How to Disavow Spam Backlinks: A Complete Guide

Introduction

Backlinks remain an important part of search engine optimisation because they help search engines discover content and understand how websites are connected. When relevant and trustworthy websites link to your content naturally, those links can support your website's visibility and authority.

However, not every backlink is beneficial. A website may receive links from irrelevant directories, automated link-building networks, suspicious websites, hacked pages, or other sources associated with manipulative SEO practices.

These links can raise concerns, particularly when they are part of an artificial link-building campaign that violates Google's spam policies.

This is why website owners and SEO professionals need to understand how to audit backlinks, identify potentially unnatural links, and determine whether corrective action is necessary.

Google provides a specialised feature called the Google Disavow Tool, which allows eligible website owners to submit a list of URLs or domains whose links they want Google to disregard when assessing links to their website.

However, using this feature incorrectly can harm your website's search performance. Google does not recommend disavowing backlinks simply because a third-party SEO tool labels them as toxic or because they come from unfamiliar websites.

In this guide, we explain how to find spam backlinks, evaluate potentially harmful links, create a Google Disavow File, and use the Disavow Tool carefully.

What Are Spam Backlinks?

Spam backlinks are links pointing to a website that originate from spammy, manipulative, irrelevant, or artificially created sources.

Some spam backlinks appear because of automated link-building activities, paid , hacked websites, or low-quality networks designed primarily to manipulate search engine rankings.

Other unwanted backlinks may appear without the website owner's involvement.

For example, a website might suddenly receive links from hundreds of unrelated domains containing irrelevant anchor text. These links could be part of an automated activity rather than a legitimate editorial recommendation.

Common examples include:

• Links from automated backlink-building networks.

• Links placed on irrelevant websites solely to manipulate rankings.

• Paid links that pass ranking credit in violation of Google's policies.

• Excessive reciprocal link exchanges.

• Spam links generated through automated comments.

• Links from hacked or compromised webpages.

• Keyword-rich links distributed across unrelated websites.

• Low-quality directory links created primarily for ranking manipulation.

It is important to understand that an unfamiliar website or a low-authority domain does not automatically represent a harmful backlink.

Google's systems can often identify and ignore many unwanted links without requiring website owners to take action.

Therefore, the goal of a backlink audit should be to identify genuine link-related risks rather than remove every backlink that appears unfamiliar.

What Is Google's Disavow Tool?

Google's Disavow Tool is an advanced feature associated with Google Search Console.

It allows website owners to submit a text file containing specific backlinks or entire domains that they want Google to disregard when evaluating links pointing to their website.

This feature is particularly relevant when a website has a considerable number of artificial or spammy backlinks associated with a violation of Google's link spam policies.

For example, if a previous SEO provider created hundreds of paid backlinks using manipulative anchor text, the website owner may need to investigate those links and consider disavowal if they cannot be removed.

However, Google clearly explains that most websites do not need this tool.

When should you consider using the Google Disavow Tool?

Google recommends considering disavowal when both of the following conditions apply:

1. Your website has a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality backlinks.

2. Those backlinks have caused a manual action or are likely to cause one.

Before disavowing links, Google recommends trying to remove the problematic links from the websites hosting them.

Important: Disavowing links is not a guaranteed method of recovering lost rankings, increasing Domain Authority, or improving organic traffic. It is a specialised corrective action for particular backlink-related situations.

Official Google documentation: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2648487

Why Do Websites Receive Unnatural Backlinks?

Understanding where unnatural backlinks come from makes backlink auditing more effective.

Here are some common reasons websites accumulate suspicious links.

1. Automated Link-Building Activities

Some SEO services use automated software to create backlinks across multiple websites, directories, forums, and comment sections.

These links may be generated without considering whether the linking website is relevant to the target website.

Large-scale automated link creation intended to manipulate rankings can violate Google's link spam policies.

2. Previous SEO Agency Activities

A previous SEO agency or freelancer may have used outdated link-building techniques.

Examples include purchasing backlinks, creating excessive directory submissions, using private link networks, or distributing keyword-rich links across unrelated websites.

