Definition A toxic backlink typically comes from a low-authority domain that posts off-topic content or operates within a link farm or spam network. Smuggled links with exact-match anchors also raise the toxicity score.
How it works The system scores each inbound link on domain authority, topical fit, anchor type, outbound link count, and traffic patterns. Low trust signals raise toxicity. Scores above 50 flag red, 30-50 yellow, below 30 green. A disavow list is built for toxic links.
Where you see it in Scope Trends **Backlink Analysis** > **Toxicity** tab shows a risk score per inbound domain. The **Generate Disavow** button produces a Google Search Console-formatted file.
Frequently asked questions **Remove the toxic link or disavow it?** Request removal from the site first; if no response, add it to the disavow file.
**How long does disavow take to take effect?** Typically 4-12 weeks. Impact depends on recrawl and reevaluation cycles.