Link Building

Toxic Link Audit

/toxic-links

Identify and evaluate potentially toxic backlinks that could harm your rankings. Generates a disavow file for confirmed harmful links with risk scoring per link.

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curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ccforseo/seo-skills/main/install.sh | bash

Or install this skill manually:

$ git clone https://github.com/ccforseo/seo-skills.git
$ cp -r seo-skills/toxic-link-audit ~/.claude/skills/toxic-link-audit
View on GitHubFree · MIT License · 8 skills included

What it does

The Toxic Link Audit skill scans your backlink profile for links that could trigger algorithmic or manual penalties. It evaluates each referring domain against toxicity indicators: spam patterns, PBN fingerprints, link farm characteristics, irrelevant foreign-language links, and unnatural anchor text. Each link gets a risk score, and the skill generates a ready-to-submit Google disavow file for confirmed threats.

Key features

  • Scores every backlink on a toxicity scale with evidence
  • Detects PBN fingerprints and link farm patterns
  • Identifies foreign-language spam links and irrelevant directories
  • Generates a Google-ready disavow file for confirmed toxic links
  • Separates uncertain links for manual review from clear threats

How to use Toxic Link Audit

  1. Run the command

    Type /toxic-links with your domain. The skill analyzes all referring domains and scores each for toxicity risk.

  2. Review the risk report

    Links are grouped into three categories: confirmed toxic (disavow recommended), suspicious (manual review needed), and safe. Each toxic link includes evidence for why it was flagged.

  3. Submit the disavow file

    Review the generated disavow file, remove any false positives, and submit it through Google Search Console's disavow tool. The skill formats the file to Google's specifications.

When to use it

Post-penalty recovery to identify harmful links

Proactive toxic link monitoring for competitive niches

Cleaning up backlink profiles inherited from a domain acquisition

Preparing evidence for Google reconsideration requests

Frequently asked questions

When should I disavow backlinks?

Disavow links when you have received a manual action for unnatural links, when you have clear evidence that toxic links are suppressing rankings, or when you have acquired a domain with a dirty link history. Do not disavow proactively without evidence of harm.

How does the Toxic Link Audit score link toxicity?

It evaluates referring domains across multiple signals: domain registration patterns, content quality, outbound link density, relevance to your niche, and known spam network associations. The combined signals produce a toxicity score from 0 (safe) to 100 (confirmed spam).

Can disavowing links hurt my rankings?

Disavowing legitimate, beneficial links can remove their positive ranking contribution. The skill separates confirmed toxic links from suspicious ones to minimize false positives. Always review the disavow file before submission.

How long does it take for a disavow to take effect?

Google processes disavow files as it re-crawls the disavowed URLs. Full effect typically takes 2-4 weeks, though some cases take longer. Monitor your rankings and GSC data to track the impact after submission.

Related skills

Link Building

Backlink Profile Analyzer

/backlink-audit

Analyze your site's backlink profile for quality, diversity, and risk. Scores referring domains by authority, identifies anchor text patterns, and flags potentially harmful links.

Link Building

Anchor Text Analyzer

/anchor-audit

Analyze your anchor text distribution for over-optimization risks. Checks the ratio of exact-match, partial-match, branded, and generic anchor text across your backlink profile.

Link Building

Competitor Backlink Finder

/comp-backlinks

Discover where competitors earn their backlinks. Find link sources you can replicate or outperform with better content, outreach, or partnerships.

Technical SEO

Site Audit

/seo-audit

Run a full technical SEO audit from your terminal. Checks crawlability, indexation issues, meta tags, page speed signals, and site structure in one pass.

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