# Manual actions and the reconsideration request

A manual action is a human decision that your site broke Google’s spam policies. It shows in Search Console with the affected pages. Fix the cause, then file a clear reconsideration request with evidence.

Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/guides/manual-actions-and-reconsideration

## Manual action or algorithmic drop

Start by separating a manual action from a core or spam update impact. A manual action is a human review result. An algorithmic drop is the ranking systems reassessing your content.

Core updates are broad changes to Google’s ranking systems. They roll out in about two weeks and are announced on the Search Status Dashboard. There is nothing to fix for a page that dropped in a core update. You improve content quality, originality, usefulness and E-E-A-T, then wait for reassessment.

Spam updates are algorithmic enforcement of the spam policies. If you are hit by an algorithmic spam system, there is no manual actions notice, and no reconsideration request. You remove the spammy practice and the systems may reassess over time.

> Rule: only file a reconsideration request when Search Console shows a manual action on your property.

## Where a manual action shows and what to check

1. **Open the right property in Search Console** Use the exact verified property that holds the pages, for example https://yourproduct.com/ not only the domain if you verified URL prefix. Manual actions are listed per property.
2. **Check the Manual actions report** Left navigation: Security and Manual actions, then Manual actions. If you have one, the type and affected pages or site-wide scope are listed here.
3. **Check Security issues** Security issues, such as malware or hacked pages, are separate. Fix these on the server or CMS and request a review from the Security issues report.
4. **Map the scope** Export the affected URLs. Group by section, for example /blog/, /pricing, /guides/. Note patterns like template, page type, or author.
5. **Confirm timing** Match the first day of the drop in your Search Console Performance report with the date the manual action appeared. This avoids chasing the wrong cause.

## Types of manual actions and how to fix them

The spam policies list the behaviours manual actions target. Fix the root cause across your site, not only the examples shown. Here is what each usually means and what to do on a small site.

- Cloaking: you serve different content to Googlebot than to users. Fix by removing user agent checks, IP delivery, or script swaps. Make the same HTML for crawlers and users.
- Doorway pages: many near duplicate pages that funnel to one page. Merge or remove the duplicates. Keep one useful page, for example /features instead of many city pages that all redirect to /signup.
- Hacked content: injected pages or links. Clean the server and CMS, patch software, rotate keys. Remove hacked pages from the index with 404 or 410 and fix the hole before requesting review.
- Hidden text and links: CSS or JS hides blocks stuffed with keywords or links. Remove hidden SEO text. If a UI element toggles content, ensure it is for users, not search engines.
- Keyword stuffing: unnatural repetition. Rewrite titles and copy to read naturally. For example, change “Buy time tracking software time tracker timesheets” to one clear sentence.
- Link spam: buying or selling links that pass ranking, link farms, private blog networks, or large scale exchanges. Remove or add rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" to paid placements. Dismantle PBN use and site wide widgets that pass PageRank.
- Machine generated traffic: systems that fake visits or clicks. Disable and remove scripts or services causing it. You cannot fix this with content alone.
- Malware or misleading functionality: harmful downloads or trick UI. Remove the payload, clean code, and correct any deceptive flows. Use the Security issues report for review of security flags.
- Scaled content abuse: mass pages made to rank, with little value. Delete, merge, or fully rewrite with original research or product detail. Reduce page count to what you can maintain.
- Scraped content: copies of other sites. Remove copied articles. Publish only original work with your data, product specifics, and author names.
- Sneaky redirects: send users to a different URL than indexed. Remove the redirects or serve the same destination to Google and users. Keep redirects for genuine migrations only.
- Site reputation abuse: third party pages on your domain created mainly to manipulate rankings. Remove or noindex them. Apply editorial control, do not host thin partner pages.
- Thin affiliate pages: pages that add no value beyond the affiliate link. Add real comparison, pricing detail, screenshots and support info, or noindex or remove them.
- User generated spam: forum or comments filled with spam links. Moderate, add rel="ugc", and block auto posting. Nofollow or remove spam links. Rate limit or require sign in.
- Expired domain abuse: buying a domain for its signals and publishing unrelated, low value content. Remove the unrelated content or rebuild the prior relevant topic with substance.

