Quick answer: Export a sample from Search Console’s Links report, keep source and target URLs together, and turn each noteworthy row into a specific check: confirm the live source, inspect the destination, fix your own navigation, or record that no action is needed. The export is a review queue, not a complete backlink inventory or a list of links Google endorses.
For: an owner or editor of a small service website reviewing a few important pages. Skip this worksheet if your question is whether a page is indexed; use URL Inspection. For a site move, start with a URL map. This is a documentation-based editorial workflow, not a hands-on test of your property or a ranking promise.
Start here: Choose the export · Copy the worksheet · See a fictional example · Choose an action
Choose the export that answers your question
Open the correct Search Console property and select Links. Google’s Links report guide describes external top linked pages, top linking sites, linking text and the source pages behind a selected target. Start with a service page or resource that matters to customers. In External links > Top linked pages, select that target, then a linking site to see its source pages. If you need only a few rows, write them down rather than exporting everything.
The landing-page Export control offers Latest links and More sample links. Latest links are sorted by discovery date; the other file samples links Google knows about. Single-table download controls export that table. Google’s guide says landing exports can contain up to 100,000 rows, while a single table can contain up to 1,000. These are limits, not a promise about your property. Record the export type and download date. Do not call discovery date the date the link was published.
The report samples links, groups your pages by canonical URL and combines some duplicate source-target pairs. A missing row does not prove a link is absent; a present row does not prove the source still displays it. Inspect the live page before contacting anyone or changing your site.
Copy a small export-to-action worksheet
Make one row per source-target pair you plan to review. Keep the untouched export separately so you can return to its original values. Copy this header into a sheet or text file:
On a small screen, swipe sideways to see the full copyable header.
Review date | Property | Export type | Source URL | Target URL | Live source check | Target check | Reader relevance | Action | Owner | Follow-up date | Evidence or uncertainty
For Live source check, note whether you could open the source and see its link to the target; write “unverified” if blocked. For Target check, record whether the page opens publicly, redirects as intended and still answers the linking context. Reader relevance asks whether a visitor arriving from that source would find a useful page, rather than assigning an invented authority score.
Keep report observation and live observation separate. Neither establishes traffic or sales. If this was a campaign link, inspect referral and enquiry evidence separately using our GA4 measurement checklist.
Fictional example: a link points to an outdated service page
Imagine a consultancy with a maintenance service page. Its Links export lists a source at partner.example/resources pointing to example.com/old-maintenance/. All URLs and observations here are fictional. The editor opens the live source and confirms the link is still present. The old URL redirects to the current page, but that page no longer explains the monthly support scope promised by the source.
The worksheet says: source visible; redirect works; destination lacks the promised scope; action owner is the site editor; follow-up is to clarify the scope and check after publication. The owner may then ask the linking site to update its wording if that helps readers. This is a content and navigation task. The export alone does not establish a Google penalty or a need for a paid backlink tool.
If the source no longer contains the link, mark “not visible on live check” and stop treating the row as a current referral route. If the page is blocked, retain “unverified” rather than guessing.
Choose one next action for each reviewed row
- Fix your own page: the linked destination is broken, redirects badly or no longer answers the source’s promise. Record the URL and observed problem. Our internal linking guide helps when the missing route is within your own site.
- Ask for a correction: a relevant live link points to the wrong destination or misdescribes it. If you have a legitimate relationship, send a precise, courteous request; avoid mass outreach from an export.
- Improve internal navigation: a useful outside page reaches a resource visitors cannot find easily from your site. Add an internal link where it helps readers.
- Leave it alone: the route works and the destination answers the context. Record that conclusion and focus on a clearer problem.
- Escalate a genuine spam concern: retain evidence and read Google’s guidance before using disavow. A strange or missing row alone is not a reason to disavow.
Google’s disavow guidance warns incorrect use can harm Search performance. It describes a narrower situation involving substantial spammy, artificial or low-quality links that have caused or are likely to cause a manual action. Do not upload a bulk export as a disavow file.
Common mistakes and one useful tip
Mistake: treating the export as every link Google has seen. Correction: label it a sample and name the export type. Mistake: ranking work by raw link count alone. Correction: start with important destination pages and live reader paths. Mistake: mixing Google’s discovery date with your verification date. Correction: keep both dates separate.
Small tip: preserve exact source and target URLs in each reviewed row even if you group by domain. Two links from one site can lead readers to different pages and need different actions. When Search Console groups a target under a canonical URL, note that grouping rather than silently rewriting the exported value.
Source notes and next review
Reviewed 13 October 2026. Product controls, export scope and limits above come from the official Google Links report help; the disavow caution comes from Google disavow help. The worksheet, action categories and example are Practical SaaS Lab editorial suggestions. Our two-engine review explains when a different report answers the question. Revisit the worksheet when a key page changes or a live link needs investigation; not every exported row needs a task.
