Backlinks can help people discover a business and give search engines useful context about its website. But links created mainly to manipulate rankings can become a risk. If you need to check for an unnatural links manual action, start with Google Search Console, then investigate your backlink profile before making changes. A careful review can help you distinguish a real penalty from ordinary ranking fluctuations—and avoid removing links that are helping your site.
What an unnatural links manual action means
A manual action is a specific measure taken after a human reviewer determines that a website has violated Google’s spam policies. An unnatural links action can relate to links pointing to your site that appear intended to manipulate search results, or to outgoing links on your site. It is different from an algorithmic change: a drop in traffic by itself does not prove that a manual action has been applied.
To check your status, open the Manual Actions report in Google Search Console for the relevant property. If the report says there are no issues, there is no current manual action listed for that property. If it identifies a problem, read the details closely. The report may specify whether the issue affects the whole site or only some pages, and whether it concerns inbound or outbound links.
Review your backlink profile systematically
Even without a notice, a backlink audit can reveal risks and help you understand how your site has earned links over time. Use a reliable backlink tool to export the links it has found, and compare the results with the links shown in Search Console. No tool will have a perfect or complete record, so treat the combined list as evidence to review rather than a definitive verdict. For a practical walkthrough, see this step-by-step backlink audit guide.
Look for patterns, not just individual links. A single link from an unfamiliar website is not automatically harmful. Greater concern may be warranted when many links share signs such as:
- Repeated, exact-match commercial anchor text that reads unnaturally.
- Links appearing across unrelated sites or pages with little connection to your business.
- Large numbers of links added within a short period without a clear reason.
- Paid or exchanged links that pass ranking credit, or links placed in low-quality directories and articles created primarily to host them.
- Sitewide links, such as those repeated in footers, that use promotional wording and offer little value to visitors.
Check the linking page as well as the domain. Ask whether a real reader might find the link useful, whether the page is relevant, and whether the placement looks editorial or manufactured. Record the URL, anchor text, date discovered, and your reason for flagging it. This makes it easier to explain decisions later and prevents a rushed response to a long, messy spreadsheet.
Choose a proportionate response
If you find links that you or someone working for your business arranged, first consider whether the source can remove them or mark them appropriately. Contact the site owner when there is a reasonable route to do so, and keep a record of your request. If a former agency or supplier built links on your behalf, ask for a clear account of its work and any available placement records.
Do not treat every low-quality or unfamiliar link as a threat. The web naturally contains scraped pages, spam, and links that a site owner did not request. Disavowing links without a sound reason can create unnecessary risk, particularly if valuable links are included by mistake. The disavow tool is generally for cases involving a substantial pattern of manipulative links that you cannot get removed, not routine housekeeping. If the evidence is unclear or the action has significant business impact, seek experienced SEO advice.
Request reconsideration after fixing the issue
If Search Console reports a manual action, address the specific problem before requesting reconsideration. Remove or correct links where possible, document outreach, and explain which links you could not resolve and why. If your own pages contain paid placements or other problematic outbound links, fix those too. A useful reconsideration request is factual and specific: describe what caused the issue, what you changed, and how you will prevent it from recurring. Avoid claiming that every link has been removed if that is not true.
After submitting the request, monitor Search Console for a response. Recovery is not necessarily immediate, and a successful reconsideration does not guarantee that rankings will return to their previous levels. Keep an eye on traffic, conversions, and the pages most relevant to your business rather than reacting to every daily movement.
Make prevention part of your process
Clear expectations reduce the chance that a marketing supplier will build risky links in the name of quick growth. Specify that links should serve readers, describe acceptable outreach, and require reporting on placements. When a website change is also needed—for example, to improve page structure or make technical updates—a clear website brief can set out the scope and expected results. Osdire is one place businesses use to find freelancers across areas including programming and marketing, but whoever you hire, explain the work and review it before approval.
A backlink audit is most useful when it leads to informed decisions, not a panic-driven purge. Check the Manual Actions report first, assess patterns carefully, address proven problems, and keep records. That approach helps protect your search visibility while keeping attention on the links that genuinely bring people to your business.