These practices can create an unnatural backlink profile that requires investigation.

3. Paid Link Schemes

Buying or selling links to manipulate search rankings is against Google's spam policies when those links pass ranking credit.

Paid advertising and sponsorship links are not automatically problematic. They should use appropriate link qualification, such as rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".

The concern is the attempt to manipulate rankings through links that should not pass ranking credit.

4. Negative SEO Attempts

Negative SEO generally refers to attempts to harm a competitor's website through manipulative activities.

One example is creating large numbers of suspicious backlinks pointing to another website.

However, receiving unexpected backlinks does not prove that a competitor is targeting your website.

Google has systems designed to identify and ignore many such links. Investigate the actual backlink patterns before taking action.

5. Spam Comments and Forum Links

Websites with public comment sections, forums, and user-generated content may receive links from automated spam accounts.

These links often contain irrelevant keywords, promotional messages, or unrelated website URLs.

Website owners should use appropriate spam protection and link qualification for user-generated content.

How to Identify Toxic Backlinks

Identifying potentially harmful backlinks requires more than checking a single SEO metric.

A proper backlink audit should examine the linking website, linking page, anchor text, relevance, link placement, and the history of link acquisition.

The following methods can help you investigate your website's backlink profile.

1. Review Google Search Console's Links Report

Google Search Console is one of the first places to begin a backlink audit.

It provides information about websites linking to your property, commonly linked pages, and the anchor text associated with external links.

Steps to check backlinks in Google Search Console:

1. Open Google Search Console.

2. Select your verified website property.

3. Navigate to the Links section.

4. Review the External Links report.

5. Open the Top Linking Sites section.

6. Examine the websites linking to your domain.

7. Review the Top Linked Pages and Top Linking Text sections.

8. Export the available backlink data for further investigation.

Pay particular attention to unusual patterns, such as a large number of links from unrelated websites or unexpected anchor text.

However, Google Search Console does not provide a direct toxic backlink score. You must evaluate the links using the available information and additional investigation.

Official resource: https://search.google.com/search-console/

2. Examine Referring Domains

A referring domain is a unique website that links to your website.

For example, if five different pages on one website link to your homepage, those links generally represent one referring domain.

When auditing referring domains, look for:

• Websites unrelated to your business or industry.

• Repeated links from suspicious domain networks.

• Websites with little meaningful content.

• Pages created primarily to publish outgoing links.

• Large numbers of unexpected links from similar sources.

• Domains associated with known manipulative link-building campaigns.

Do not automatically classify every unrelated domain as harmful. A genuine news article, business mention, or editorial reference can link to your website even when the publisher operates in a different industry.

3. Analyse Anchor Text Distribution

Anchor text is the clickable text used in a hyperlink.

Reviewing anchor text can help identify unusual backlink patterns.

For example, consider a website offering software development services.

Its natural backlink profile might contain anchor text such as:

• Freshora

• Freshora.ai

• Website development services

• Read the article

• Visit the website

However, an unusual backlink profile might contain excessive exact-match commercial phrases from unrelated websites.

Examples include:

• Best website development company

• Cheap website development services

• Top software development company

These phrases are not automatically harmful. The concern arises when they appear repeatedly through manipulative link-building practices.

Review anchor text alongside the linking domains and pages rather than making decisions based on keywords alone.

4. Check the Relevance of Linking Pages

A backlink's context is important.

A link from an article discussing software development to a relevant technology company may be a natural editorial reference.

On the other hand, a link placed on an unrelated page containing automatically generated text and dozens of promotional outbound links may deserve further investigation.

Ask the following questions:

• Is the linking page relevant to the subject?

• Does the website publish useful content?

• Is the backlink placed naturally within the content?

• Does the link provide value to readers?

• Does the page appear to exist primarily for link placement?

• Is there evidence of paid or automated link manipulation?

A low-quality website alone is not sufficient evidence that a backlink should be disavowed.

5. Look for Unusual Backlink Growth

Monitoring backlink growth can reveal unexpected patterns.

