Google says disabling an online business website due to coronavirus should be a last resort

Google has issued a set of guidelines and a helpful FAQ to website owners to try and minimize the damage being done by worldwide shutdowns, both online and off, over the coronavirus pandemic.

The company says the most important advice it can give is to avoid disabling a website altogether, so long as it’s feasible to continue paying the hosting fees. Some domain registrars, like GoDaddy and Namecheap, are offering support to customers concerned they won’t be able to maintain websites adversely affected by the shutdowns. But Google says disabling a site may harm its search rankings when it is brought back online.

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