Unfortunately, not all web pages contain information that is valuable to a user. Some pages are created deliberately to trick the search engine into offering inappropriate, redundant or poor-quality search results; this is often called "spam." Yahoo! does not want these pages in the index.
Pages Yahoo! Does Not Want Included in Its Search Submit Index:
Some, but not all, examples of the more common types of pages that Yahoo! does not want included:
- Pages that harm accuracy, diversity or relevance of search results
- Pages dedicated to directing the user to another page ("doorway pages")
- Pages that have substantially the same content as other pages on the web, including affiliate content
- Pages that change user preferences, reset default home pages, resize browser windows, disable back buttons, or otherwise interfere with a user's ability to navigate.
- Pages with automatic software downloads including viruses, adware, spyware, or other self-installing programs
- Sites with numerous, unnecessary virtual hostnames
- Pages in great quantity, automatically generated, with minimal content or of little value
- Pages using methods to artificially inflate search engine ranking
- Pages with text that is not easily read, e.g., text that is too small or is obscured by the background of the page, or is located in an area of the page not visible to users.
- Cloaking or stealth; a technique used by some web sites to deliver one page to a search engine and a different page to all other users
- Cross-linking to inflate a site's apparent popularity, including participation in link exchanges or "link farms," and the use of non-navigational links
- Pages built primarily for search engines or pages with excessive or off-topic keywords
- Misuse or inaccurate use of competitor or brand names
- Duplication of content, either by submission of multiple pages with same content, submitting the same content from multiple domains, or submitting the same content from multiple hosts
- Pages that rely heavily on content or links to content created for another web site, such as affiliate content
- Pages that have pop-ups, pop-unders or exit consoles
- Pages that seem deceptive, fraudulent or provide a poor user experience (Descriptions that are not relevant to the page content)
- Pages that result in a 404 error
- Content, domains, titles, metadata or descriptions that (i) violate any applicable law or regulation; (ii) infringes in any manner any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property right of any party; (iii) breach any duty toward or rights of any person or entity including, without limitation, rights of publicity or privacy, or have otherwise resulted in any consumer fraud, product liability, tort, breach of contract, injury, damage or harm of any kind to any person or entity; (iv) are false or misleading; and/or (v) are defamatory, libelous, slanderous or threatening.
- Online Gambling Sites: Yahoo! Search Submit does not accept URLs from online gambling sites. Online gambling sites are those that have gambling as their central theme, including those that accept wagers or require payment in exchange for the chance to win prizes, as well as sites that offer both information and links related primarily to the promotion of online gambling. If it comes to our attention that a site is soliciting users to participate in online gambling (including, without limitation, through email correspondence with users), we will terminate that site's feed.
- Prescription Drug Sites: Prescription drug sites are those that sell prescription drug products, as well as sites that offer information or links related primarily to the sale of prescription drugs. If a site is a prescription drug site and either sells prescription drugs or facilitates the sale of prescription drugs (via links), these sites must take part in an approved qualification program. PharmacyChecker, an independent third-party, provides a pharmacy verification program approved by Yahoo! For more information, please see http://www.pharmacychecker.com/sealprogram/choose.asp
- Tobacco products: Yahoo! Search Submit does not accept URLs for tobacco related products
- Adult Sites: Yahoo! Search Submit and Search Submit Express do not accept URLs from adult products sites or any other adult content. Adult sites are accepted into Yahoo! Search Submit Pro.
