How to spot a site Google has penalised

Google tells site owners about manual actions, and nobody else. Before you buy, you need the owner to show you, and you need to know the signs they cannot hide.

1. Ask for the Manual actions report

In Search Console, the Manual actions report starts with a count. With none, Google shows a green check mark and a message. Ask the seller to share their screen live, or add you as a user. A screenshot from last month tells you nothing about today. Also check Security issues.

2. Know the policies Google enforces

Google's spam policies name the behaviours that cause demotion or removal. Four matter most when buying:

• Expired domain abuse: buying a lapsed domain "primarily to manipulate search rankings by hosting content that provides little to no value to users".
• Link spam: creating links to or from a site primarily to manipulate rankings.
• Hacked content: unauthorised content on a site through security holes, such as injected pages or hidden links.
• Site reputation abuse: third-party content published on an established site mainly to borrow its ranking.

3. Read the traffic history

In Search Console's Performance report, choose the longest date range. A steep fall that begins on a single date can mean a manual action, an algorithm change or a technical fault; the three look alike. A fall that never recovers across several months deserves a direct question to the seller.

4. Check the history in the Wayback Machine

Browse snapshots across the domain's life. A switch from a real site to thin pages or foreign-language spam, or a gap followed by a new topic, suggests the domain was bought for its links. Treat that as a risk, not proof.

5. Search for injected pages

Search Google for site:domain.com plus words like casino, viagra or loans. Pages you did not expect point to a hack. Our guide on hidden gambling links shows what to look for in the code.

What you cannot prove

Algorithmic demotions carry no notice, so no report confirms them. If the numbers and the history look wrong and the seller cannot explain them, price the risk in or walk away.

A manual action can be fixed and a review requested; Google says reviews can take days or weeks. A domain that is mid-review is a bigger bet than a clean one.