Most "Google penalties" aren't penalties. They're ranking drops caused by Google updates, technical problems or stronger competitors. A true penalty is a manual action, and Google tells you about it in Search Console.
Manual actions
A manual action is when a Google reviewer decides your site breaks Google's spam policies. You'll see it in Search Console under Security and Manual Actions. Common causes include:
- Buying or selling links.
- Thin, copied or auto-generated content at scale.
- Hidden text or misleading redirects.
- Hacked content or user-generated spam.
Recovering from a manual action
- Read the notice in Search Console carefully.
- Fix every instance of the problem, not just a few.
- Document what you did.
- Submit a reconsideration request from Search Console.
Algorithmic drops
If there's no manual action, your drop is algorithmic. Nobody reviewed your site; Google's systems simply now rank other pages above yours. There's no request to submit. Improve your content and site, and rankings can recover over time.
Google Business Profile suspensions
These are separate from website penalties. See suspended profiles.
See why traffic dropped.