To disavow backlinks in 2026, confirm an “Unnatural links to your site” manual action in the Manual Actions report of Google Search Console, ask site owners to remove or nofollow the bad links, list what remains in a UTF-8 .txt file (one URL or domain: entry per line, up to 100,000 lines and 2MB), and upload it in Google’s Disavow links tool. Google’s own help page says “most sites will not need to use this tool,” and its 2022 webspam report says SpamBrain detected 50 times more link spam sites than the previous link spam update. If you have no manual action and never bought links, the correct disavow file is usually no file.
That second half is what most guides skip. Google’s Search Console Help page “Disavow links to your site” opens with a “Step 0: Decide if this is necessary,” and it calls the tool “an advanced feature” that “can potentially harm your site’s performance in Google Search results” when used incorrectly. Microsoft went further: on September 21, 2023, the Bing Webmaster Blog announced that Bing Webmaster Tools would remove its disavow links feature and API in October 2023, because Bing’s systems “can ignore or discount” unnatural links on their own.
This guide covers the mechanics and the decision: file rules, Search Console export limits, link exports from Ahrefs, Semrush or Moz Link Explorer, and a situation table. For the wider recovery process, read how to recover from a Google penalty.
Not sure links are even the problem? Get a free review of the signals that decide where your site shows up in Google and AI answers.
Do you need to disavow backlinks at all?
Probably not. Google says you should disavow only if you have “a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality links” pointing to your site and those links “have caused a manual action, or likely will cause a manual action.” Both conditions must be true. A few odd links from scraper sites meet neither.
Google states the reason plainly: “In most cases, Google can assess which links to trust without additional guidance.” Its December 14, 2022 Search Central blog post on the link spam update said Google was using SpamBrain “to neutralize the impact of unnatural links,” and that SpamBrain can “detect both sites buying links, and sites used for the purpose of passing outgoing links.” Neutralized links pass no credit. They do not need your help to be ignored.
The “why” column paraphrases Google’s and Bing’s documentation unless marked as our judgment.
| Situation | Disavow? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Actions report shows “Unnatural links to your site” | Yes, after removal attempts | Google’s fix steps for this action name the Disavow links tool for links you could not get removed |
| You or a past agency bought links or ran a link scheme, no manual action yet | Yes, for those links | Google’s help page covers sites “about to get” an action because of paid links |
| Random spammy links you never built, no manual action | No | Google says most sites do not need the tool and its systems decide which links to trust |
| Traffic fell after a core update, no manual action | No | Core update drops relate to content quality, and links are not the lever (our judgment, consistent with Google’s guidance) |
| A third-party tool flags a high “toxic” score | No, not on that basis | Google’s documentation does not reference any vendor score |
| You suspect a competitor is pointing spam at you | Usually no | Google says it “works very hard to make sure that actions on third-party sites do not negatively affect a website” |
| You want to disavow links for Bing | Not possible | Bing announced removal of its disavow feature in October 2023 |
If your row says no, stop here and spend the time on earning links people chose to give you, which is what how to get backlinks covers.
How do you disavow backlinks in Google Search Console, step by step?
Confirm the trigger in the Manual Actions report, export your links, request removal, build a .txt file, and upload it in the Disavow links tool on a URL prefix property. Google’s manual action guidance warns that skipping removal can get a reconsideration request rejected.
1. Confirm the trigger in the Manual Actions report
Open Search Console, go to Security and Manual Actions, then Manual actions. A green check mark means no manual action. If you see “Unnatural links to your site,” Google says it “has detected a pattern of unnatural, artificial, deceptive, or manipulative links pointing to your site.” If you see “Unnatural links from your site,” the problem is your outbound links, and a disavow file will not fix it.
2. Export your links from Search Console first
Google’s manual action page tells you to download links two ways: by hostname (Top linking sites, then Export) or by date (Links report, then Export external links, then Latest links). The Search Console Links report help page says Latest links exports up to 100,000 rows, while single tables cap at 1,000 rows, and the report shows a sample of links rather than every link. Supplement it with exports from Ahrefs, Semrush or Moz Link Explorer if your profile is large. Google suggests starting with the sites that link to you the most and links created in the last few months.
3. Try removal before you disavow
For each link that breaks Google’s link spam policy, contact the site owner and ask them to remove it or add rel="nofollow" or a more specific attribute such as rel="sponsored". If you need a refresher on those attributes, see what a nofollow link is. Google’s manual action page says to “make a good-faith effort to remove the link first,” and that “blindly adding all backlinks to the disavow file is not considered a good-faith effort.” Log every request, date and reply in a spreadsheet.
4. Build the disavow file
Put only the links you could not remove into a plain text file. Use domain: for any site where several pages link to you, which Google’s manual action page recommends “for convenience.” Remove every organic link from your export before you save. The format rules are strict and covered in the next section.
5. Upload, then request review
Open the disavow links tool page, pick the property, and upload the file. If the file has errors, Google shows them immediately and keeps your old list. If a manual action triggered the work, select Request Review in the Manual Actions report and attach documentation of what you removed and why the rest could not be removed.
What format does a disavow file need?
A disavow file must be a .txt file encoded in UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII, with one URL or one domain: entry per line, no more than 100,000 lines including blank and comment lines, and no larger than 2MB. Lines starting with # are comments that Google ignores.
Two more rules from Google’s help page: maximum URL length is 2,048 characters, and you cannot disavow a subpath such as example.com/en/, only specific URLs or a whole domain or subdomain. A .csv or .xlsx export does not meet the .txt rule, so save as plain text.