A fixed page looks like this: the hidden keyword block in /blog/time-tracking-deals is removed, the title reads naturally, and old comment spam links are gone or nofollowed.

## Link spam, disavow, and negative SEO

If your manual action is for unnatural links, clean the links you control first. Remove paid placements or add rel="sponsored". Fix site wide footer widgets. Email webmasters to remove links where you can show they were arranged.

Use the disavow tool only when you have a manual action for link spam or a history of paid links you cannot remove. Google says most sites do not need it, and its systems already ignore most bad links. Negative SEO links are ignored in nearly all cases.

```text
# disavow file example
# domain-level entries
 domain:example-spam.com
 domain:pbn-bad.net
# specific URLs
 https://forum.example.net/profile/abc
 https://widgets.example.org/badge.html
```

Upload at search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links for the right property. Keep a copy in version control. Document why each entry is present and evidence that removal was not possible.

> Warning: a disavow file cannot be undone quickly. Do not bulk disavow based on third party “toxic” scores.

## Clean up content and structure before you write

Your request is only as strong as the clean up. Fix templates, feeds and automations so the issue does not return. Remove the worst pages rather than soft edits that leave the pattern intact.

1. **Audit by URL pattern** Group the affected URLs by directory or parameter. For example, all /city/ pages are doorways. Decide to delete, merge, or rewrite. Update internal links to point to the kept page.
2. **Reduce index bloat** Delete thin sections. Return 410 for junk pages. Remove from sitemaps. Noindex what must exist for users but adds no search value, for example faceted combinations.
3. **Rewrite the survivors** Add specifics your rivals cannot copy quickly: customer data, screenshots, FAQs from support tickets, usage limits, changelog notes, pricing gotchas.
4. **Fix generation scripts** If you used a generator for scaled content, stop it. Build checks into the CMS to prevent empty pages, placeholder text, or auto spun paragraphs from publishing.
5. **Harden security** Update CMS, plugins and themes. Add a web application firewall. Rotate credentials. Remove abandoned admin accounts. Set up alerts for file changes and outbound mail spikes.

Example: you delete a large set of /city/ time tracking pages, keep /pricing and /features, and publish one “Time tracking for agencies” guide with original screenshots and a case study link from /customers/agency-alpha.

## How to write a reconsideration request that is read

File the request from the Manual actions report after the fixes are live. Do not blame competitors or updates. Keep it factual, short, and specific to the violation on your site.

- State what was wrong: name the policy and the patterns. For example, “Doorway pages and keyword stuffing in /city/ and /blog/ pages.”
- State what you changed: counts of pages removed, redirects added, and templates fixed. Mention link attributes added, for example rel="sponsored" on advertorials.
- Show evidence: links to before and after URLs, archived copies, Git commits, spreadsheet of removed links, email trails of outreach, security logs if hacked.
- State how you will prevent a repeat: moderation settings, CMS checks, workflow, staff training, vendor changes.
- Acknowledge ownership: if you bought links or used a PBN, say so and show what you did to stop it.

```text
Subject: Reconsideration request for https://yourproduct.com/

Summary
- Manual action: Unnatural links to your site (site-wide)
- Cause: historic paid placements and a widget linking back with followed anchors

Remediation
- Removed paid links or added rel="sponsored" (sheet: https://example.com/links-log)
- Retired the widget and removed embed code from https://yourproduct.com/badge
- Uploaded a disavow for a small set of domains and URLs we cannot remove (commit: abcdef)

Prevention
- Updated partnership contracts to require rel="sponsored"
- Added a monthly links audit checklist and alerts for new followed site wide links

Evidence
- Before/after HTML for /partners/acme (gist: https://example.com/gist)
- Outreach emails and responses (PDF)
- Disavow file (attached)
```

Attach or link supporting files. Use public links that a reviewer can open without a login. Keep a copy of the exact text you submit for your records.

## How long a review takes and outcomes

Reviews take days to weeks. You get a message in Search Console when the review is done. Do not submit duplicate requests while one is pending.

