Google Premier Partner
Meta Business PartnerWhat is a manual action?
A manual action is a measure that a Google reviewer takes by hand against a website or pages that violate Google’s spam policies. As a result, the site or part of it can rank lower or disappear from search results. Google reports a manual action in Search Console, under Security and Manual Actions.
Why is a manual action important?
- Immediate effect: you can quickly lose a lot of visibility and traffic.
- A clear notice: you are told what is wrong, unlike with an algorithmic drop.
- Recovery is possible: once you fix the issue, you can request a review.
Examples of a manual action
- Unnatural links pointing to your site, such as bought links.
- Thin content with little or no added value.
- Hidden text or cloaking.
- Spam in comments or on a forum on your own site.
How do you handle a manual action?
Open the Manual Actions report in Search Console and read the notice. Fix the problem completely on the pages named and then submit a reconsideration request explaining what you did. For link problems, our link building work can help.