Disavow File Template: Correct Format, When to Use It, and How to Submit (2026)

What does a properly formatted disavow file look like?

A disavow file is a plain text (.txt) file uploaded to Google Search Console that instructs Google to ignore specific backlinks when assessing your site’s ranking signals. It does not remove the links; it tells Google’s algorithms to discount them.

Here’s a complete example disavow file with all three entry types: comments, URL-level, and domain-level. Three rules govern the format:

1. One entry per line. Each URL or domain directive gets its own line. No commas, no semicolons, no delimiters.
2. Comments start with #. Google ignores any line beginning with #. Use comments to document why each entry was added and when.
3. Domain entries use the domain: prefix. Write domain:spamsite.com (no space after the colon). This covers all pages on that domain and all subdomains.

What are the technical requirements for a disavow file?

Google’s documentation (Google Search Central, 2026) specifies these requirements:

Requirement	Specification	Common Mistake
File format	.txt (plain text)	Uploading .csv, .xlsx, or .doc files
Encoding	UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII	Saving as UTF-16 or other encodings
Maximum size	2 MB	Exceeding limit with overly detailed comments
Maximum lines	100,000 (including blank lines and comments)	Not counting comment lines toward the limit
URL format	Full URL with protocol (https://)	Entering partial URLs like “spamsite.com/page”
Domain format	domain:example.com	Adding “www.” or “https://” before domain:
One file per property	Uploading replaces the previous file	Assuming uploads are additive (they’re not)

The most critical detail: uploading a new file replaces the previous one entirely. If you upload a file with 10 domains and then upload a new file with 5 different domains, Google only disavows the 5. The original 10 are no longer disavowed. Always maintain one cumulative file.

When should you use the disavow tool?

Google’s John Mueller has been direct about this: “The disavow tool is not something that you need to do on a regular basis. It’s not a part of normal site maintenance. I would really only use that if you have a manual spam action” (Google Search Central, 2024). In March 2026, Mueller added on Bluesky: “The disavow file is a tool, not a religion” (ALM Corp, 2026). Use the disavow tool in exactly two situations: Situation 1: You have a manual action. If Google Search Console shows a manual action for “Unnatural links pointing to your site,” you need to (a) try to get the toxic links removed by contacting webmasters, and (b) disavow the links you can’t get removed. Then submit a reconsideration request. Situation 2: You’re under a negative SEO attack. If you see thousands of spammy links appearing suddenly from domains you don’t recognize, with exact-match anchor text, the disavow tool is appropriate. Document everything: when the links appeared, what patterns you see, and which domains are involved. This evidence also supports a spam report to Google. That’s it. Two scenarios. For everything else, Google’s algorithms already handle link quality assessment without your help.

When should you NOT use the disavow tool?

More sites are harmed by unnecessary disavow files than helped by necessary ones. Here are the situations where you should leave the tool alone. Don’t disavow just because a tool flagged links as “toxic.” Semrush’s toxicity score and similar metrics are estimates based on heuristics. A link flagged as “toxic” by a third-party tool may be perfectly fine in Google’s eyes. Mueller has said: “Toxic links aren’t worth disavowing” (Stan Ventures, 2025). Google’s own algorithms already discount links they consider spammy. Don’t disavow low-DA links reflexively. A niche industry blog with DA 12 and 200 monthly readers can send genuine ranking signals if it’s topically relevant. Bulk-disavowing everything under DA 20 removes links that were probably helping you. Don’t disavow competitor links. If a competitor is outranking you and you share some of the same backlinks, disavowing those shared links won’t help you. It will hurt you by removing links that were contributing to your own authority. Don’t use it as routine maintenance. Quarterly backlink audits are good practice (see our backlink audit template). But the output of that audit should be a “keep, reclaim, monitor” action list. Disavow should be the rarest action, not the default. As of 2026, Mueller has hinted the tool may eventually be removed: “At some point, I’m sure we’ll remove it” (May 2024). This signals that Google’s algorithms are increasingly capable of handling link quality without manual intervention.

How do you submit a disavow file to Google?

Follow these 5 steps exactly.

