I started helping a new client recently and was going through some initial checks as I began a large audit. The site has seen large drops in rankings over time based on broad core updates. During some initial conversations, I remembered them saying they removed their disavow file a while ago so I wanted to double check that it was indeed gone.
What I found underscored the confusion and risk involved with disavow files when they are not used correctly (or set up correctly)… More about what I found in a minute.
First, I was happy to hear they removed their disavow file at some point. I have been extremely vocal that 99.99% of site owners never need to touch the disavow tool. And Google has basically said the same. You can read my case study about disavowing the disavow tool for more information about that.
Now back to what I found… When I accessed the https www property for the site, the disavow file was indeed gone. That’s great, but I started checking other properties for the site (like http, non-www, etc.) If you’re wondering why I would check other GSC properties, I’ll explain how Google processes disavow files soon. You might be surprised with how that works.
After checking several other GSC properties, I ended up finding a hidden disavow file in the http version of the site, which must have been overlooked. I immediately sent that information to my client so they could remove the rogue disavow file.
Here is what I found. Notice it was uploaded in 2013. I’ll cover more about that soon.
It’s easy to miss something like that, and it can really cause problems depending on your setup. After seeing that, I wondered how many other site owners were in the same situation thinking they removed their disavow file, but there are hidden or rogue disavow files in other GSC properties (which can still neutralize inbound links). Again, it’s yet another reason the disavow tool needs to go away in my opinion. We know Google has explained many site owners have shot themselves in the foot with the disavow tool and this is another way to do just that.
Here is Google’s Gary Illyes at Pubcon explaining that more site owners have shot themselves in the foot than actually helping their efforts:
How does Google handle disavow files? It’s by GSC property.
Google’s documentation explains that a disavow file only applies to the specific property the file is uploaded to. For example, if there are both http and https properties set up (which you should have), then site owners should upload a file to each property. This is how my client got into a situation where there was still a disavow file uploaded to the http www property (they forgot it was there and only deleted the https www disavow file).
And beyond https and http, Google also explains how subdomains are treated from a disavow standpoint. A disavow file uploaded to domain.com would apply to subdomains like topic.domain.com, but you can upload a specific disavow file for a subdomain if you want. And if you do, then Google will combine the disavow files and apply to both properties. So if there is a rogue or hidden disavow file uploaded to one of your subdomains, that could impact your domain.com property as well. The list would just be a combination of both disavow files.
Here is Google’s documentation covering how disavow files are handled:
I like that Google provides flexibility for uploading disavow files to separate properties, but the confusion with how the process works should be apparent. First, an overzealous site owner or SEO could upload disavow files to a number of properties in GSC for a given site. And over time, the site owner might forget what’s there, which properties have disavow files, etc. And as more people learn that disavowing should not be completed by 99.99% of site owners out there, they might choose to remove their disavow file(s). That’s great, but it’s easy to miss all of the disavow files that might have been uploaded. For example, http, non-www, subdomains, etc.
So definitely check your properties today for rogue or hidden disavow files. You never know what you’re going to find…
A clear way to remove the confusion. Google just needs to nuke the disavow tool already:
Bing already removed the tool in 2023 and Google has hinted they might follow and remove the tool as well. But as of now, it’s still there buried in Google Search Console. It’s not in the main interface, though. You have to dig to find it (and that’s by design). Seriously, go try and find it… I bet it takes you a few minutes.
Although many site owners have come to the realization that the disavow tool shouldn’t be used for most situations, the tool is still being used by some site owners fearful of “toxic links.” And they can still submit disavow files when they shouldn’t, add files to multiple GSC properties that might get forgotten about, and all of this could negatively impact their performance in Google Search (if not set up correctly).
So in my opinion, Google just needs to get rid of the disavow tool. It’s a waste of time unless you have a manual action or knowingly set up unnatural links that you want to neutralize. For 99.99% of site owners, the tool should never be used at all.
Moving forward, I would double check all of your properties in GSC to make sure there aren’t rogue or hidden disavow files sitting there. Again, you might be surprised with what you find.
GG