Google manual action: what it is and how to get it reviewed

The short answer

A Google manual action is a penalty applied by a person at Google when a site breaks the spam policies. You are told in Search Console, and the Manual Actions report shows the type. Fix the problem on every affected page, then choose Request Review and describe what you changed. Most other ranking drops are algorithmic and carry no notice.

Google manual action versus an algorithm change

A Google manual action is a penalty applied after a person at Google has reviewed a site and decided that it breaks the spam policies. It is reported to the site owner in Search Console. An algorithmic demotion is different: automated systems lower pages and no message is sent. People use the word 'penalty' for both. Google's own documentation uses 'manual action' for the first.

The difference decides what you do first. With a manual action you have a named problem and a route to ask for a review. Without one, you are looking for causes.

How to check for a manual action

The check takes a few minutes and needs access to Search Console for the site.

1. Sign in with an account that has access to the property. If the site has never been added to Search Console, add it and verify ownership first.
2. Open the Manual Actions report. In the current layout it sits in a section for security and manual actions. Menus change, so look for the report name.
3. Read the result. A report with no issues means there is no manual action on that property. If issues are listed, note the type, the reason given and what each one affects.
4. Check every property you hold for the site. A domain property and a prefix property are separate, and the report applies to the one you have selected.
5. Open the Security issues report as well. Hacking and malware warnings are separate from manual actions but can also cause a sudden loss of visibility.
6. Read the messages sent to the account email. Google also writes to owners about new issues.

If nothing is flagged but traffic has fallen, the cause is probably algorithmic or something on your own site. There is nothing to request a review of in that case.

Types of manual action and the usual fix

The report names the type of action. Names and wording can change, so check the current Manual Actions documentation for the full list. These are the ones owners meet most often.

Redirects are normal when they send people to the page they expected. A sneaky redirect sends visitors from search somewhere different from what Googlebot saw. The guide to 301 vs 302 redirects shows which kind to use when a page moves.

How to ask Google to review your site

A review request is made from the Manual Actions report, and it belongs after the fixes, not before. Google warns that for security issues, asking for a review before the problem is fixed can slow later requests.

1. Fix the issue on all affected pages, including those Google did not list as examples. If you delete or merge pages, send each old address to the closest equivalent where one exists, and keep new addresses tidy. The guide to URL structure for SEO covers naming.
2. Keep records of what changed and when: screenshots, lists of removed links, copies of messages to site owners.
3. In the Manual Actions report, select the issue and choose Request Review.
4. Write a request that does three things. It explains the exact problem you found, describes the steps you took to fix it and documents the outcome.
5. Submit once. Google sends an email when it receives the request and another when the review is complete. Do not send a second request while one is open.

What goes into the request depends on the type. For quality or spam issues, give examples of what you removed and what you added. For link issues, show your attempts to have links removed. Google says that disavowing every link without a real removal effort is not enough. If you recently bought the site, fix the issues and say so in the request.

For thin pages, a written SEO content brief for each rewritten page keeps the request honest, because it shows what each page now has to answer. Google says most reviews take several days to weeks and link-related ones can take longer. Check the current documentation for timings.

After the review: what to expect

There are two outcomes. The action is lifted, or the request is rejected with a reason. A rejection is information. Read it, find what was missed, fix that and submit again with a clearer account of the work.

Google also says that removing a manual action does not mean your earlier rankings return at once. The pages were affected for a period, and rankings can take time to settle. Use the Performance report to watch impressions and clicks recover. The guide to reading the Performance report shows how to compare the period before and after.

Then reduce the chance of a repeat. Moderate comments and user profiles. Agree in writing how any supplier gets links and writes content. Review changes to titles, templates and redirects before they go live.

When there is no manual action but traffic has fallen

Most traffic drops are not manual actions. Compare the date of the drop with your own site changes, with any tracking changes and with the dates of announced ranking updates. If the Manual Actions report is clear, no review request is possible, and the work is to find the cause and improve the pages affected.

One warning applies here. Anyone who says they can 'remove a Google penalty' for a fee, without telling you which pages or links they will change, is selling something that does not exist. For a manual action there is a fix and a review request, and nothing else.

Getting help with a manual action

You can handle a simple case yourself, such as spam comments on a blog. A link-related action or a site-wide quality action usually needs someone who can audit a site and document the work.

Ask a prospective supplier which type of action they have dealt with, what they will change, what records they will give you and who will have access to your accounts. Do not accept a promise that a review will succeed. The guide on what to ask an SEO agency before you hire has a longer list. The SEO service page explains what Liftup Technologies offers if you want your site reviewed.

Related guides

• SEO services
• Url structure for seo
• 301 vs 302 redirects explained
• Google search console performance report how to read it
• Brand audit how to review your brand
• Pagespeed insights how to read the report

Questions and answers

What is a manual action?

A manual action is a penalty applied after a person at Google reviews a site and finds it breaking the spam policies. It is reported in Search Console, and the Manual Actions report names the type. It can affect the whole site or only some pages. Automated demotions are not manual actions.

How do I check for a manual action?

Sign in to Search Console, choose the property and open the Manual Actions report. If it shows no issues, there is no manual action on that property. Check each property you hold for the site, and read the Security issues report and your account emails as well.

How do I ask Google to review my site?

Fix the problem on all affected pages, then open the Manual Actions report, select the issue and choose Request Review. Explain the exact problem, the steps you took and the outcome. Submit once, because Google says not to resubmit while a request is open. You get emails when it is received and when it is done.

How long does a review take?

Google says most reviews take several days to weeks, and requests about links can take longer. It sends an email when the review is complete. Timings may change, so check the current documentation rather than relying on a figure from a third party.

Will my rankings return when a manual action is lifted?

Not necessarily at once. Google says that removing an action does not mean earlier rankings return immediately. Keep the fixes in place, watch the Performance report and continue improving the pages. Nobody can promise a date or a position.

Is a Google penalty the same as a manual action?

Not always. People use 'penalty' for any loss of visibility. A manual action is the kind applied by a person at Google, with a notice in Search Console and a review route. Automated demotions give no notice and have no review request, so the work is to find the cause and improve the pages.