# Doorway page

Category: [On-Page & Content](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/on-page-content/) › [Content quality](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/on-page-content/content-quality/) · Also known as: gateway page, bridge page

**Doorway page** refers to a page built to rank for specific search queries that sends visitors on to a different destination. Google lists this as doorway abuse in its spam policies.

## How does Google define doorway abuse?

Google describes doorways as sites or pages created to rank for specific, similar queries, which lead users to intermediate pages that are less useful than the final destination. Examples from the policy:

- multiple websites with slight variations of the URL and home page to maximize reach for a query
- multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page
- pages generated to funnel visitors into the usable part of a site
- substantially similar pages that are closer to search results than to a clearly defined, browseable hierarchy

Google announced a ranking adjustment against such pages on March 16, 2015, and added clarifying examples to its quality guidelines.

## Example

A plumber creates 50 pages titled "Plumber in [city]" with identical text, all linking to one contact page. A page for a real location with its own address and services is not a doorway page.

## Not to be confused with

- [Thin content](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/thin-content/index.md): describes pages with little or no added value, such as copied text or thin affiliate pages. Google lists doorway pages as one of several examples.

## Related terms

- [Landing page](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/landing-page/index.md)
- [Pillar page](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/pillar-page/index.md)
- [Thin content](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/thin-content/index.md)
- [Web spam](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/web-spam/index.md)
- [Manual action](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/manual-action/index.md)

## Sources

- [Spam policies for Google web search (doorways) – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
- [An update on doorway pages – Google Search Central Blog, March 2015](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2015/03/an-update-on-doorway-pages)
- [Doorway pages – Outreach Monks (secondary)](https://outreachmonks.com/doorway-pages/)

---

Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/doorway-page/