Definition
A manual action is a penalty imposed by a member of the Google Webspam team after a human review of a website. Unlike algorithmic penalties (applied automatically by algorithms like Penguin or Panda), manual actions result from a deliberate review by a Google evaluator who identifies a guideline violation. Types of manual actions include: unnatural links pointing to your site, unnatural outbound links, thin content with little or no added value, user-generated spam, cloaking/deceptive redirects, hidden text/links, structured data spam, and pirated content. The manual action is notified in Google Search Console (under 'Manual Actions') with a description of the issue and affected pages or sections. To lift the penalty, the site owner must fix the identified violations and then submit a reconsideration request via Search Console. Processing time is typically 2 to 4 weeks. A manual action can affect the entire site or only certain pages or sections.
Key Points
- Penalty applied by a human reviewer, not an algorithm
- Notified in Google Search Console with description and affected pages
- Lifted after fixing issues and submitting a reconsideration request
Practical Examples
Manual action for unnatural links
An e-commerce site receives a 'Unnatural links pointing to your site' manual action after an aggressive link building campaign with over-optimized anchors. The owner disavows toxic links and submits a reconsideration request. The penalty is lifted after 3 weeks.
Manual action for thin content
An affiliate site receives a 'Thin content' manual action for product pages copied from the merchant site. It rewrites all product descriptions with original, unique content, then submits a reconsideration request accepted by Google.
Frequently Asked Questions
Log in to Google Search Console and check 'Security & Manual Actions' > 'Manual Actions'. If no action is listed, your site is not affected. Manual actions are also notified via email to the verified owner's address.
After submitting a reconsideration request, Google typically takes 2 to 4 weeks to process it. If rejected, you can fix remaining issues and resubmit. Traffic recovery may take a few additional weeks.
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Last updated: 2026-02-07