When you should disavow
Rarely. Google already ignores most spammy links automatically, and recommends the disavow tool only when both of these apply:
- You have a considerable number of spammy, artificial or low-quality links pointing to your site, and
- they have caused a manual action, or are likely to, for example because you or a previous agency bought links or took part in link schemes.
The random spam links from scraper sites that every site picks up don’t need to be disavowed.
How to disavow links
- Export your links from the Links report in Google Search Console, or from a tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush.
- Try to get the worst links removed by contacting the site owners.
- List the rest in a plain text file, one per line:
domain:spammy-example.comfor a whole domain, or a full URL for a single page. - Upload the file in Google’s Disavow links tool for your Search Console property.
Be careful
Disavowing good links can hurt your rankings, because they stop counting. Each upload replaces the previous file, so keep your whole list in one file. It can take weeks before Google has recrawled the links and applied it.
Disavow example
A company takes over a site and finds a manual action for “unnatural links” in Search Console. A previous agency had bought hundreds of links. The new team exports its links, tries to get the worst removed by contacting the sites, lists the rest in a disavow file and sends a reconsideration request that explains what happened and what has been done. After the request is approved, the manual action is lifted.
Disavow file format
A plain text file, one entry per line. A line starting with # is a comment. To ignore a whole domain, write domain:example.com. To ignore one page, write its full URL. Upload it for the right property in the Disavow tool.
Disavow mistakes
- Disavowing links “just in case”. Google says it is meant for specific situations.
- Including good links, which can remove value you earned.
- Skipping the step of trying to remove bad links first when you have a manual action.
- Expecting an immediate effect. It is processed when Google recrawls the links.
Disavowing links FAQs
Do I need to disavow after a negative SEO attack?
Usually not. Google’s systems generally ignore spam links. Act if you see a manual action or large amounts of paid-looking links. See manual actions and link profile.
Can I undo a disavow?
Yes. Upload a new file without the entries. See reconsideration requests and penalties.