fetch as Googlebot | TECHRENA dot Net

In an update to Webmaster Tools Labs, Google has added two new features to under labs features.

New features:

Fetch as Googlebot-Mobile
Create your Sidewiki page owner entry

Fetch as Googlebot-Mobile:

Fetch as Googlebot-Mobile as the name suggests, lets you fetch any page in your claimed website, as it’d appear to the mobile version of the Googlebot (XHTML/WML or CHTML Googlebot Mobile).

[Read how to Use Fetch as Googlebot to find malicious hacks in a website]

You can access this under Labs > Fetch as Googlebot section from your Google Webmaster Tools (GWT)

Sidewiki Page Owner Entry:

This feature I guess is of no value to the webmasters right now, according to me.It is just last week that Google has announced about replacing Google Sidewiki with star bookmarks.Many users have already been migrated from Sidewiki to Star bookmarks, at present only Google Toolbar has Sidewiki option.Only Google should know the logic behind this new feature.Given that Sidewiki itself is a failure, this really doesn’t interest you much right now.

Never the less, good features, especially ‘Fetch as Googlebot mobile’ (may be bad timing for the Sidewiki entry, should have been launched earlier)

These are the days where many websites (even prestigious ones) like FMS (see my post about FMS hack) are getting hacked by malicious parties.These hackers/spammers penetrate into the site and insert spammy or dangerous stuff.Many a times it may not appear to the normal users of the website.But when you do a Google search of the website, it may appear like

Thanks to Google Webmaster Tools(GWT), Fetch as Googlebot feature gives a breather to the webmasters.Fetch as Googlebot fetches any webpage of your site as it appears to the Googlebot.

Just login to Webmaster Tools, .Click on Fetch as Googlebot under “Labs” section inside your website profile dashboard.

Fetch as Googlebot in Webmaster tools

Fetching a webpage as Googlebot

Now enter URL of any particular page which you want to fetch as a Googlebot or just leave it as blank to fetch the Homepage of your site.

Results of Fetch as Googlebot

There you go!! There’s the spammy content that’s being injected.GWT made this easier for you through ‘Fetch as Googlebot’ option.This confirms that the site has been hacked, the next step is to contact your server administrator or your hosting provider to take further actions.

Illustrative Images via Google Webmaster Central Blog post.

Google Adds Sidewiki Claim, Fetch As Googlebot Mobile in Webmaster Tools

Using Webmaster Tools To Find Malicious Hacks In a Website