I'm getting an error message when using Google Scholar. What's wrong?

An error message is appearing in the reCAPTCHA box reading "ERROR for site owner: Invalid domain for this site key." An additional message is "Our systems have detected unusual traffic from your computer network. This page checks to see if it's really you sending the requests, and not a robot." That's followed by my IP address, the time, and a URL.

How do I get Google Scholar to work?

Answer

Seeing an error message like this?

reCAPTCHA reads "ERROR for site owner: Invalid domain for site key." Additional errors read "Our systems have detected unusual traffic from your computer network. This page checks to see if it's really you sending the requests, and not a robot." This is followed by your IP address, a time, and the URL.

Unfortunately, occasionally Google blocks traffic from or through the library's proxy server. However, Google does not provide a way for libraries to contact them about Google Scholar when this or any other problems occur.

The block only becomes an issue when using the proxy to access Google Scholar from off-campus -- on-campus usage is generally unaffected. If past experience is any guide, the block will be lifted at some point. Without any information from Google, it is impossible to speculate when this block will be lifted. 

To circumvent this problem, set up Google Scholar's "Library Links" to access Georgetown resources. This will allow you to search Google Scholar without going through the proxy, which avoids Google's block. (You will still have to log in when you go from Google Scholar to a specific article.

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  • Last Updated Jul 17, 2024
  • Views 4670
  • Answered By Mark Winek

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