- Revoked: the manual action is lifted. Affected pages can be reprocessed and may regain visibility over time. Rankings are not guaranteed to bounce back to the prior level.
- Partially revoked: scope narrowed. Continue fixes and file an update when done.
- Upheld: reasons are given. Expand your fixes. Compare your changes to the cited policies, not to other sites. Refile only when you have more to show.

After a revoke, watch the Performance report and Coverage. Resubmit key pages in the URL Inspection tool to speed crawling. Update internal links so important pages are easy to find from the homepage.

## No manual action but traffic fell

If the Manual actions report is empty and traffic dropped, you likely saw an algorithmic reassessment. Check the dates against a core or spam update. For core updates there is nothing to fix directly. Improve content quality and usefulness, show expertise, and be patient for a later reassessment.

- Refresh thin or overlapping pages. Merge into one stronger page, for example replace /features-list and /benefits with a single /features that answers real questions.
- Review intent. Match your /pricing and /plans pages to the query that brings buyers. Cut fluff and add plan differences and FAQs.
- Strengthen E-E-A-T. Add real authors, job titles, company details, customer proof, and support contacts on /about and /contact.
- Fix technical clarity. Remove junk from sitemaps, fix redirects, and reduce index bloat so Google can focus on your best pages.

Example: clicks fell on “time tracking for Mac” after a core update. You merge three thin posts into /guides/time-tracking-mac with installation steps, screenshots, and support notes from tickets.

## Questions

### How do I know if I have a manual action or a ‘Google penalty’?

Check the Manual actions report in Search Console for your verified property. If it is empty, you do not have a manual action. Security issues are separate. An algorithmic drop from a core or spam update will not show here and has no reconsideration request.

### Can I speed up a manual review or contact Google support?

There is no fast track. Submit one complete request with clear evidence. Reviews take days to weeks. Filing duplicates or posting vague complaints does not help and can slow you down because it adds noise without new fixes.

### Do I need to disavow ‘toxic backlinks’?

Not for most sites. ‘Toxic’ is a tool label, not a Google metric. Google says its systems already ignore most bad links and that negative SEO links are ignored in nearly all cases. Use disavow only for a link manual action or unavoidable historic paid links.

### What if only part of my site is affected?

Manual actions can target a set of pages, a section, or the whole site. Fix the pattern across the affected scope. Your request should explain how you found all instances, not just the examples in the report. Partial revokes are common when fixes are staged.

### Will lifting a manual action restore my old rankings?

It removes the penalty, not a guarantee of prior positions. Google will reprocess your pages. Visibility can return over time if your pages are competitive. Quality, usefulness and E-E-A-T still decide where you rank.

### Should I delete pages or noindex them during cleanup?

Delete low value pages that add no user benefit and return 410 to clear them. Noindex pages that users need but should not be in search, for example support account pages. Update internal links and sitemaps to remove deleted URLs.

## Read next

- [Google spam updates: the policies they enforce and how to stay clear](https://porteur.ai/guides/google-spam-update): See what a Google spam update enforces, the policies that trip small product sites, how to check your risk, and how to recover if you’re hit.
- [The disavow tool: what it is for, and why you almost never need it](https://porteur.ai/guides/disavow-tool): You almost never need the Google disavow tool. Use it only for a link manual action or unremovable paid links. Here is how to decide and proceed.
- [Toxic backlinks: a tool’s word, and what Google actually says](https://porteur.ai/guides/toxic-backlinks): What tools mean by toxic backlinks, what Google says, when you have a real problem, and what to do instead of a rushed disavow.
- [A Google core update hit your site: what it means and what to do](https://porteur.ai/guides/google-core-update): Dropped after a Google core update? Check the dates, rule out spam or manual actions, and work a focused content plan. Here is how recovery happens.
- [How to use Google Search Console in ten minutes a week](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-use-google-search-console): A quick weekly routine: set four filters, compare 28 days, check pages then queries, and fix three findings, without getting lost in noise.
- [How to use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console](https://porteur.ai/guides/url-inspection-tool): Read each panel, run Test live URL, and know when to request indexing. Fix new pages, dropped pages, and canonicals Google ignores.

Paste your homepage URL and get a free check in about thirty seconds that reads your site and the searches around it, and shows three whole findings you can fix before you file a request. Free check: https://porteur.ai/