A manual action is a penalty applied by a search engine reviewer when a website is found to violate search quality guidelines. Unlike automated ranking adjustments, a manual action results from human review and is issued after identifying practices intended to manipulate search results. These actions can affect individual pages, sections of a site, or an entire domain.
Manual actions are typically triggered by issues such as unnatural links, thin or deceptive content, hidden text, or other guideline violations. When applied, affected pages may lose rankings, be partially removed from search results, or be fully deindexed. Search engines usually notify site owners through webmaster tools with details about the issue.
Resolving a manual action requires corrective action and formal reconsideration. Recovery depends on identifying the root cause, fixing violations comprehensively, and demonstrating compliance. Manual actions highlight the importance of ethical SEO and ongoing quality control.
Advanced
Manual actions are categorised by violation type and scope. Common categories include unnatural inbound links, unnatural outbound links, pure spam, and thin content with little value. Reviewers assess intent, scale, and recurrence when determining severity.
Successful recovery involves evidence based remediation. This includes link audits and removals, content rewrites, technical fixes, and documentation of changes. Reconsideration requests must be transparent and complete. Partial fixes often result in rejection, extending recovery timelines.
Relevance
- Directly impacts search visibility and traffic.
- Enforces compliance with search quality standards.
- Highlights risks in aggressive SEO tactics.
- Requires structured remediation processes.
- Influences long term trust and authority.
Applications
- SEO risk management and audits.
- Penalty diagnosis and recovery projects.
- Link cleanup initiatives.
- Content quality remediation.
- Compliance governance for large sites.
Metrics
- Manual action status notifications.
- Affected pages or sections count.
- Ranking recovery timelines.
- Organic traffic changes post resolution.
- Reconsideration approval outcomes.
Issues
- Severe ranking or index loss.
- Lengthy recovery periods.
- High remediation costs.
- Ongoing scrutiny after resolution.
- Reputational damage if repeated.
Example
A site received a manual action for unnatural inbound links after participating in paid link placements. The owner conducted a full link audit, removed or disavowed manipulative links, and submitted a detailed reconsideration request. The action was revoked weeks later and rankings gradually recovered.