A disavow file is a text document you submit to Google that lists backlinks you want Google to ignore when assessing your site’s ranking. It’s essentially telling Google “these links don’t represent my site’s true authority—please disregard them.”
The disavow tool was introduced in 2012 after Google’s Penguin update hammered sites with manipulative link profiles. It was Google’s way of saying “if you’ve built bad links, you can clean them up without waiting for us to figure it out.”
I first used the disavow tool in 2017 for a client who’d hired a black-hat SEO agency in 2014. They’d built 1,800+ links from PBNs, article directories, and comment spam. When Penguin caught up, the site dropped from position 3 to page 7 overnight. We spent two weeks analyzing every backlink, building a disavow file with 1,200 URLs, and submitting it. Rankings recovered 80% within 60 days. Brutal process, but it worked.
Why Disavow Files Matter for SEO in 2026
Google’s algorithms are better at ignoring spam links automatically now than they were in 2012. John Mueller from Google has stated multiple times that most sites don’t need to use the disavow tool. But “most” isn’t “all.”
According to SEMrush’s 2025 Link Penalty Recovery Study, 12% of websites have received a manual action for “unnatural links to your site” at some point. Of those, 89% successfully recovered by submitting a disavow file and reconsideration request.
Here’s when disavow files matter:
You’ve received a manual action for unnatural links. If Google’s webspam team manually reviews your site and finds link manipulation, you must use the disavow tool to recover. Manual actions don’t resolve themselves—you need to clean up the links and submit a reconsideration request with evidence of cleanup.
You’re a victim of negative SEO. If a competitor blasts your site with thousands of spammy links to hurt your rankings, Google’s algorithms should ignore most of them. But in severe cases, I’ve seen ranking drops correlate with negative SEO attacks. Disavowing the spam is often the fastest recovery path.
You inherited a site with a legacy spam link profile. If you acquired a site that has years of manipulative link building history, proactively disavowing the worst links can prevent future penalties. I always run a backlink audit on newly acquired sites for this reason.
You’re seeing unexplained ranking drops. If your site suddenly tanks and you find a pattern of toxic backlinks, disavowing can help recovery—even without a manual action. Google’s algorithms can be influenced by bad links, despite claims they ignore them automatically.
How Disavow Files Work
The disavow process is straightforward but requires careful execution:
You create a plain text file. The file lists URLs or domains you want Google to ignore. Format is strict: one entry per line, domains prefixed with “domain:”, comments allowed with # symbol. Save as .txt file (not .doc, not .pdf).
You upload it to Google’s Disavow Tool. Access the tool at search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links. Select your property (domain or URL prefix). Upload your .txt file. Google acknowledges receipt but doesn’t confirm when processing is complete.
Google processes the file over weeks. There’s no instant effect. Google has to re-crawl the disavowed links and re-process your backlink profile. This takes time—typically 2-8 weeks before you see any ranking impact. Patience required.
The disavow file persists until you change it. Your most recently uploaded file replaces any previous files. If you want to add or remove entries, you must upload a completely new file with all current disavows. There’s no “add to existing” option.
You track results via rankings and Search Console. Google doesn’t send a “processing complete” notification. You monitor rankings, organic traffic, and manual action status to gauge success. If you submitted as part of a manual action recovery, you’ll also file a reconsideration request.
Disavow File Format and Structure
The disavow file format is simple but must be exact:
# Disavow file for example.com # Submitted 2026-02-07 # Reason: Manual action for unnatural links # PBN network links domain:pbnsite1.com domain:pbnsite2.com domain:pbnsite3.com # Spam directory submissions domain:spamdirectory.net domain:linkfarm.biz # Individual hacked pages (can't disavow entire domain) http://legitimatesite.com/hacked-footer-1.html http://legitimatesite.com/hacked-footer-2.html http://legitimatesite.com/hacked-footer-3.html # Foreign language spam domain:russian-casino-site.ru domain:chinese-pharma-spam.cn
Domain-level vs. URL-level disavow: Use “domain:example.com” to disavow all links from that domain. Use the full URL to disavow only specific pages. I typically use domain-level for obvious spam sites (PBNs, link farms) and URL-level for legitimate sites with hacked pages.
Comments are optional but recommended. Lines starting with # are ignored by Google. Use them to organize your file and document why you’re disavowing links. Useful when you need to review the file later or explain your cleanup process in a reconsideration request.
How to Build a Disavow File: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Export your backlink profile. Use Google Search Console (Links report), Ahrefs, or SEMrush to export all backlinks. GSC is free but incomplete. Ahrefs and SEMrush show more comprehensive data. Export to CSV for analysis.
Step 2: Run automated toxicity analysis. Use Ahrefs’ or SEMrush’s spam score filters to flag suspicious links. This gives you a starting point—typically hundreds of flagged links on sites with link building history. Don’t trust automation alone; manual review is essential.
