Editorial note (July 2026): Google's current guidance says that most websites do not need the Disavow Links tool. It should be considered only when a site has a considerable number of spammy, artificial or low-quality backlinks and those links have caused, or are likely to cause, a manual action. Incorrect use can harm performance in Google Search. The material below is retained as a translated reference and must not be treated as a routine backlink-cleanup checklist. See the official Google guidance before taking any action.
How and when to disavow backlinks
Harmful links are a common problem for any website administrator. In this article you will learn how to disavow toxic backlinks.
The term disavow means, in a general sense, to reject, deny or give up something. In an SEO context, disavowing a backlink means asking search engines to ignore malicious links that point to your site.
The goal is to eliminate the negative influence these links can have on your reputation and organic ranking.
Next, we will explain the essential steps you need to know to properly manage harmful links and to understand when it is necessary to apply this action.
What are backlinks?
A backlink is a link from another site that directs users to your site. It is also known as inbound link.
Search engines, such as Google, use backlinks as trust signals when evaluating the relevance and authority of a site.
In other words, if other sites refer to your content, it means that they consider it valuable and reliable.
Quality backlinks, from credible and relevant sources, contribute significantly to increasing the site's position in the search results.
A better position in the rankings means greater visibility and a higher chance for users to find you when they are looking for information in your field.
Natural links vs. unnatural links (which should be disavowed)
For a backlink to bring value to your site, it must be natural and come from a credible source.
Natural links are created naturally by other sites that direct their visitors to your content for additional information. In this case, you do not intervene in any way — the link is added voluntarily and honestly, because the other site considers your content useful or worthy of recommendation.
However, not all backlinks are natural. There are also unnatural links, often called toxic, which can seriously affect the reputation of the site and even lead to its de-indexing from the search engine results.
An example of an unnatural link would be an artificially created link on a site with no thematic connection, whose sole purpose is to manipulate search rankings. These are exactly the types of links that must be identified and disavowed to protect the SEO health of your site.
Unnatural links and their effects on ranking
Some spammers try to manipulate search engines by creating useless backlinks, intended only to artificially increase the position of a site or generate financial gains.
Links for which you pay or those obtained through abusive methods, just to climb the rankings, are called unnatural links.
By using these practices, Internet users are deprived of valuable content from authentic sources. Search engines, such as Google, constantly check the credibility of links to ensure the correctness of the results and can deindex sites that violate these rules.
In some cases, even toxic sites that link to your domain can cause problems. That is why it is essential to constantly monitor the backlink profile and disavow suspicious links.
If you don't know how to do this, follow the guide below — we'll explain step by step how to identify and remove harmful links.
How to identify backlinks before disavowing them
Before disavowing toxic backlinks, you need to know all the sites that link to your domain.
This analysis helps you differentiate between quality links and toxic ones.
The process is not automatic, but requires the use of tools specialized in detecting backlinks.
There are numerous online applications that can help you find out the total number of links and the sites they come from.
One of the simplest and safest tools is Google Search Console, created specifically for monitoring performance in Google searches.
Through it you can see:
- all domains referring to your site;
- the exact pages where the links appear;
- a complete backlink report, so you can decide which links are natural and which should be removed.
Using this data, you can build a clear picture of your link profile and act appropriately when you identify unnatural or suspicious links.
Benefits of backlinks
Backlinks work as a recommendation for your website and the content you publish. They convey to search engines that other sites endorse and support your information.
Here are the main advantages of backlinks:
- Increase the relevance of the site – every quality backlink shows that your domain is a reliable source.
- Improve the position in the Google rankings, making it easier for users to find the site.
- Generate additional traffic – users reach your website directly from other sources.
- Strengthen the brand image, increasing awareness and credibility online.
Did you know? About 55.24% of pages have no backlinks. The more relevant backlinks a page has, the more organic traffic it gets from Google.
Sources of harmful links
Search engines may have different rules regarding the classification of good and bad links. Google periodically updates the lists of links considered problematic, depending on SEO trends and abusive practices identified.
The most common sources of toxic backlinks:
- Comments on blogs – one of the most widespread spam practices. Posting irrelevant comments that contain links to other sites is considered an incorrect method of building backlinks.
