How to Make a Disavow File

Disavowing tells Google to ignore specific backlinks pointing at your site. It's done through a text file you upload in Google Search Console. But most sites should never disavow anything — Google's algorithms already ignore most spam on their own.

Disavowing is only worth it when your link profile has a real spam problem — and the way to know is to compare yourself against the sites outranking you. If you're carrying far more junk links than your competitors, a disavow file can help level the playing field. If your spam ratio is roughly in line with theirs, Google is already discounting those links for everyone equally, and disavowing won't help.

When Should You Disavow?

The rule of thumb: if your spam-link ratio is roughly in line with competitors, leave it alone. If you have substantially more spam backlinks than the sites outranking you, that's when a disavow file can help.

Common sources of spam-link buildup: old directory submissions, hacked-site links, negative SEO attacks, and bulk link packages bought years ago.

How to Disavow (Manual Steps)

Step 1: Build Your Disavow File

A plain .txt file, UTF-8 encoded. Two formats:

# Disavow an entire domain (recommended for spam sites)
domain:spammy-directory.example
domain:cheap-links.example

# Disavow a single URL (for one bad page on an otherwise fine site)
https://example.com/bad-page.html

Use domain: for entire spam domains — it's the most common case. Lines starting with # are comments and are ignored. Maximum file size is 100,000 lines / 2MB. See Google's official file format guide.

Step 2: Access the Disavow Tool

The Disavow Links tool is still available, but Google keeps it hidden — you won't find it in the Search Console sidebar. It's intentionally tucked away as an advanced feature. Access it directly:

Open Google's Disavow Links Tool

⚠️ Three things to know before you upload:

Property type matters. The tool does not support Domain properties (e.g. domain:example.com). You'll need a URL-prefix property (like https://example.com) — select it from the dropdown inside the tool. If you only have a Domain property set up, add a URL-prefix property first.
Permissions required. You must be listed as a Property Owner to upload or modify a disavow file. Delegated users and restricted roles can't access it.
Uploads replace, don't append. Every new upload replaces your previous file entirely. Always keep a master copy with every domain you want disavowed.

Step 3: Upload and Wait

Select your URL-prefix property from the dropdown
Click Upload Disavow List and select your .txt file
Confirm. Google will process it — this can take several weeks to affect rankings

When Does Google Actually Recommend Disavowing?

Google's official guidance is narrow. From their help documentation:

"You should disavow backlinks only if: you have a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality links pointing to your site, AND the links have caused a manual action, or likely will cause a manual action, on your site."

In practice, this means disavowing makes sense in these specific situations:

You have an active manual action for unnatural links in Search Console (check under Security & Manual Actions → Manual Actions). Disavowing is part of the cleanup before submitting a reconsideration request.
You're anticipating a manual action because of past link schemes — paid links or manipulative tactics you (or a previous agency) built.
You're dealing with a severe negative SEO attack — a measurable, large-scale spam link campaign targeting your site.

Google's John Mueller has said: "If you have a manual action for link-spam, or if you're certain you'll get one when someone looks, disavowing can make sense. Most spammy / paid / placed / swapped links are just ignored nowadays."

What's not on the list: random spam, scraper sites, foreign directories, comment spam. Google's SpamBrain handles those algorithmically. Disavowing them adds no value — and risks accidentally disavowing good links.

⚠️ Don't disavow good links by accident. Disavowing a legitimate referring domain removes its ranking benefit. When in doubt, disavow the specific URL rather than the whole domain — and never disavow links just because a third-party "toxicity score" flagged them. Compare against competitors first.

When NOT to Disavow

You have no manual action in Search Console and rankings are stable — Google is already ignoring the spam.
Your spam ratio matches competitors — everyone in your SERP has junk links; it's priced in.
Someone sold you a "toxic link audit" — third-party toxicity scores are guesses, not Google's judgment.
You just want "a cleaner profile" — there's no cleanliness bonus. Only disavow to fix a real problem.

Disavow File FAQs

What is the exact disavow file format?

A plain .txt file, UTF-8 encoded. Use domain:example.com to disavow a whole domain or a full URL for a single page. Lines starting with # are comments. Max 100,000 lines, 2 MB file size.

Should I disavow the domain or the URL?

Domain, in most cases — one bad page on a spam site means the whole site is untrustworthy. Use URL-level disavow only when a single bad page sits on an otherwise legitimate site you don't want to fully disavow.

Disavow file vs removing backlinks — which is better?

Removing (getting the link taken down) is cleaner but usually impossible — spam site owners don't answer outreach. The disavow file exists precisely for links you can't remove. Try removal for real sites where you have a contact; disavow everything else.

What are the most common disavow file mistakes?

Disavowing good links by accident (the #1 mistake — always compare against competitors first), wrong encoding (must be UTF-8, not Word), disavowing based on third-party toxicity scores alone, and uploading a file for a problem Google was already handling.

Should you disavow? Check your domain.