Definition
The Manual Action Report is a section of Google Search Console that displays manual penalties applied to a website by a human reviewer on Google's anti-spam team. Unlike algorithmic penalties which are automatic and silent, manual actions are notified to the site owner via Search Console with a message explaining the nature of the violation. The most common types include: unnatural inbound links, unnatural outbound links, thin content, cloaking, user-generated spam, and pure spam. Each manual action includes examples of affected pages or URLs. To lift a manual action, the webmaster must fix the identified issues then submit a reconsideration request via Search Console.
Key Points
- The report is found in Search Console under Security & Manual Actions > Manual Actions
- Manual actions are applied by human reviewers, unlike algorithmic penalties
- Each manual action includes a violation description and example URLs
- Lifting a manual action requires fixing issues then submitting a reconsideration request
Practical Examples
Artificial links notification
A webmaster receives a manual action message in Search Console indicating artificial links to their site detected on low-quality directories and spam blog comments.
Partial manual action
Google applies a manual action on a specific site section (e.g., /blog/) for thin content, while the rest of the site continues to rank normally.
Checking for manual actions
Before investing in a link building campaign, an advertiser checks in Search Console > Security & Manual Actions that no manual action is active on their site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Log into Google Search Console, go to the Security & Manual Actions menu then Manual Actions. If the message says 'No issues detected', your site has no active manual action.
After submitting a reconsideration request, Google typically reviews the request within a few days to a few weeks. Duration depends on the complexity of the violation and the volume of corrections to verify.
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Last updated: 2026-02-07