There is a known bug in Google Search Console that is making it difficult for those with manual actions – or suspected manual actions – to either file a reconsideration request or see the manual action within their account in the first place.
There seems to be two issues with manual actions, depending on where you are in the manual action cycle in Search Console. The issues started popping up on Monday, May 9th in the Google webmaster help forums.
First, some feel they may have been hit by a manual action with a loss of Google search traffic, but when they check in Google Search Console, there is nothing. Others are reporting receiving an email from Google regarding a manual action, but it doesn’t show up in their manual action viewer. While it can sometimes take a day or so for a manual action to show up in the viewer, these ones are not showing up at all.
The second issue with manual actions is that site owners are unable to file a manual action reconsideration request. When clicking on the link to submit a reconsideration request, site owners are getting an error message of “Hm. Something isn’t right. We’re checking into it now.”
Only sites with manual actions seem to have issues accessing the manual actions section of Google Search Console. Those without any manual actions can view it without issue. It isn’t clear if it affects all accounts or only some of them, as generally it is the ones with issues who post.
Because some site owners are at least receiving an email about the manual actions, this means that they are able to start fixing the issues that caused it. But unfortunately, they are unable to file a reconsideration request.
This is having a greater impact on those with hacked sites, since typically those kinds of issues can be resolved much faster than a linking or pure spam manual action. While some hacked site manual actions can be lifted automatically, there are many who are unable to submit a reconsideration request to get the “this site may be hacked” notation removed from the search results, or to see the warning interstitial removed.
Some of Google’s Top Contributors on the webmaster help forums have escalated the issue, and have reported Google is working on resolving the issue. The best advice it to keep checking the manual action viewer if you are waiting to resolve a manual action.
Jennifer Slegg
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