McAfee WebAdvisor / SiteAdvisor False Positive & Blacklist Removal

By DrGlenn — USA-based WordPress security specialist· 290+ cleanups across 34 countries· Updated June 22, 2026

Quick answer: Check and dispute your rating at sitelookup.mcafee.com — register, pick the matching product, and submit your URL for review. Reviews take about 3–5 business days.

Is McAfee WebAdvisor / SiteAdvisor flagging your website?

If McAfee WebAdvisor / SiteAdvisor is warning visitors about your site — with something like Red “This site may be dangerous”, yellow “This site may have security risks”, a Risky/Suspicious reputation — it means one of two things: your WordPress site really is infected, or it is a false positive left over from a problem that was already fixed. Either way, here is exactly how to get the warning removed.

Step 1 — Confirm it is really a false positive

Before you ask McAfee WebAdvisor / SiteAdvisor for a review, make sure the site is actually clean. If you request removal while malware is still present, the flag comes straight back (and some vendors rate-limit repeat requests). Check it two ways:

• Run it through my free Is My Site Hacked? checker for a fast look at injected code, spam and cloaking.
• Cross-check on VirusTotal to see every engine that is flagging you.

If anything turns up, get it fully cleaned first — deleting the visible malware is not enough if a hidden backdoor remains.

Step 2 — Report the false positive to McAfee WebAdvisor / SiteAdvisor

McAfee rates site reputation through WebAdvisor/SiteAdvisor; owners dispute it at the Site Lookup portal. Submit here: sitelookup.mcafee.com

1. Check your rating at sitelookup.mcafee.com and read the reason.
2. Click Register and activate via the validation email.
3. Sign in and select the matching product (e.g. McAfee SiteAdvisor/WebControl).
4. Enter your URL, click Check URL, then choose up to three categories and add comments.
5. Click “Submit URL for Review”.

Good to know: Since Feb 2024, Trellix/Skyhigh enterprise customers must use trustedsource.org, while consumer WebAdvisor disputes go through sitelookup.mcafee.com. Reviews take ~3–5 business days.

Step 3 — If the warning keeps coming back

A warning that returns after you have been delisted almost always means the infection was never fully removed — usually a backdoor in a theme file, a rogue admin user, or malware stored in the database. That is exactly what I fix. I am a USA-based WordPress security specialist: I remove the infection completely, submit the delisting on your behalf, and harden the site so it stays clean.

Get my site cleaned · See how it works · read my client reviews.

Frequently asked questions

How long does McAfee WebAdvisor / SiteAdvisor take to remove the warning? Once your site is genuinely clean and you have submitted the request, most reviews clear within a few days — see the timing note above. Submitting while still infected only restarts the clock.

It keeps coming back — why? Because the real infection (a backdoor, rogue admin, or database payload) is still there. A full cleanup stops the loop.

More removal guides: Bitdefender, Yandex Safe Browsing, Avast · all vendor guides · full report-link directory.