Here is how to disavow backlinks in short: you create a plain text file listing the URLs or domains you want Google to ignore, then upload it for your site’s property in Google’s disavow links tool. But first, make sure you actually need to. Google says most sites never need the tool, and using it carelessly can hurt your search performance by throwing away links that were helping you.
This guide covers when disavowing makes sense, how to build a valid file, how to upload it and what to do afterwards. The rules below come from Google’s own disavow links documentation; check it for any changes before you start.
When you should not disavow
Google describes the disavow tool as an advanced feature to be used with caution. In most cases, Google can decide on its own which links to trust and which to ignore. You probably do not need to disavow if:
- You found some spammy-looking links from sites you have never heard of, and you did not build or pay for them.
- A backlink tool flagged links as “toxic” based on its own score.
- Your traffic dropped and you are looking for a cause. A drop has many possible causes, from content and technical issues to changes in what searchers want.
- Competitors seem to have more links than you.
Random low-quality links appear on almost every site over time. Disavowing them rarely helps, takes time and risks removing good links by mistake.
When disavowing makes sense
Google’s guidance says to consider the tool 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.
In practice, that usually means one of these:
- You have a manual action for unnatural links. Check the Manual actions report in Search Console. If it lists a links-related action, you need to clean up the links and file a reconsideration request.
- You or a past agency built links in ways that break Google’s spam policies, such as buying links, large-scale link exchanges or networks of low-quality sites, and there are a lot of them.
If neither applies, stop here. Spend the time earning better links instead.
How to disavow backlinks step by step
If you have confirmed you need it, this is how to disavow backlinks without causing new problems.
Step 1: Collect all your backlinks
Before you can decide what to disavow, you need the full picture. Export links from Google Search Console’s Links report, and add data from at least one other source such as Bing Webmaster Tools or a third-party backlink checker, because each sees different links. Our guide on how to find backlinks to your website walks through each source and how to combine them into one list.
Group the list by linking domain. You will usually make decisions per domain, not per link.
Step 2: Review the links by hand
Do not rely on an automated “toxicity” score to decide for you. Open the linking pages and look at them. Mark a domain for disavowal only when you are confident it is part of a manipulative pattern. Common signs:
- You or someone working for you paid for the link, or exchanged something for it, and it is not marked sponsored or nofollow.
- The site exists only to sell links, with many unrelated outbound links and no real audience.
- The link is part of a network of similar sites, often with the same design or the same owner.
- Large numbers of links use the exact same commercial keyword as anchor text.
- Links come from hacked pages, spun content or automated comment and forum spam you were responsible for.
Keep links from real, relevant sites, even if they look weak in a tool. When in doubt, leave the link alone.
Step 3: Try to remove the worst links first
Google recommends removing as many spammy links as you can before you disavow. For links you or an agency arranged, contact the site owners and ask them to remove the link or add a nofollow or sponsored attribute. Keep a simple record of who you contacted and when. If you are dealing with a manual action, that record helps when you write your reconsideration request.
Whatever you cannot get removed goes into the disavow file.
Step 4: Build the disavow file
Google’s format rules are strict, so follow them exactly:
- Use a plain text file with a name ending in .txt.
- Encode it as UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII.
- Put one URL or one domain per line.
- To disavow a whole domain or subdomain, start the line with domain:.
- Lines starting with # are comments and are ignored.
- You cannot disavow a subpath such as a single folder; use individual URLs or the whole domain.
- Google lists limits on line length, number of lines and file size in its documentation. Large files should stay well within them.
A simple example:
# Paid links from a link network, removal requested, no reply
domain:spammy-link-network.example
domain:another-paid-links.example
# Individual pages we could not get removed
https://forum.example/thread-12345
https://blog.example/sponsored-post-without-nofollowDisavowing a whole domain is usually safer than listing single URLs, because spammy sites often publish the same link on many pages.
Step 5: Upload the file in Search Console
- Open Google’s disavow links tool while signed in with an account that owns the Search Console property.
- Select the property. The tool works with URL-prefix properties; Google says it does not support Domain properties.
- Upload your .txt file.
- If the file has errors, Google shows them straight away and keeps your previous list. Fix the problems and upload again.
A few rules to remember:
- Each property has one list. Uploading a new file replaces the previous list completely. If you want to add domains, download or keep your current file, add the new lines and upload the full file again.
- A list applies to child properties too. For example, a list for the main domain also covers a mobile subdomain under it.
- http and https are separate. If you have both properties, each needs its own list.
- Disavowed links still appear in the Links report. That does not mean the disavow failed.
Step 6: Wait, monitor and follow up
Google says processing can take a few weeks, because it needs to recrawl the web. During that time:
- If you had a manual action, submit a reconsideration request explaining what you removed, what you disavowed and what you changed so it will not happen again.
- Keep your disavow file and your removal records somewhere safe. You will need them for future updates.
- Watch Search Console for changes, but remember that rankings move for many reasons.
To undo everything, select the property in the tool and cancel the disavowals. That also takes a few weeks to take effect.
Common disavow mistakes
- Disavowing because a tool said so, without looking at the links.
- Uploading a partial file and accidentally wiping out the previous list.
- Disavowing good links from real sites that were helping you.
- Using the wrong property, such as the http version when the site runs on https.
- Formatting errors, such as a missing “domain:” prefix or the wrong file type.
- Treating disavow as a growth tactic. It only removes a problem. It does not add authority.
What to do instead of, or after, disavowing
Knowing how to disavow backlinks is useful, but cleaning up is defensive. Long-term rankings come from earning links that real sites want to give. Use our guide on how many backlinks you need to estimate the gap for your key pages, then focus on content and relationships that close it.
If you need help reviewing a link profile, handling a manual action or building clean links afterwards, our link building specialists can help, or email support@growthscribe.com.
FAQ
Do I need to disavow spammy links I did not build?
Usually not. Google says most sites do not need the disavow tool because it can generally work out which links to trust. Random low-quality links that appear on their own are normally ignored.
How long does a disavow file take to work?
Google says it can take a few weeks after a successful upload for it to recrawl the web and process the list. Do not expect an immediate change.
Can I disavow links for a Domain property in Search Console?
No. Google’s documentation says the disavow links tool does not support Domain properties. Use a URL-prefix property for the version of the site you want, and note that http and https properties each need their own list.
Can I undo a disavow?
Yes. Upload a new file without the entries you want to keep, because a new upload replaces the old list, or cancel the disavowals for that property entirely. Either change can also take a few weeks to take effect.