Such links not only do not help SEO, but can lead to penalties.
In short: don't post comments with links just to get backlinks. Google considers this behavior an attempt to manipulate search results and recommends disavowing these links through the disavow process.
Footer links
A few years ago, links in the footer of pages were not a problem. Over time, however, some publishers began to abuse them to artificially improve their positions in the rankings. As a result, Google included footer links in the category of backlink sources considered inappropriate.
Spam site-wide links
Not all links present on all pages of a site are dangerous. However, attention should be paid to those site-wide links created automatically or by spam methods, which can increase the toxicity score.
Links from duplicate directories or articles
Some articles are used repeatedly to direct backlinks to the same domain. When this process becomes excessive, the respective links are considered unnatural. Google identifies and sanctions such cases, therefore it is recommended to disavow these backlinks.
Fake forum profiles
Links from fake forum profiles can negatively affect your site. They are frequently used in spam campaigns and should be avoided completely.
Did you know? According to a Backlinko study, a page in position #1 in Google has, on average, more than 35,000 external backlinks.
Steps to remove or disavow toxic backlinks
Now that you know how to identify and where harmful links can come from, follow the cleaning process.
1. Identify toxic links
Based on the previously mentioned sources, analyze the list of backlinks and mark those that come from suspicious or inappropriate sources.
2. Search and contact the site owner
After you have identified the harmful links, try to contact the administrator of the respective site.
3. Request link removal
The simplest solution is for the owner to delete the link. If this happens, there is no need to continue with the next step.
4. Disavow the link with Google
If you do not receive an answer within one or two weeks, you can proceed to the step of disavow – sending Google the instruction to ignore these links.
When it is necessary to disavow
The link disavowal process should not be performed frequently. It is a complex and time-consuming step that should be applied only to toxic links.
Disavow everything that is harmful, but do not remove good links — otherwise you risk affecting the site's SEO performance.
Situations in which disavow is recommended:
Sudden drop in ranking positions
If you notice a significant drop in traffic or positions in Google, check in Google Search Console. An unjustified drop may indicate that some unnatural links have been flagged by algorithms.
Manual penalty
In rare cases, Google may apply a manual action against a site suspected of spam. You will receive a notification in Search Console, and in this case you must immediately clean the profile of toxic links.
"Negative SEO" campaigns
There are situations in which malicious actors send large numbers of harmful links to a site in an attempt to lower its ranking. In these cases, acting quickly to disavow the links is essential.
Spam backlinks created by an SEO agency
Sometimes, an inexperienced SEO agency may use improper link-building methods. If you notice a suspicious increase in low-quality backlinks, disavow them immediately to prevent a penalty.
How to use the "Disavow Links" tool
The Disavow Links tool was created by Google in October 2012 and allows website owners to disavow harmful backlinks.
However, Google recommends using this tool only in strictly necessary cases, because incorrect use can lead to the loss of valuable links.
Tool access
The tool is not displayed automatically in the new version of Google Search Console.
To use it, you must:
- Have a verified domain in Search Console (only owners can use it).
- Manually access the page dedicated to the disavow tool.
Through this option, you can upload a .txt file that contains the list of domains or URLs that you want Google to completely ignore.
This is the safest method to remove the influence of toxic links and maintain a clean and stable SEO profile.
Why Google created the Disavow Links tool
Google created this tool to allow site administrators to inform the search engine that they do not want certain external links to be considered when evaluating their domain's ranking.
The goal is to provide a safe method for site owners to avoid violating Google's link quality policies.
If a site is associated with unnatural links, the effects can be serious:
- dropping positions in the rankings,
- loss of organic traffic,
- or even removing the site from the Google index.
The Disavow Links tool is an important part of Google's strategy to combat negative SEO attacks and online spam.
Through it, toxic links introduced intentionally by malicious people can be identified, disavowed and isolated without affecting the reputation of your domain.
Also, this tool is extremely useful in the recovery process after a manual penalty.
By disavowing all suspicious or harmful links and notifying Google, you can request that the site be re-evaluated and its position reinstated in the search results.
In short, the Disavow Links tool is a vital protection tool against toxic links and an effective solution for maintaining a clean and safe SEO profile.