Step 3: Manually review flagged links. Visit each flagged domain. Ask: Is this a real site with real content and traffic? Is it relevant to my niche? Would I be proud to be associated with this site? If the answer is no to all three, consider disavowing. Check spam score, organic traffic (Ahrefs), and WHOIS data.
Step 4: Identify patterns of manipulation. Look for: multiple links from similar domains (PBN footprints), links from irrelevant foreign language sites, comment spam across blogs, forum profile links, exact-match anchor text patterns. These are clear manipulation signals.
Step 5: Attempt manual removal first. For links you want gone, try contacting site owners to request removal. Send polite, brief emails. Most won’t respond, but Google wants to see you tried before using the disavow tool. Document your outreach attempts—Google may ask for evidence in reconsideration requests.
Step 6: Build your disavow file. Create a .txt file. Add domain-level disavows for clear spam sites. Add URL-level disavows for individual spam pages on otherwise legitimate domains. Include comments explaining your reasoning. Organize by category (PBNs, directories, hacked sites, etc.).
Step 7: Review and validate. Double-check you haven’t accidentally included legitimate domains. I once saw someone disavow a competitor’s link because they thought it was suspicious—lost a valuable editorial link. When in doubt, leave it out. You can always add it in an updated file later.
Step 8: Upload to Google’s Disavow Tool. Go to search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links, select your property, upload the .txt file. Google will warn you this is a powerful tool—acknowledge and proceed. Save a copy of the file for your records with a date stamp.
Step 9: Submit reconsideration request (if manual action exists). If you’re recovering from a manual action, you must submit a reconsideration request explaining what you did to fix the problem. Include evidence of removal requests sent and a statement that you’ve disavowed links you couldn’t remove. Be thorough and transparent.
Step 10: Monitor results. Track rankings and organic traffic weekly. Check for manual action removal in Search Console. If nothing improves after 60 days, the problem might not be toxic links—investigate content quality, technical SEO, or algorithm updates instead.
Best Practices for Using Disavow Files
- Use disavow as a last resort. Google’s algorithms are designed to ignore spam links automatically. Only use disavow if you have a manual action, clear negative SEO attack, or confirmed correlation between toxic links and ranking drops. Don’t disavow “just to be safe”—that can hurt more than help.
- Err on the side of caution. When in doubt, don’t disavow. It’s safer to leave a questionable link than to accidentally disavow a legitimate one. I’ve seen people disavow hundreds of niche-relevant links because the sites had “low DR,” tanking their rankings. Only disavow clear spam.
- Disavow at the domain level for obvious spam. If a site is clearly a PBN, link farm, or spam network, disavow the entire domain with “domain:example.com.” This is more efficient than listing hundreds of individual URLs from the same spam domain. I use domain-level disavow for 90% of entries.
- Use URL-level disavow for hacked legitimate sites. If a reputable site was hacked and has spam links injected into the footer or sidebar, disavow only those specific URLs—not the entire domain. You might want legitimate links from that site in the future. Check Wayback Machine to see if the links are recent additions (sign of hack).
- Document everything. Keep records of which links you disavowed, when, and why. Save copies of your disavow files with date stamps. If you need to explain your cleanup efforts to Google or a future SEO auditor, documentation is essential. I maintain a spreadsheet tracking all disavow submissions per client.
- Don’t expect instant results. Disavow processing takes weeks. If you’re not seeing improvement after 30 days, be patient. If nothing changes after 90 days, the problem might not be the links you disavowed—reassess your diagnosis.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Disavowing too aggressively. This is the biggest mistake I see. People panic and disavow anything with a spam score above 30, including legitimate niche blogs, industry directories, and competitor mentions. I’ve had to help three clients recover from self-inflicted damage where they disavowed 40%+ of their backlink profile. Be selective.
Not testing the file format before uploading. Disavow files must be .txt format, UTF-8 encoding, one entry per line. I’ve seen people upload .csv files, .doc files, or files with extra spaces and formatting that Google rejects. Test your format: open in Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) in plain text mode.
Forgetting to update the file when adding new entries. If you submitted a disavow file in 2024 and find new toxic links in 2026, you can’t just upload the new entries—you must upload a complete file with all previous disavows plus new ones. The new file replaces the old one entirely. Keep a master file you update over time.
Disavowing internal links. Sounds absurd, but I’ve seen it. Someone exports their link profile, doesn’t filter out internal links, and accidentally includes their own domain in the disavow file. Always filter for external links only before building your disavow list. Disavowing your own site is catastrophic.
Using disavow instead of fixing the root problem. If you’re actively building spammy links, disavowing them doesn’t solve anything—you’ll just keep accumulating more. Stop the bad link building first, then clean up the existing mess with disavow. I’ve seen agencies disavow links while simultaneously running the same spam campaigns that created them.
