 · SmartScreen overview, 23 April 2026 · SmartScreen FAQ

How do I check what Edge shows?

Open the exact URL in Edge on a computer that your company does not manage, with SmartScreen left on. The report link on the block page names the kind of threat, phishing or malware, which tells you where to look. Microsoft's FAQ also describes a milder warning, "This might not be the site you want", for sites that look like unsafe sites but are not on the reported list. In the Microsoft documentation we read, there is no public lookup page for site owners and no reason given beyond the warning itself.

If only one customer's staff see the block, check with their IT team first. Companies that use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can block URLs and domains themselves, and in Microsoft browsers that block is applied through SmartScreen. Managed devices can also be given a list of domains that SmartScreen will not warn about. Neither is something you can change from outside that company.

Source: SmartScreen FAQ, checked 11 November 2026 · Microsoft Learn, Create indicators for IPs and URLs/domains, 3 July 2026 · Microsoft Learn, SmartScreenAllowListDomains policy, 20 May 2026

How do I dispute the warning?

Microsoft's route for site owners starts on the block page itself:

  1. Open the blocked URL in Edge and choose "More information".
  2. Choose "Report that this site doesn't contain (malware/phishing) threats".
  3. On the feedback page, say that you are the owner or a representative of the site and submit it for review. A Microsoft support answer adds the remaining steps: pick the site's language and enter the verification code.
  4. Wait for a confirmation email from the SmartScreen Reputation Group.
  5. If the matter is urgent, or you need an answer after their investigation, reply to that email and explain your case.

Before you report, remove whatever could have caused the flag: injected pages, unknown third-party content, suspicious uploads. Microsoft's FAQ says a team of graders inspects the reported site.

Source: Microsoft Learn, 28 January 2026 · SmartScreen FAQ · Microsoft Q&A, answer by Microsoft support, 25 September 2024

What if a download is blocked, not the site?

Files go through a different route. If SmartScreen blocks a file or app you publish, submit the file through the Microsoft Security Intelligence (WDSI) file submission portal and pick Microsoft Defender SmartScreen in the product menu. Microsoft also notes that unsigned programs cannot share reputation across versions, and that reputation attaches to the signing certificate as well as the file.

Source: SmartScreen overview, 23 April 2026 · Microsoft WDSI file submission · SmartScreen FAQ

How long does a review take?

Microsoft does not say. Its pages promise neither a date nor a time limit for site reviews; the FAQ only says the feedback system exists so that users and site owners can report errors "as quickly as possible", and that reported mistakes are corrected.

Source: SmartScreen FAQ, checked 11 November 2026

What can I do so it does not happen again?

Microsoft's own list: use HTTPS with a valid certificate; do not let iframes load unknown third-party content; send a Content Security Policy and other security headers; scan regularly for web shells, trojans and suspicious uploaded files; and avoid frequent changes of hosting or DNS, because domain reputation builds over time. The FAQ adds: use a domain name rather than a bare IP address, and do not encode or tunnel URLs without need.

Source: Microsoft Learn, 28 January 2026 · SmartScreen FAQ

What can I not control?

You cannot see SmartScreen's score, choose which URLs it lists, or switch the warning off for the public. A clean result in Google's Safe Browsing tells you nothing about SmartScreen, because the two are run by different companies with different data; the reverse is true as well. Our note on red warnings and lost visitors explains why even a short listing is expensive, and "Deceptive site ahead" covers the Google side.

Does linkspect detect SmartScreen?

Not yet. Seeing SmartScreen needs a real Edge browser opening your page, and linkspect does not run one today. Every check does look your URL and domain up in Google Web Risk, the commercial counterpart of Google Safe Browsing, which is a different list. What a check covers · Get early access