Disavowal & Reconsideration request - Can I do one without the other?

[Vanessa12]

I submitted a link disavowal file for a client a few weeks ago and before doing that I read up on how to properly use the tool. My understanding is that if you received a manual penalty then you need to submit a reconsideration request after cleaning up links. We didn't receive a penalty so I didn't submit one. I'm wondering if anyone has used the tool (not stemming from a penalty) and if you did or didn't submit a recon. request, and what the results were. I've read that if a site is hit algorithmically, then filing a recon request won't help. Should I just do it anyway? Would be great to hear from anyone who has gone through a similar situation.

[Highland]

If you submit a reconsideration request, the first thing they're going to do is see if you have a manual penalty. Then they might look to see if you deserve a manual penalty. So unless you've got a Webmaster Tool notice that you definitely have a penalty, don't ask for reinclusion. Most likely you've been hit by Penguin and your backlinks are devalued.