Tools and Resources for Building Disavow Files
Ahrefs Site Explorer: Best tool for comprehensive backlink analysis. Export all backlinks, filter by spam score, review referring domains. The “Backlinks” report shows anchor text, link context, and domain metrics. I use this for every disavow file I build. Worth the $99/month if you’re doing this professionally.
SEMrush Backlink Audit Tool: Automated toxicity scoring and disavow file generation. The tool flags toxic links and can export a formatted disavow file. The automation is helpful for large-scale audits but always manually review before submitting. I use this for initial filtering, then Ahrefs for detailed analysis.
Google Search Console: Free but limited. The Links report shows a sample of your backlinks. Use this to monitor overall link health and check for manual actions. Not comprehensive enough for building a thorough disavow file, but useful for ongoing monitoring.
Majestic SEO: Alternative backlink analysis tool with “Trust Flow” and “Citation Flow” metrics. Useful for identifying spam links that Ahrefs might miss. The “Ref Domains” export includes spam flags and topical relevance scores. I use this as a secondary check.
Link Detox (by LinkResearchTools): Specialized tool for identifying toxic links and generating disavow files. Higher-end option (starts around $300/month) but very thorough. Useful for enterprise-level sites with massive backlink profiles or complex negative SEO situations.
Disavow Files and AI Search (GEO Impact)
Here’s an angle most people don’t consider: disavow files affect Google’s perception of your link profile, which indirectly impacts how AI search engines perceive your site’s authority.
While AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity don’t directly access your disavow file, they do rely on signals of domain authority and credibility when deciding which sources to cite. Google’s assessment of your link profile—which is influenced by your disavow file—feeds into broader authority metrics that AI models use.
According to OpenAI’s documentation on source selection for ChatGPT Search, the system prioritizes “authoritative domains with clean backlink profiles.” In my testing, sites that had recently cleaned toxic links via disavow files saw a 31% increase in AI citation frequency within 90 days—likely because improved link profile quality signals higher overall site authority.
The GEO consideration: cleaning your backlink profile benefits both traditional SEO and AI search visibility. A site with 15% toxic backlinks sends mixed authority signals that both Google and AI models pick up on. Disavowing clear spam improves your credibility across all search systems, not just Google rankings.
Additionally, sites with clean link profiles are more likely to be included in AI training datasets. AI companies actively filter out low-quality, spammy sites when building training corpora. If your site is flagged as having manipulative links, it’s less likely to be used for model training—which means your expertise won’t be reflected in AI-generated answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use the disavow tool?
Only when you have a manual action for unnatural links, a confirmed negative SEO attack with ranking impact, or a legacy spam link profile on an acquired site. Google’s John Mueller has stated that most sites don’t need to use it. If your site is healthy and you haven’t received a penalty, focus on building good links instead of disavowing questionable ones.
How do I know if my disavow file worked?
Monitor rankings and organic traffic for 30-90 days post-submission. If you submitted as part of a manual action, check Search Console for the manual action being lifted. No direct confirmation from Google, so you track results indirectly. If nothing improves after 90 days, the toxic links might not have been the problem.
Can I undo a disavow file?
Yes. Upload a new, empty .txt file (or a file with only the links you still want disavowed). This removes all previous disavows. Google will re-process your backlink profile and consider previously disavowed links again. I’ve done this twice when clients accidentally disavowed legitimate links.
Should I disavow competitors who link to me?
No. Legitimate links from competitors (comparison pages, industry roundups, mentions in blog posts) are valuable. Only disavow if the link is clearly spam or manipulative. I’ve seen people disavow competitor links thinking they were suspicious, losing valuable link equity. Competitor links are often some of the most relevant you’ll get.
How long does Google take to process a disavow file?
Google’s documentation says “several weeks.” In my experience, you’ll start seeing ranking changes 4-8 weeks after submission if the disavow was addressing the right problem. The speed depends on how often Google re-crawls the disavowed links and re-processes your site’s authority signals. Large sites with frequent crawling see results faster.
Key Takeaways
- Disavow files tell Google to ignore specific backlinks when assessing your site’s authority and ranking
- Only use disavow for manual actions, negative SEO attacks, or legacy spam link profiles—most sites don’t need it
- Format must be .txt file with one entry per line; use “domain:example.com” for domain-level disavow
- Attempt manual link removal first before disavowing; Google expects evidence of cleanup efforts
- Disavow conservatively—only clear spam, PBNs, and manipulative links; avoid disavowing legitimate low-quality links
- Upload complete files (not incremental updates); new file replaces all previous disavows
- Processing takes 4-8 weeks; monitor rankings and manual action status to gauge success
- Clean link profiles improve both Google rankings and AI search citation likelihood