1. Go to the disavow tool page. Navigate to https://search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links. You must be logged into the Google account that owns or has full access to the Search Console property.
2. Select your property. Choose the correct property from the dropdown. If you have both http:// and https:// versions, select the one that matches your canonical domain. For domain properties, this covers all variations automatically.
3. Upload your .txt file. Click “Upload Disavow List” and select your file. Google will show a confirmation dialog summarizing what the file contains (number of domains, number of URLs).
4. Confirm the upload. Google shows a warning that incorrect use can harm your site’s performance. Read it. Click “Submit” only if you’ve reviewed every entry in the file.
5. Wait. Google processes the file over several weeks as it recrawls the listed domains and pages. There is no progress indicator. For manual actions, submit your reconsideration request after uploading the disavow file.

Processing time varies. Google’s documentation says “a few weeks,” but full impact can take 2-3 months as Googlebot recrawls and reprocesses the affected pages.

What are the most common disavow file mistakes?

These 7 mistakes cause rejected uploads, wasted effort, or actual ranking damage.

Mistake	What Goes Wrong	How to Fix It
Wrong file format (.csv, .xlsx)	Google rejects the upload entirely	Save as .txt, UTF-8 encoding
Missing protocol in URLs	Google can’t match the URL to its index	Always include https:// or http://
Adding https:// before domain:	Google treats it as a comment or ignores it	Write domain:example.com (no protocol)
Assuming uploads are additive	Previous disavow entries are lost	Maintain one cumulative file, always
Disavowing your own domain	Removes internal link signals	Double-check every entry before upload
Over-disavowing (500+ domains)	Removes potentially helpful links	Manual review of every entry
No comments or documentation	Can’t remember why entries were added	Comment every section with date and reason

Can you disavow an entire top-level domain?

Yes. In March 2026, John Mueller confirmed on Bluesky that you can disavow entire TLDs using the domain: prefix applied to a bare extension. For example, domain:.xyz would disavow all links from every .xyz domain (Search Engine Journal, 2026). Mueller called this “a big hammer” and noted it probably shouldn’t be widely documented because of its aggressive nature. Use this only if you’re seeing massive spam from a specific TLD (common with .xyz, .top, and .click domains in negative SEO attacks). Be aware: legitimate sites exist on every TLD. Disavowing an entire TLD is irreversible in practice (you’d need to identify and re-include every legitimate domain manually). Use this as a last resort against large-scale spam campaigns, not as a general cleanup tool.

Google’s current stance on the disavow tool

Google’s position on the disavow tool has shifted over the past decade. When it launched in 2012, it was essential for recovering from Penguin penalties. Today, with real-time algorithmic assessment and more sophisticated spam detection, Google’s guidance has changed. The official Google Search Central documentation (2026) states: “If you think your site’s ranking is being harmed by low-quality links you cannot control, you can ask Google not to take them into account when assessing your site.” But it qualifies this heavily: “This is an advanced feature and should only be used with caution. If used incorrectly, this feature can potentially harm your site’s performance in Google Search results.” The practical reality in 2026: most sites never need the disavow tool. Google’s algorithms (including SpamBrain) are sophisticated enough to ignore low-quality links without manual intervention. The tool remains available primarily for manual action recovery and documented negative SEO attacks.

“In 12 years of SEO work, I’ve submitted disavow files for fewer than 10 client sites. Every single one had a manual action or a documented spam attack. For the other 95% of sites, we focus on building good links, not worrying about bad ones. Google is better at ignoring spam than most SEOs give them credit for.” Hardik Shah, Founder of ScaleGrowth.Digital

Full example disavow file you can copy and modify

Below is a realistic disavow file for a mid-size ecommerce site that received a manual action. Copy this structure and replace the domains and URLs with your own audit findings from our backlink audit template. Key observations about this file:

• Every section has a comment explaining the reason for inclusion
• Dates are recorded for when entries were added
• A next review date is scheduled to keep the file maintained
• The total entry count is documented at the bottom
• Domain-level entries are used for entirely spam domains; URL-level for specific bad pages on otherwise legitimate sites