For example, a website that normally receives a small number of new referring domains each month may suddenly receive hundreds of links from unrelated websites.

Such a change deserves investigation.

Possible reasons include:

• A legitimate viral article or media mention.

• A new directory listing campaign.

• An automated backlink campaign.

• A previous agency's link-building activity.

• Scraping or automatically generated pages.

Use backlink monitoring tools to compare historical data and identify when the unusual links appeared.

Do not assume that every sudden increase represents negative SEO.

6. Investigate Suspicious Linking Websites Manually

Third-party backlink tools can help identify potential issues, but manual investigation is important before disavowal.

Open suspicious linking pages and examine their content.

Look for signs such as:

• Automatically generated articles.

• Repeated promotional links.

• Irrelevant content and keywords.

• Pages containing excessive outbound links.

• Hacked or compromised content.

• Website networks publishing nearly identical pages.

If a website is inaccessible, has expired, or provides limited information, that alone does not establish that its backlinks are harmful.

Best Tools for Backlink Auditing

Several SEO tools can help website owners discover referring domains, analyse anchor text, and investigate potentially suspicious backlinks.

1. Google Search Console

Google Search Console provides Google's own reporting interface for reviewing external links to your website.

Useful for:

• Reviewing top linking websites.

• Identifying frequently linked pages.

• Checking common link text.

• Exporting backlink information.

Best For: Website owners who want to begin a backlink audit using Google's free tools.

Website: https://search.google.com/search-console/

2. Ahrefs

Ahrefs provides backlink analysis features that help SEO professionals investigate referring domains, backlink profiles, anchor text, and historical link information.

Useful for:

• Finding referring domains.

• Analysing backlink growth.

• Reviewing anchor text.

• Investigating competitor backlinks.

• Discovering lost and new backlinks.

Best For: SEO professionals who need more detailed backlink research.

Website: https://ahrefs.com/

3. Semrush

Semrush offers backlink analysis and Backlink Audit features for investigating potentially suspicious links.

Its Backlink Audit tool includes a Toxicity Score that can help prioritise links for manual review.

However, this score is a third-party assessment, not a Google penalty or official Google toxicity measurement.

Useful for:

• Analysing backlink profiles.

• Reviewing potentially toxic links.

• Monitoring referring domains.

• Investigating anchor text.

• Organising backlink removal and disavow workflows.

Best For: SEO teams managing larger backlink profiles.

Website: https://www.semrush.com/

4. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest provides backlink analysis features that can help website owners explore referring domains, backlinks, and competitor link profiles.

Useful for:

• Discovering referring domains.

• Reviewing backlink sources.

• Identifying new and lost links.

• Researching competitor backlinks.

Best For: Small businesses and marketers who want an accessible SEO research platform.

Website: https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/

5. Moz Link Explorer

Moz Link Explorer provides backlink research and link analysis features.

It includes metrics such as Domain Authority and Spam Score.

Remember that these are Moz metrics, not direct Google ranking or penalty measurements.

Useful for:

• Reviewing referring domains.

• Examining anchor text.

• Comparing link profiles.

• Identifying potential link-quality concerns.

Best For: SEO professionals who want additional backlink analysis and comparison data.

Website: https://moz.com/link-explorer

How to Audit Backlinks Step by Step

A systematic backlink audit helps you separate legitimate backlinks from links that may require further investigation.

Follow this process before considering disavowal.

Step 1: Collect Backlink Data

Start by exporting the available external link information from Google Search Console.

You can also collect backlink data from tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest, or Moz.

Using multiple sources can provide a broader view because no single tool necessarily discovers every backlink.

Step 2: Combine and Organise the Data

Place the collected backlinks into a spreadsheet.

Useful columns include:

• Linking Domain

• Linking Page URL

• Target Page URL

• Anchor Text

• First Seen Date

• Link Status

• Link Attribute

• Source Tool

• Investigation Notes

• Final Decision

Remove duplicate records where appropriate.

Remember that several backlinks from one domain may need to be evaluated together.

