Nofollow vs dofollow links: what they mean for SEO

What is a dofollow link?

A dofollow link is a normal link with no qualifying rel value, so Google can crawl it and count it as a ranking signal. There is no rel="dofollow" attribute; "dofollow" is SEO shorthand for a link that has not been marked nofollow, sponsored or ugc. An ordinary editorial citation is the classic example.

Google's guide to qualifying outbound links describes these values as a way to tell Google about the nature of a link. A link with none of them is treated as a normal link. That does not guarantee a ranking: links are one signal among many, as our guide to what backlinks are explains.

<a href="https://example.com/guide">useful guide</a>

What is a nofollow link?

A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow", which asks Google not to associate the linking site with the target or crawl the link. Site owners use it for links they do not want to vouch for, such as untrusted comments or user-submitted content. Google introduced the attribute in 2005 to fight comment spam.

Since 10 September 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a rule. Its 2019 announcement said the link attributes are hints about which links to consider or exclude. Google says these links will generally not be followed, but the target can still be discovered another way, such as a sitemap or a link from another site.

<a href="https://example.com/guide" rel="nofollow">useful guide</a>

What are rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc"?

rel="sponsored" marks paid or compensated links, and rel="ugc" marks links inside user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. Google added both values in 2019 so site owners could be more specific than a blanket nofollow. Like nofollow, they are hints.

Google recommends sponsored for advertising, sponsorships and any link you were paid or compensated for. It recommends ugc for links in content your users create. You can combine values, for example rel="ugc nofollow" or rel="sponsored nofollow"; both are valid.

<a href="https://example.com/offer" rel="sponsored">our sponsor</a>
<a href="https://example.com/comment" rel="ugc">a reader's link</a>

Do nofollow links help SEO?

Nofollow links can still help a little, but they are not a reliable way to pass ranking credit. They send real visitors, they make your brand visible where your audience reads, and because Google treats them as hints it may still consider them. What they do not do is give you a dependable ranking boost the way an editorial dofollow link can.

So a nofollow link is not worthless, and it is not an insult. Google's link best practices tell site owners to use nofollow only for sources they do not trust, not on every external link. Plenty of reputable sites nofollow comment links or all user-submitted links by default. Build for readers and relevance first; treat the rel value as a detail, not the goal.

When should you use nofollow?

Use nofollow, sponsored or ugc when you do not want to vouch for a link or when the link is paid or user-generated. The right value depends on why the link exists:

• Paid or compensated links: use rel="sponsored" (or nofollow). Google's link spam policy treats buying or selling links for ranking as spam, but advertising and sponsorship are fine when the link is qualified.
• User-generated content: use rel="ugc" for comments, forum posts and other content your users add. You may drop it for members who consistently contribute high-quality content.
• Untrusted sources: use rel="nofollow" for a link you cannot vouch for.
• Normal editorial links: leave them as plain links. Do not nofollow every external link; that throws away a signal you could give a source you trust.

How to check if a link is nofollow

Open the page's source or use the browser inspector to read the link's rel attribute, or run the domain through the free backlink checker, which labels each link follow, nofollow, sponsored or ugc.

• View source. Right-click the page and choose View page source, then search for the link's URL or anchor text. Read the <a> tag: rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc" means the link is qualified; no rel value means it is a normal dofollow link.
• Inspect the element. Right-click the link and choose Inspect. The Elements panel shows the same <a> tag, which is easier on a page built by JavaScript.
• Run the domain through the free backlink checker. It lists the links it has seen to a domain and shows follow, nofollow, sponsored or ugc for each one, so you can check many links at once instead of one page at a time.

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