Google Warns Against Routine Use of Disavow Tool

John Mueller from Google has made it clear that the regular or daily use of the disavow tool is not considered a normal part of website maintenance. This clarification was shared during the Search Central event held in New York City, where he responded to a question about how to deal with so-called “toxic” backlinks.

Mueller took the opportunity to explain how Google processes links and what actually happens behind the scenes. He pointed out that Google’s systems are designed to ignore low-quality or spammy links automatically, without the need for website owners to intervene. As a result, for most websites, there is no need to use the disavow tool at all.

He stressed that the tool is really meant for specific situations — particularly for websites that know they have engaged in manipulative link-building tactics in the past, such as buying links or participating in link schemes. In such cases, the disavow tool can be useful to help clean up their backlink profile. However, for the average site that hasn’t knowingly violated Google’s guidelines, there is usually no benefit in using it, and doing so regularly may even be unnecessary and a misuse of time.

Mueller’s comments serve as a reminder that not all backlinks need to be disavowed and that Google’s algorithm is more capable than ever of distinguishing between natural and spammy links. He encouraged site owners to focus instead on creating valuable, high-quality content and to avoid obsessing over every single link pointing to their site.

What To Do If Disavow Tool Is No Longer Available?

Google offers a tool called the disavow tool, which allows website owners and SEO professionals to request that certain backlinks not be considered by Google’s ranking algorithm. This tool came into existence after thousands of websites were penalised for purchasing backlinks, particularly during the time of the Penguin update back in 2012. At the time, removing paid links proved difficult, especially as some link sellers demanded payment for their removal. In response, SEOs suggested the idea of a tool that could help them distance themselves from links they had previously paid for. Eventually, Google introduced the disavow tool specifically for this purpose — to disown paid or spammy backlinks.

During a recent event, someone submitted a question for Google’s John Mueller, asking what SEOs should do if the disavow tool were no longer available. The question was: “How can we remove toxic backlinks?”

It’s important to note that the term “toxic backlinks” isn’t something Google uses internally. Rather, it’s a phrase coined by SEO tool companies as part of their marketing strategies to sell backlink data and removal services. According to Mueller, the concept of “toxic” links doesn’t exist within Google’s systems.

Mueller responded by saying that Google does not consider the idea of toxic backlinks as valid. If, for example, a website has random links from foreign websites, it’s not something to worry about. These links aren’t harmful, and Google usually just ignores them. Their systems are designed to filter out irrelevant or low-quality backlinks automatically.

He went on to say that the disavow tool should mainly be used in cases where a website has knowingly purchased backlinks and has received a manual penalty for link spam. In such cases, the tool can help clean up the backlink profile. However, he stressed that it’s just as important to stop buying links in the first place — otherwise, the penalty won’t be lifted.

Disavowing Links Is Not Normal Site Maintenance

John Mueller continued by emphasising that using the disavow tool regularly isn’t standard practice and shouldn’t be considered a routine part of website maintenance.

He explained:
“From my point of view, the disavow tool is not something you need to use on a regular basis. It’s not a typical part of maintaining a site. I would really only recommend it if your website has received a manual spam action.”

There are website owners who believe they’re being targeted by bad backlinks and blame those links for their poor search rankings. In response, they use the disavow tool to reject these links, but often see no improvement in performance. Despite this, they remain convinced the problem lies solely with those external links, rather than considering that their website might have its own flaws.

In every case examined where someone claimed they were a victim of negative SEO, the underlying issue was always related to weak SEO practices or poor-quality content. Random or spammy inbound links do not typically influence search rankings in the way some believe. Google’s algorithms are designed to disregard such links, and they don’t impact rankings unless there’s a broader pattern of manipulation.