In a recent statement on Bluesky, Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller clarified that the order of URLs in a disavow file has no bearing on how Google interprets or processes them.
Mueller explained that the disavow file is not processed in real-time, nor does it serve as an instant filter. Instead, Google factors in the disavow entries as it recrawls the web naturally. So whether you list an untrusted site at the beginning or end of your disavow file, it makes no difference in how Google handles it.
“We don’t process the file per-se (it’s not an immediate filter of ‘the index’), we take it into account when we recrawl other sites naturally,” said Mueller.
“The order in the disavow file doesn’t matter.”
This comes as yet another reminder that Google is steadily downplaying the need for disavow files altogether. In previous statements, Mueller has advised that disavowing links is often unnecessary, echoing similar sentiments from Microsoft’s Bing. He even noted that many more sites are harmed by misusing the disavow tool than are helped by it.
While the tool remains available for now, SEO professionals should tread cautiously. Unless you’re dealing with clear-cut cases of spammy or toxic backlinks, using the disavow tool may not be worth the effort—and its relevance may be on the decline.
