How to Fix Chinese Characters Appearing on My Website in Google Search Results

Introduction

If you’ve ever Googled your website and suddenly noticed strange Chinese characters showing up in your search results, you’re not alone. Many WordPress site owners have faced this confusing and frustrating issue. The keyword here is “how to fix Chinese characters appearing on my website in Google search results”, and the good news is—it can be solved.

Usually, this happens because of a hack or malicious code injection. Hackers insert spammy scripts into your site that trick Google into displaying foreign text (often related to shady content). Not only does this hurt your SEO, but it also damages your visitors’ trust. Imagine someone searching for your brand, only to see irrelevant Chinese text or links that don’t belong—it’s frustrating and harmful to your reputation.

But don’t panic. With the right steps, you can fix the problem, secure your website, and make sure Google indexes your real content again. In this guide, we’ll walk through what causes this issue, how to detect it, and most importantly, how to fix it so your site shows up properly in search results.

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Why Do Chinese Characters Appear in Google Search Results?

When you see Chinese characters in your search snippets, it usually means:

• Your website has been hacked. Hackers inject spammy content into your site’s code.
• Malicious redirects are in place. Visitors (or Google bots) may be redirected to a spam site.
• Compromised plugins or themes. Outdated or nulled software often carries vulnerabilities.
• Hidden spam content. Hackers sometimes cloak content so you can’t see it, but Google can.

In short, this is an SEO spam hack. The attackers are trying to rank their own shady keywords using your website’s authority.

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How to Confirm If Your Site Has Been Hacked

Before fixing the issue, you need to confirm it’s not just a display glitch. Here’s how to check:

1. Google your website with site:yourdomain.com. Look for strange characters or titles in the results.
2. Use Google Search Console. Check the “Security Issues” tab for warnings about spam or malware.
3. View your website source code. Right-click → View Page Source and look for unfamiliar scripts or Chinese keywords.
4. Scan with a security plugin. Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri can detect hidden malware.

If you see suspicious scripts, links, or files, your site has definitely been compromised.

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How to Fix Chinese Characters Appearing on Your Website

Now let’s get into solutions. Follow these steps to clean and secure your site.

1. Backup Your Website First

Before making changes, always create a full backup of your site (files and database). This ensures you can restore if something breaks during the cleanup.

2. Update WordPress, Themes, and Plugins

• Go to Dashboard → Updates and update everything.
• Delete unused plugins and themes.
• Avoid using nulled or pirated themes—they’re often full of malware.

3. Scan and Remove Malware

Install a security plugin like:

• Wordfence – scans for malware and blocks malicious traffic.
• Sucuri Security – offers malware cleanup and monitoring.

Run a full scan. If malicious files are found, remove or quarantine them.

4. Check Your .htaccess and wp-config.php Files

Hackers often modify these files to insert redirects. Open them via FTP or File Manager and look for suspicious code (especially unfamiliar redirects or base64 encoded text). Remove anything that looks suspicious.

5. Clean Your Database

Sometimes, spammy code is inserted into your database. Use phpMyAdmin or a plugin like WP-Optimize to:

• Search for spammy keywords.
• Remove suspicious entries from wp_posts or wp_options.

6. Request Google to Reindex Your Site

Once your site is clean:

• Go to Google Search Console → URL Inspection.
• Request indexing for your homepage and key pages.
• Submit a Security Issue Review if flagged.

This tells Google to crawl your site again and replace hacked snippets with your real content.

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How to Prevent This Problem from Happening Again

Fixing your site is one thing—but preventing future hacks is just as important. Here’s how:

• Use a strong password for WordPress and hosting accounts.
• Enable two-factor authentication for admin logins.
• Install a firewall plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri.
• Keep everything updated—WordPress, themes, plugins, and PHP.
• Use SSL (HTTPS) to secure your site’s communication.
• Regularly back up your website using plugins like UpdraftPlus or BlogVault.

A secure site is far less likely to end up displaying random Chinese text in search results again.

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When to Get Professional Help

If you’ve tried everything but your site is still showing Chinese characters in Google results, it might be time to bring in professionals. Services like Sucuri or your hosting provider’s malware cleanup team can step in to remove hidden infections.

This is especially important if your business relies heavily on website traffic, since hacked snippets can tank your SEO rankings and credibility fast.

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Wrapping Up

Seeing Chinese characters appearing on your website in Google search results can be alarming, but it’s a common hack that can be fixed with the right steps. Start by scanning your site for malware, removing malicious code, and updating all your plugins and themes. Then, request Google to reindex your site so the correct content shows up in search results.

Once fixed, focus on prevention—strong security practices, firewalls, and regular backups will save you headaches in the future.

Your website is your digital storefront, and keeping it secure ensures that visitors (and Google) see your real content—not spam. If the issue feels overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek professional help to get things cleaned up quickly.