Charles Floate on Disavow File
Every time you submit a disavow file to Google, you’re essentially telling them “these are the links I know about that I think are manipulative”.
You’re handing them a curated list of domains and pages involved in link manipulation, you’re confirming the link was intentional, and you’re admitting you think it’s harmful enough to disavow… I haven’t submitted a disavow file in years.
The leaked data suggests links are far more likely to be NEUTRALISED (ignored) than actively penalized now. So the worst case for a dodgy link in 2026 is.. it does nothing.
At minimum, if you disavow, you might accidentally remove links that are actually powering your site…
The worst case? You just confirmed to Google that you’ve been building links, handed them a map of your footprint.
Stop confessing, let bad links die naturally