Key takeaways
- The disavow tool asks Google to ignore specific links or domains pointing to your site.
- Google says most sites do not need it.
- Use it when you have many spammy or artificial links that caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action, usually links that were bought or built to manipulate rankings.
- Try to remove bad links first, never disavow natural links, and keep a copy of every file you upload.
What is the Google disavow tool?
It is a Search Console tool where you upload a text file listing links or whole domains you want Google to ignore when it evaluates your site. It does not delete the links from the web. It only tells Google not to count them. Google calls it an advanced feature that should be used with caution.
Everything in this section comes from Google's Disavow links to your site help page, which warns that misuse can harm your site's performance in Search.
Should I disavow links?
Probably not. Google says to disavow only when you have a considerable number of spammy, artificial or low-quality links pointing to your site, and those links have caused or are likely to cause a manual action. That usually means links someone bought or built for you to manipulate rankings, not random spam that every site collects.
| Situation | Disavow? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Manual action for unnatural links in Search Console | Yes, after trying to remove links | This is the case the tool was made for |
| You or a past provider bought links or ran a link scheme | Likely, to prevent a manual action | Matches Google's condition of links likely to cause one |
| A few odd spam links you never asked for | Usually no | Google says most sites do not need the tool |
| A tool shows a high 'toxic' score | Not on that basis alone | The score is the tool's own estimate, not Google's |
| Traffic dropped and you are not sure why | Not yet | Find the cause first |
If your traffic fell, find the real cause before touching links: my guide on Google penalties and traffic drops explains how to tell a manual action from other reasons.
What are toxic backlinks?
Toxic backlinks is a label used by SEO tools for links they predict could look manipulative. Google's own documents do not use a toxic score; they talk about spammy, artificial or low-quality links and about link spam, such as buying links or large-scale link exchanges. Treat a tool's toxic list as a list to review, not a list to disavow.
Google defines link spam in its spam policies. The questions that matter: did someone create this link to manipulate rankings, and was it paid, exchanged or automated? If the answer is no, leave it alone.
How do I create a disavow file?
Create a plain text file encoded in UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII, with one URL or one domain per line. Use domain: before a domain to disavow all its links, and start a line with # for comments. Keep it under 100,000 lines and 2MB, then upload it in the disavow tool for the right property.
| Line in the file | What it does |
|---|---|
# links bought in 2023, removal requested, no reply | A comment for your own records |
domain:spammy-directory.example | Ignores every link from that domain |
https://blog.example/paid-post-about-us/ | Ignores links from that one page only |
- Export your links from the Search Console Links report as the starting list.
- Review each linking domain by hand; mark only the ones created to manipulate rankings.
- Ask site owners to remove the link or add nofollow first, and keep a record.
- Prefer domain: lines when a whole site is spam, so you do not miss pages.
- Upload in the disavow tool for a URL-prefix property; it does not support Domain properties.
- Keep every version of the file; a new upload replaces the previous list.
Getting the list of links is covered step by step in how to check backlinks, using the Search Console Links report.
Uploading the file, step by step
- Save your reviewed list as a .txt file and keep a dated copy in a shared folder.
- Open the disavow links tool from Google's help page and choose the URL-prefix property of your site.
- If a list already exists, download it first and merge your new lines into it, because the new upload replaces the old list.
- Upload the file and read any error messages; fix lines the tool rejects and upload again.
- Write down the date. Google says it can take a few weeks to incorporate the list, so judge results over months, not days.
If the file is part of a manual action cleanup, keep the evidence of every removal request you sent: Google asks for that documentation when you request a review.
What are the risks of disavowing backlinks?
The main risk is disavowing good links. If you ignore natural links from real sites, you remove signals that were helping you, and Google warns that misuse can harm performance. Other risks are uploading a new file that replaces an older list by mistake and expecting fast results: Google says processing can take a few weeks.
For a manual action, Google's unnatural links page adds two warnings: make a good-faith effort to remove links before disavowing, and do not disavow organic links. It also says that blindly adding all backlinks to the file is not considered a good-faith effort.
What should I do instead of disavowing?
For most businesses, the better use of time is earning a few good links: local partners, suppliers, associations, press and useful content people want to cite. Stop any paid or automated link building, keep a record of what was done in the past, and check your links every few months so problems are caught early.
I explain how to earn links safely in backlink strategy. My link building work includes a link review, and I recommend a disavow file only when a site meets Google's conditions. As an SEO consultant, I can look at your links in a free diagnosis: book it here.
Frequently asked questions
Can I undo a disavow?
Yes. Upload a new file without those lines; a new upload replaces the old list. It can take a few weeks for the change to be processed.
Does disavowing remove links from the web?
No. The links stay where they are; Google is only asked not to count them.
Can a competitor hurt me with spam links?
Google says most sites do not need the disavow tool. If you never built or bought links and have no manual action, focus on your own work.
Can I disavow from a Domain property?
No. Google says the disavow tool does not support Domain properties, so use a URL-prefix property for the site.
How often should I update the file?
Only when you find new links that meet Google's conditions. There is no need for a routine monthly upload.
About the author
Juan José Giraldo is an SEO consultant in Medellín, Colombia, with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships at Reunion Marketing, an Inc. 5000 agency, and supervises the SEO of 18 US online stores with more than 3 million products at Prontomowers. Read more · LinkedIn.
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