A manual action is a penalty applied to a website after a human reviewer at Google confirms that pages on the site break Google's spam policies. It can push affected pages lower in search results or remove them entirely, and it stays in place until the problem is fixed and Google accepts a reconsideration request.
This page explains how manual actions work, the types Google currently lists in Search Console, how they differ from algorithmic ranking drops, and the steps for getting one lifted.
What is a Manual Action?
Google fights spam mostly with automated systems, including one it calls SpamBrain. But its spam policies also describe human review, used as needed, which can result in a manual action. The "manual" part refers to that human step: a Google employee has looked at the site and confirmed the violation.
Manual actions are the closest thing Google has to an official, named penalty. Unlike most ranking changes, they come with a notice. Google reports them in the Manual actions report inside Google Search Console, in the Search Console message center, and by email to verified owners.
A manual action can apply to specific pages, a section of a site, or the whole site, depending on how widespread the problem is. Many are tied to classic black hat SEO tactics, while others cover spam that third parties put on a site without the owner's full awareness.
Why Manual Actions matter
The impact can be severe. Google's spam policies say violating sites may rank lower or disappear from results altogether, and repeated attempts to evade the policies can lead to restrictions on features like Top Stories and Discover. For a business that depends on organic traffic, a sitewide action can cut off a major channel overnight.
There is an AI visibility angle too. Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode draw on Google's index, and other AI assistants often ground their answers in search results. Pages that are demoted or removed from Google are less likely to be found, which makes it harder for them to earn an AI citation on Google's surfaces. We haven't seen documentation from other AI providers saying they read Google's manual actions directly, so don't assume a penalty carries over automatically outside Google.
The good news: manual actions are rarer than many people fear, they are clearly reported, and they are reversible. Most ranking drops are not manual actions at all.
How Manual Actions work
Types listed in Search Console
Google's Manual actions report help page currently lists these types:
- Back button hijacking
- Site abused with third-party spam
- User-generated spam
- Spammy free host
- Structured data issue
- Unnatural links to your site
- Unnatural links from your site
- Thin content with little or no added value
- Cloaking and/or sneaky redirects
- Major spam problems
- Cloaked images
- Hidden text and/or keyword stuffing
- AMP content mismatch
- Sneaky mobile redirects
- News and Discover policy violations (a group covering issues such as dangerous, deceptive, harassing, hateful, manipulated, medical, misleading, and sexually explicit content, plus transparency problems)
- Site reputation policy
The list changes over time. Back button hijacking, for example, was announced in April 2026 with enforcement starting June 15, 2026, and the site reputation category reflects a policy Google introduced in 2024.
What a notice tells you
The Manual actions report shows how many actions are active, or a green check mark if there are none. Expanding an action shows a description of the problem and samples of affected URL patterns, so you can tell whether it is partial or sitewide.
Reconsideration requests
Once you've fixed the problem, you select Request Review in the report and submit a reconsideration request. Google's help page says the request should explain the quality issue, describe what you did to fix it, and show the result. A few rules matter:
- You must fix every affected page. Fixing some of them won't partially restore visibility.
- Most reviews take several days to a few weeks. Link-related reviews can take longer.
- Google emails you when it receives the request and when it finishes. Don't submit another request while one is pending.
- If Google confirms the site no longer violates its policies, the action is revoked.
Manual Actions in practice: an example
Imagine a hypothetical home improvement blog that bought hundreds of links from low-quality guest post networks to boost rankings. One morning the owner sees an "Unnatural links to your site" notice in Search Console, and traffic to key articles has fallen sharply.
The owner exports the site's backlinks from Search Console and a third-party tool, identifies the paid and manipulative links, asks site owners to remove what they can, and disavows the rest. They write a reconsideration request summarizing the issue, the cleanup steps, and the list of removed links, plus a short explanation of how they'll avoid paid links going forward. A few weeks later Google confirms the action has been revoked. Rankings recover partly, not fully, because the artificial boost from those links is gone for good.
That last point is common. Lifting a manual action removes the penalty, but it doesn't restore benefits that came from the violation in the first place.
How to fix a Manual Action
- Confirm it's real. Open the Manual actions report in Search Console. If it shows a green check mark, your traffic drop has another cause.
- Read the notice closely. Note the action type, whether it is partial or sitewide, and the sample URLs. Then read the matching section of Google's spam policies.
- Audit the full scope. Find every page or link with the problem, not only the samples. Use crawlers, backlink tools, and server logs as needed.
- Fix the root cause. Remove or rewrite violating content, clean up spam, fix cloaking or redirects, correct misleading structured data, or remove and disavow manipulative links.
- Document everything. Keep a record of what you changed, when, and why. This becomes the backbone of your request.
- Submit a clear reconsideration request. Explain the problem honestly, list the steps taken, and describe how you'll prevent it from happening again. Then wait for Google's response rather than resubmitting.
- Monitor after revocation. Watch rankings, impressions, and the report itself. Put safeguards in place, such as moderation for user-generated content, so the issue doesn't return.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
"My traffic dropped, so I must have a penalty." Most drops come from algorithm updates, technical problems, seasonality, or site migrations. Google's guide to debugging traffic drops treats manual actions as just one of several causes. Check the report before assuming.
"A core update hit me with a penalty." Core updates are not manual actions. Google says they are broad changes that don't target specific sites, and there is no reconsideration request for them. Recovery comes from improving the site and can take months.
"Fixing a few pages will get me partial credit." Google says partial fixes won't partially restore visibility. Address every affected page before you request review.
"Once the action is lifted, rankings return to where they were." If the old rankings depended on the violation, such as bought links, those gains won't come back. Revocation removes the penalty, not the consequences of losing the shortcut.
Manual Action vs. algorithmic drop
A manual action involves human review, comes with a notice in Search Console, names a specific violation, and is resolved through a reconsideration request. An algorithmic drop comes from automated ranking or spam systems, has no notice, doesn't name a cause, and can't be appealed. You recover from an algorithmic drop by improving the site and waiting for systems to reassess it, sometimes until the next core update. Google's spam systems can also demote spam automatically without any manual action, so a clean Manual actions report doesn't rule out a spam-related problem.
How Butter approaches Manual Actions
We start with diagnosis, not panic. In our SEO work, we check the Manual actions report first, then rule out algorithmic, technical, and seasonal causes before recommending any fix.
When a manual action is real, we focus on full cleanup and a clear, honest reconsideration request. Prevention is the longer-term goal: earning links through real coverage, such as our public relations work, rather than buying them, and keeping content and markup within Google's guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a Google manual action?
Open the Manual actions report in Google Search Console. It lists any active actions with details and sample URLs, and Google also sends a message in Search Console and an email to verified owners.
How long does a reconsideration request take?
Google says most reviews take several days to a few weeks, and link-related requests can take longer. You'll get an email when the request is received and when the review is done.
Can a manual action affect only part of my site?
Yes. Some actions apply to specific pages or sections, while others apply to the whole site. The report shows sample URL patterns so you can tell which kind you have.
Is a core update drop the same as a manual action?
No. Core updates are automated, broad changes with no notice and no appeal process. Manual actions are confirmed by a human reviewer, reported in Search Console, and can be lifted through a reconsideration request.
Sources and further reading
- Manual Actions report, Search Console Help
- Spam policies for Google web search, Google Search Central
- Debugging drops in Google Search traffic, Google Search Central
- Google Search's core updates, Google Search Central
- Google Search Goes After Back Button Hijacking With New Spam Penalty, Search Engine Roundtable