Step 3: Identify Unusual Patterns

Review the data for:

• Repeated exact-match anchor text.

• Large numbers of links from unrelated domains.

• Suspicious link networks.

• Links created through paid or automated campaigns.

• Unusual increases in referring domains.

• Pages with manipulative link placements.

Use these findings to create a list of backlinks that need manual investigation.

Step 4: Review Each Suspicious Link

Open the linking page whenever possible.

Evaluate the content, relevance, placement, website quality, and possible reason for the link.

Do not rely entirely on third-party toxicity scores or automated classifications.

Step 5: Check for a Manual Action

Open Google Search Console and navigate to the Manual Actions report.

Check whether Google has issued a manual action related to unnatural links.

If a manual action exists, read the report carefully and identify the specific violation.

A sudden ranking decline or a high number of suspicious backlinks does not automatically mean that your website has received a manual penalty.

Step 6: Attempt Link Removal

If you identify links created through manipulative practices, first try to remove them from the source websites.

Contact the website owner or webmaster and request removal.

Where appropriate, ask them to add a suitable link qualification attribute, such as rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored".

Keep records of your outreach attempts and responses.

Step 7: Decide Whether Disavowal Is Necessary

Only consider submitting a disavow file when the situation meets Google's criteria.

If the links are ordinary low-quality links that Google's systems can ignore, disavowal may be unnecessary.

If a substantial number of artificial links remain and are associated with a manual action or a likely manual action, prepare a carefully reviewed disavow file.

How to Create a Google Disavow File

A Google Disavow File is a plain-text document containing the individual URLs or domains you want Google to disregard.

The file must follow Google's required format.

1. Open a Plain Text Editor

You can create a disavow file using a basic text editor.

Examples include:

• Notepad on Windows.

• TextEdit in plain-text mode on macOS.

• Visual Studio Code.

• Other plain-text editing applications.

Save the final file with a .txt extension.

2. Add Individual URLs or Domains

Google supports two main formats.

Option A: Disavow an Individual URL

If only a particular webpage contains a problematic backlink, you can list its complete URL.

Example:

https://spam-example.com/irrelevant-link-page.html

Option B: Disavow an Entire Domain

If the entire domain is associated with a confirmed manipulative link scheme, you can use the domain: prefix.

Example:

domain:spam-example.com

This applies at the domain level rather than targeting only one page.

Use domain-level disavowal carefully because it can also exclude legitimate links from that domain.

3. Add Comments if Necessary

You can include comments in the disavow file by beginning a line with the # character.

For example:

# Links reviewed on 12 November 2026

# Individual URLs identified during backlink audit

https://spam-example.com/irrelevant-link-page.html

# Domain associated with confirmed manipulative link campaign

domain:another-spam-example.com

Google ignores lines beginning with #.

Comments can help maintain an internal record of why particular URLs or domains were included.

4. Follow Google's File Requirements

Before uploading, check the official file requirements.

You cannot disavow an entire URL subpath using a general directory pattern.

For example, listing example.com/blog/ does not disavow every page under that directory.

Always validate the file before uploading it.

Example of a Google Disavow File

The following is an illustrative example only. Do not copy these sample domains into a real website's disavow file.

# Backlink audit - illustrative example
# Individual URLs

https://spam-example.com/irrelevant-page.html
https://another-example.net/automated-link.html

# Domains identified for disavowal

domain:manipulative-example.com
domain:link-network-example.net

Before submitting a real file, make sure every entry has been investigated and approved.

Never include legitimate editorial links simply because their referring domains have low authority or an unfamiliar name.

How to Upload a Disavow File Using Google's Disavow Tool

Once your file is ready, you can upload it using Google's official Disavow Links Tool.

Step 1: Verify the Correct Website Property

Make sure you have a verified URL-prefix property in Google Search Console.

The Disavow Tool does not support Domain properties.

If your website is currently verified only as a Domain property, you may need to add and verify an appropriate URL-prefix property.

For example:

https://www.example.com/

Choose the URL-prefix property that matches the website you intend to manage.

