You can see Google Chrome display a message sometimes that reads ‘this page is trying to load scripts from unauthenticated sources.’ Here I will discuss Google Chrome unsafe scripts error and how you can fix this error.
When Is This Error Message Displayed?
This is a common error that developers face when upgrading their websites to HTTPS. If you are seeing this error, it means a website is loading external scripts using an insecure HTTP protocol (older image, script, video and other content). Chrome doesn’t allow mixed protocol references in a page served via the HTTPS protocol.
Chrome does this to keep the users safe from malicious websites. If the content you are trying to see is dangerous or deceptive in any form (phishing or malicious), Chrome will detect the nature of the website and show this message before blocking the loading of these sites.
What Can You Do If You See ‘This Page Is Trying To Load Scripts From Unauthenticated Sources’ Error?
According to Google’s support page, here are the types of error you can see:
- The site ahead contains malware
The site you start to visit might try to install bad software, called malware, on your computer.
- Deceptive site ahead
The site you try to visit might be a phishing site.
- The site ahead contains harmful programs
The site you start to visit might try to trick you into installing programs that cause problems when you’re browsing online.
- This page is trying to load scripts from unauthenticated sources
The site you try to visit isn’t secure.
- Continue to [site name]?
The site you start to visit may try to confuse you, and may not be the site you meant to visit.
If you are not visiting a page that will download these malicious scripts onto your website, it is usually OK to visit the websites with mixed protocols protected by SSL protection.
However, if you see this error on an e-commerce website or during an app download, it may be safer to skip the download and not visit the page.
However, if you wish to visit the sites anyway, here is what you can do:
1. Visit An Unsafe Page
Although this isn’t recommended, if you wish to visit these sites anyway, here are the steps you can follow:
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- On the page you see a warning, click Details.
- Click Visit this unsafe site.
- The page will now load.
However, Chrome will try to block the unsafe content from the page. To load the full page, you need to follow these additional steps:
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- On the deceptive site, at the end of the address bar, you will see this icon.
- Click on the icon. In the alert, click Load full site.
- The full site will load.
If a script ID is not being loaded, you can view the full page by clicking the Load unsafe script.
2. Download An Unsafe File
Chrome stops and prevents you from downloading dangerous files. However, if you are sure and want to download these blocked sites, here is what you can do:
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- In Chrome, click on the hamburger menu (≡)
- Select Downloads.
- In the list, find the file you want to download.
- Click Recover malicious file.
Turn Off Chrome Unsafe Scripts Warnings
If you wish to load scripts from unauthenticated sources and don’t want to be warned about unsafe content, you can turn off deceptive and dangerous site alerts. This also includes the download warnings.
- Open chrome://settings
- Under People, click Sync and Google Services.
- Locate Other Google Services.
- Turn the toggle to off next to Safe Browsing (protects you and your device from dangerous sites.)
What Can The Site Owners Do
If your site is marked dangerous in Chrome, web developers can fix the issues on their sites using Chrome’s native developer console tools.
In order to fix the ‘unauthenticated sources’ issue, developers must find the unsafe scripts and blocked content and replace them. They can do so using the Console tool.
- Visit your website using Chrome, and press F12 to open Developer tools.
- Select Console from the top tabs. Here you can see the unsafe content that is blocked on your website. Fix the page as required.
Conclusion
The ‘this page is trying to load scripts from unauthenticated sources.‘ error is a way that Google is protecting you from unsafe content on the internet. There isn’t much you can do to resolve these unauthenticated sources issue.
If you are a web developer, seeing this issue isn’t a bad thing, it just means that you need to upgrade the legacy references from http:// to https://. If you any queries or have something further to discuss, leave a comment below.
