Disavow File Checklist
For SEOs dealing with a manual action for unnatural links or a clear history of paid or spam link building. Most sites do not need a disavow file, so use this to decide before you submit anything.
0% 0 of 11 done
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Google says most sites do not need the disavow tool, and a wrong file can remove value from good links.
- How to check or fix it
- Proceed only if there is a manual action for unnatural links, or you or a past vendor built a large set of paid or manipulative links.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- A manual action needs a reconsideration request after cleanup, not only a disavow file.
- How to check or fix it
- Open Security and Manual Actions, then Manual actions, and read the exact wording of any notice.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Using one source misses links, and an incomplete audit leaves the problem in place.
- How to check or fix it
- Export from the Links report in Search Console and from Ahrefs or Semrush, then dedupe by referring domain.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Google expects effort to remove links before disavowing them when you have a manual action.
- How to check or fix it
- Email webmasters, log dates and replies in a sheet, and keep it ready for a reconsideration request.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Automated spam scores flag legitimate sites. Disavowing good links can reduce rankings.
- How to check or fix it
- Open a sample of pages from each domain and judge them by content quality, topic fit and whether they sell links.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Listing every URL separately is slow and misses new pages from the same site.
- How to check or fix it
- Use the line domain:example.com for sites where all links are manipulative. Use URL lines only for single bad pages on good sites.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- A malformed file is rejected or only partially processed.
- How to check or fix it
- Save as .txt, use # for comment lines, keep one URL or domain: entry per line, and stay under the 2 MB file size limit.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Accidentally disavowing a strong editorial link removes its ranking value.
- How to check or fix it
- Cross-check the file against your top 50 referring domains in Ahrefs before uploading.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- The file only applies to the property it is submitted for.
- How to check or fix it
- Open Google's disavow links tool, select the right property, upload the .txt file and confirm the success message.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- An uploaded file replaces the previous one, so losing the old version can undo past work.
- How to check or fix it
- Store each version in version control with notes on why each domain was added.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Links disappear and domains change owners, so old entries can block links that are now fine.
- How to check or fix it
- Re-check listed domains and remove any that were mistakes or have been cleaned up.
Checklist complete. Re-run it after your next release or major change, and use the related lists below to keep going.
Progress is saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server.
Common questions
Does disavowing links lift a penalty immediately?
No. Google processes the file when it recrawls the linking pages, which can take weeks. If you have a manual action you must also submit a reconsideration request.
Should I disavow links from low-quality directories?
Usually not. Google's systems ignore most low-quality links on their own. Disavow only when you built the links against the guidelines or have a manual action.