Step 2: Open Google's Disavow Links Tool

Visit the official tool:

https://search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links

Sign in using the Google account that has owner permissions for the relevant Search Console property.

Step 3: Select Your Website Property

Choose the correct verified URL-prefix property from the available list.

Double-check that you are working with the intended website before continuing.

Step 4: Upload Your Text File

Select the option to upload your prepared .txt file.

Choose the file from your computer and submit it.

Google will check the file for formatting errors.

If errors are reported, correct the file and upload it again.

Step 5: Confirm the Upload

After a successful upload, check the displayed information to confirm that the intended list has been submitted.

Important: Uploading a new disavow file replaces the existing disavow list for that property. It does not automatically add the new entries to the old file.

Therefore, download and review the existing list before preparing an updated version. Preserve entries that should remain disavowed.

Step 6: Allow Google to Process the File

Google explains that processing can take several weeks as it recrawls the web and reprocesses the affected pages.

Do not expect an immediate ranking improvement after uploading a disavow file.

Official Google Disavow Tool: https://search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links

What Happens After Disavowing Spam Backlinks?

Submitting a disavow file does not immediately remove backlinks from the internet.

The links may continue to exist on the websites that published them. They may also remain visible in third-party backlink tools and Google's Links report.

Disavowal provides Google with instructions about which links to disregard when evaluating links to your website.

After submitting the file, you should:

1. Save a copy of the submitted disavow file.

2. Keep records of the links you attempted to remove.

3. Monitor the Manual Actions report in Search Console.

4. Review your backlink profile periodically.

5. Continue building relevant, natural backlinks.

6. Monitor organic traffic and search performance.

7. Investigate any remaining technical or content-related SEO issues.

Remember that disavowing backlinks does not guarantee recovery from ranking losses. Search performance can be affected by many other factors, including content quality, technical problems, algorithm updates, competition, and changes in search demand.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the Google Disavow Tool

Incorrect disavowal decisions can create unnecessary SEO problems.

Avoid the following mistakes.

1. Disavowing Every Low-Quality Backlink

Not every low-authority website is harmful.

Some legitimate websites may have limited traffic, low third-party authority scores, or relatively simple designs.

Do not disavow backlinks based only on those characteristics.

2. Treating Third-Party Toxicity Scores as Google Penalties

SEO tools provide their own metrics to help prioritise backlink investigations.

A high Toxicity Score or Spam Score does not mean Google has penalised your website.

Use these metrics as investigation signals rather than final decisions.

3. Ignoring Google's Link Removal Recommendation

Google recommends making a reasonable effort to remove problematic links before disavowing them.

Contact relevant website owners and keep records of your attempts.

4. Uploading an Incomplete Disavow File

Uploading a new file replaces the existing list for the selected property.

If you forget to include previously disavowed entries, they may no longer be part of the submitted list.

Always review and preserve the existing entries when updating the file.

5. Disavowing Legitimate Editorial Backlinks

Natural backlinks from relevant websites, publishers, industry resources, and business partners can be valuable.

Do not remove legitimate backlinks simply because they contain commercial anchor text or come from websites with modest authority metrics.

Evaluate the context and origin of each link.

6. Expecting Immediate Ranking Improvements

Google needs time to recrawl and process affected pages.

Additionally, removing the effect of unnatural links does not automatically restore lost rankings.

7. Forgetting to Check Manual Actions

If your website has a manual action for unnatural links, submitting a disavow file alone may not complete the recovery process.

You must address the underlying violation and submit a reconsideration request when the corrective work is complete.

How to Recover from a Manual Action Related to Unnatural Links

If Google issues a manual action related to unnatural links, you should follow a structured recovery process.

Step 1: Review the Manual Actions Report

Open Google Search Console and read the manual action notification carefully.

Understand the type of violation and the affected pages or sections.

Step 2: Identify Manipulative Backlinks

Review your backlink data and identify links associated with paid link schemes, excessive exchanges, automated campaigns, or other practices that violate Google's policies.

