Backlink Disavow
Backlink disavow is the process of submitting a file to Google telling it to ignore specific toxic or spammy backlinks pointing to your site, so they don't negatively affect your rankings.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-07-03
What is the Disavow Tool?
The Google Disavow Tool (available in Google Search Console) allows webmasters to ask Google to ignore specific backlinks pointing to their site. When you disavow a link, you're telling Google: "I know this link exists, but please don't count it as an endorsement of my site." This is used primarily to protect against negative SEO attacks (competitors building spammy links to harm your rankings) or to clean up past link building that violated Google's guidelines.
When to Use the Disavow Tool
Google's guidance: most sites should never need to use the disavow tool. Use it only when:
- You have a manual action for unnatural links and have a significant number of spammy links you cannot get removed
- You have strong evidence of a negative SEO attack creating a large spike of toxic links
- You've purchased links in the past that you can't remove and are at risk of or experiencing a penalty
How to Create a Disavow File
# Disavow file example
# Disavow specific URLs:
https://spammysite.com/bad-page
# Disavow entire domains (preferred when multiple bad pages):
domain:spammydomain.com
domain:anotherbaddomain.netDisavow Best Practices
- Don't over-disavow — disavowing legitimate links from real sites can harm rankings; be conservative
- Disavow at domain level — for known spammy domains, disavow the whole domain rather than individual URLs
- Try to remove first — attempt to contact webmasters to remove links before disavowing; document your attempts
- Keep a backup — save a copy of your disavow file; uploading a new file replaces the old one
- Monitor after submission — changes take weeks to reflect; use Ahrefs or Semrush to track toxic link status