A valid file, modeled on Google’s own example, looks like this:
# Paid directory links, removal refused 2026-09-30
http://spam.example.com/stuff/comments.html
http://spam.example.com/stuff/paid-links.html
# Whole domain: link network built by previous vendor
domain:shadyseo.com
Three upload rules catch people out. First, Google allows one disavow list per property, and “uploading a new list for a property will replace any existing list.” Every upload must include everything you still want disavowed, not just the new entries. Second, you must be a property owner to upload. Third, the tool “does not support Domain properties,” so you need a URL prefix property. Google also says a list on example.com applies to child properties such as m.example.com, but http and https properties each need their own upload.
How long does a disavow take to work?
Google says that after a successful upload “it can take a few weeks for Google to incorporate your list into the index as Google recrawls the web.” For a manual action, the reconsideration review adds more time, and link related reviews can run longer than other types.
The Manual Actions help page says “most reconsideration reviews can take several days or weeks, although in some cases, such as link-related reconsideration requests, it may take longer than usual.” Google also says not to resubmit before you get a decision on the open request.
Disavowed links “will continue to be shown in the Links report,” according to Google, and there is no per link confirmation. To undo everything, the tool’s Cancel Disavowals button removes the list for a property, which Google says also takes a few weeks to process.
Can a disavow file hurt your rankings?
Yes. Google’s help page says that if the tool is “used incorrectly, this feature can potentially harm your site’s performance in Google Search results.” The usual mistake is disavowing good, organic links, which tells Google to stop counting links that were helping you.
The manual action page warns: “Make sure that you don’t disavow organic links to your site.” The risk is highest when someone uploads an entire backlink export unread. A link from a local newspaper or a trade association can look odd in a spreadsheet and still be an editorial link Google wants to count.
6. Audit an old disavow file before you add to it
Many sites carry a disavow file a previous agency uploaded years ago. Because each upload replaces the last, a new file either keeps or drops those entries. The tool shows a summary of the existing list; check the disavowed domains and drop real publications or partners. Google has published nothing on restoring old organic links, so this is our judgment, not a tested outcome: a file built on fear rather than a manual action is a candidate for trimming.
What about toxic scores, negative SEO and Bing?
Toxic or spam scores are third-party estimates, not Google signals. Negative SEO is something Google says it works to neutralize. Bing no longer offers a disavow tool. None of the three is, by itself, a reason to file.
Vendor scores. Moz’s Spam Score and the toxicity ratings in tools such as Semrush are each company’s own model, useful for sorting a large export for human review. Google’s disavow and manual action documentation mentions none of them.
Negative SEO. Google’s help page says Google “works very hard to make sure that actions on third-party sites do not negatively affect a website.” Its December 2022 link spam update post says ranking may change “as spammy links are neutralized and any credit passed by these unnatural links are lost,” which describes links being ignored, not punished. If a spam attack ever does produce an “Unnatural links to your site” action, the steps above apply.
Bing. Bing’s September 2023 announcement said its AI “can now differentiate between natural and unnatural links,” and that webmasters “will not have to spend time and resources auditing and disavowing links.” If you file anywhere in 2026, it is Google Search Console. For how ChatGPT and Google AI Mode describe you, earning mentions in real publications does more than pruning a link profile.
FAQ
Does disavowing links still work in 2026?
Yes. Google Search Console still offers the Disavow links tool, and Google’s help page still documents its format and upload steps. Google limits its recommended use to sites with many spammy or artificial links that caused, or likely will cause, a manual action. For everyone else, Google says its systems decide which links to trust, and SpamBrain has neutralized unnatural links since the December 2022 link spam update.
How long does it take for a disavow file to work?
Google says a successful upload can take a few weeks to be incorporated, because Google applies it as it recrawls the web and reprocesses pages. If you are fixing a manual action, the reconsideration review adds time. Google’s Manual Actions help page says most reviews take several days or weeks, and link related requests can take longer. Disavowed links still appear in the Links report afterward.
Should I disavow spammy links I did not build?
Usually not. Google’s documentation says you should disavow only when you have a considerable number of spammy links and they have caused or likely will cause a manual action. Random scraper and directory links you never asked for meet neither condition. Google says it works to keep actions on third-party sites from hurting your site. Check the Manual Actions report before you act.
Can I disavow links on a Domain property in Search Console?
No. Google’s help page says the disavow links tool does not support Domain properties. You need a URL prefix property, such as https://www.example.com/, and you must be a verified owner to upload. A list applies to that property plus child properties like m.example.com. If you have separate http and https properties, Google says to upload a list for each one.
Does Bing have a disavow tool?
Not anymore. Microsoft’s Bing Webmaster Blog announced on September 21, 2023 that Bing Webmaster Tools would remove its disavow links feature and its API in October 2023. Bing said its AI can tell natural from unnatural links and ignore the unnatural ones without affecting the rest. Bing still asks site owners to follow its webmaster guidelines on link abuse.
How do I undo or update a disavow file?
To update, upload a new file; Google replaces the old list for that property with the new one, so include every entry you want to keep. To undo everything, open the disavow links tool, choose the property and click Cancel Disavowals. Google says either change can take a few weeks to take effect as it recrawls the web.
The short answer
A disavow file is a fix for a specific diagnosis, not a cleanup habit. If the Manual Actions report in Google Search Console shows unnatural inbound links, or you know someone bought links for your site, try removal, then upload a clean UTF-8 .txt file and request review. If neither is true, Google, SpamBrain and even Bing say the same thing: they already ignore the junk, and the time is better spent earning links worth keeping.
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