What is the disavow tool?
Disavowing is asking Google to ignore certain links pointing to your site. You upload a plain text file listing URLs or domains to Google's disavow links tool, linked from Search Console, and Google treats those links as if they did not exist when it evaluates your site.
The tool still exists, but Google says most sites never need it. Google's systems already ignore most spammy and low-quality links on their own. The disavow tool is meant for a narrow case: a site that has, or expects, a manual action for unnatural links, usually because of past paid links or link schemes it cannot get removed.
When to use it, and when not to
Consider disavowing when:
- Search Console's Manual actions report shows "Unnatural links to your site".
- You or a previous agency bought links or took part in link schemes, and you cannot get those links removed.
Do not bother when:
- A backlink tool shows "toxic" links from random scraper or directory sites. These are common on almost every site and Google generally ignores them.
- Traffic dropped and you are looking for a cause. Disavowing ordinary links rarely fixes an algorithmic drop.
- A competitor has pointed spammy links at you. Google has said repeatedly that its systems are built to ignore this.
Misuse carries real risk. Disavowing good links removes their value, and that can lower your rankings.
File format
The file is plain text, UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII, with one entry per line:
# Paid links from 2021 campaign, removal requests ignored
domain:cheap-links.example
domain:article-network.example
https://blog.example/post-with-paid-link/
domain:disavows every link from that domain.- A full URL disavows links from that page only.
- Lines starting with
#are comments.
Upload the file for the Search Console property the links point to. A new upload replaces the previous file, so always edit and resubmit the complete list. Changes take effect as Google recrawls the linking pages, which can take weeks.
Before disavowing
- Try removal first. For a manual action, Google expects you to request removal from site owners and document the effort in a reconsideration request.
- Review links manually. Export links from Search Console's Links report and judge them yourself rather than trusting a toxicity score.
- Prefer domains over single URLs for sites that are clearly paid networks.
- Keep a record of what you disavowed and why.
For the difference between links worth having and links to mark on your own site, see backlinks and sponsored and UGC links.
Common questions
Does disavowing links improve rankings?
Usually not. For most sites Google already ignores low-quality links. It helps mainly when unnatural links led to a manual action.
Can I undo a disavow?
Yes. Upload a new file without the entries, or remove the file entirely. Google restores the links' effect as it recrawls them, which takes time.
Should I disavow links a backlink tool marks as toxic?
Not by default. Toxicity scores are third-party estimates, not Google data. Review the links yourself and disavow only clear paid or scheme links you cannot remove.