Find out how Bing plans to handle spammy links when it removes the disallowed feature from Bing Webmaster Tools.

Highlight

1. Bing Webmaster Tools will remove the rejected links feature in October 2023.
2. Bing claims its advanced artificial intelligence. Natural and unnatural links can now be automatically distinguished.
3. Webmasters are advised to adhere to Bing’s link abuse guidelines.

Bing Webmaster Tools has announced an important change that may impact website owners and SEO professionals who use the rejected links feature.

Starting October 2023, the platform will phase out the disavowal link feature and its associated API. This decision is part of Bing’s efforts to simplify its services and improve user experience.

What is the feature of disavowing links?

The rejected links feature was initially launched in 2012, providing a mechanism for website owners to tell Bing which inbound links they should not consider when assessing the quality and relevance of their sites.

This feature has been crucial in combating negative SEO attacks, where malicious entities can create or purchase unwanted backlinks to hurt a competitor’s rankings.

Bing to identify spam links using artificial intelligence

In the announcement, Bing explained that advances in AI technology have eliminated the need to manually disavow a link.

Bing’s updated algorithms now have better capabilities to understand the “context and intent” behind links, thus separating legitimate links from those deemed unnatural or untrustworthy.

This means website owners can rely on Bing’s AI to automatically discount low-quality links, saving them the effort and resources traditionally required for manual auditing.

Website owners are encouraged to follow the guidelines

Website owners and marketers are encouraged to be aware of Bing’s guidelines on link schemes, link buying, and link spam, as failure to comply may result in a website being banned from Bing. It may be excluded from the index.

However, the company reiterated its commitment to providing valuable information through its backlink report feature, which gives website owners some insight into their link profiles.

Fabrice Canel, lead program manager for Bing Webmaster Tools, concluded the statement by thanking users for their ongoing support and encouraging comments and questions through the Bing Help Center or support channels.

The remove rejected links feature in Bing Webmaster Tools reflects the continued increase in reliance on artificial intelligence technologies, making traditional link management tools less necessary.