Step 3: Contact Website Owners

Make a good-faith effort to remove problematic links.

Ask website owners to remove the links or qualify them appropriately so they no longer pass ranking credit.

Document the websites contacted, dates, responses, and removal results.

Step 4: Prepare a Disavow File for Links You Cannot Remove

For remaining artificial links that meet Google's disavow criteria, prepare a carefully reviewed text file.

Include only the URLs or domains that should be disavowed.

Step 5: Upload the File

Submit the final file through the Google Disavow Links Tool using the appropriate verified URL-prefix property.

Step 6: Submit a Reconsideration Request

After correcting the violations, open the Manual Actions report and select Request Review.

Explain:

• What caused the unnatural link problem.

• Which manipulative links were identified.

• What removal actions were completed.

• Which links could not be removed.

• How the disavow file was prepared and submitted.

• What steps have been implemented to prevent the issue from happening again.

Provide clear and honest documentation.

Step 7: Monitor Google's Response

Google will review the reconsideration request and provide an update in Search Console.

If the review confirms that the violation has been resolved, Google may revoke the manual action.

There is no guaranteed review timeline or ranking recovery timeframe.

Official resource: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9044175

How to Prevent Spam Backlinks in the Future

Although website owners cannot control every external website that links to them, they can reduce the risk of creating unnatural backlink profiles through their own SEO activities.

1. Follow Google's Link Spam Policies

Avoid paid links intended to manipulate rankings, automated link-building campaigns, excessive link exchanges, and other prohibited practices.

Review Google's official policies regularly.

2. Focus on Relevant Content

Create useful articles, guides, research, case studies, and resources that other websites may naturally reference.

High-quality content can support sustainable link acquisition.

3. Choose Link-Building Opportunities Carefully

Evaluate websites before pursuing guest contributions, partnerships, sponsorships, or directory listings.

Consider their relevance, audience, editorial standards, and link practices.

4. Monitor Backlink Growth

Review your referring domains and backlink patterns periodically.

Investigate sudden or unusual changes instead of making immediate disavowal decisions.

5. Work with Transparent SEO Providers

If you hire an SEO agency or freelancer, ask for clear information about their link-building methods.

Avoid providers promising thousands of backlinks or guaranteed ranking improvements through automated link creation.

6. Use Appropriate Link Attributes

For paid placements and sponsored links, use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" as appropriate.

For user-generated links, consider rel="ugc" or rel="nofollow".

Correct link qualification helps communicate the nature of these links to search engines.

Backlink Audit Checklist

Use this checklist when reviewing your website's backlink profile.

• Export backlink data from Google Search Console.
• Collect additional backlink data from relevant SEO tools.
• Identify unusual referring domains.
• Review suspicious linking pages.
• Examine anchor text distribution.
• Check for manipulative link-building patterns.
• Compare historical backlink growth.
• Review Google's Manual Actions report.
• eparate legitimate links from confirmed problematic links.
• Contact website owners to request removal where appropriate.
• Prepare a disavow file only when Google's criteria are met.
• Preserve the existing disavow list before updating it.
• Upload the file using the correct URL-prefix property.
• Document the actions taken.
• Submit a reconsideration request if a manual action has been resolved.

Conclusion

Managing backlinks is an important part of maintaining a healthy SEO strategy. While natural backlinks can help websites earn visibility and credibility, manipulative link-building practices may create problems that require investigation.

Understanding how to identify toxic backlinks, audit referring domains, analyse anchor text, and recognise unnatural link patterns helps website owners make better SEO decisions.

Google's Disavow Tool provides a way to submit problematic links for consideration, but it should not be used as a routine backlink-cleaning solution.

The safest approach is to investigate suspicious backlinks carefully, attempt removal where appropriate, and disavow only when the circumstances meet Google's recommendations.

At Freshora.ai, we believe sustainable SEO depends on quality content, relevant backlinks, sound technical practices, and long-term search optimisation. A carefully managed backlink profile should support your broader SEO strategy rather than rely on shortcuts or unnecessary disavowal.