What Is a Nofollow Link?

How a Nofollow Link Works

Every hyperlink on the web is, by default, a "dofollow" link: search engines follow it, count it as an endorsement, and may pass ranking credit (often called link equity) to the destination. A nofollow link changes that by adding the rel="nofollow" value to the anchor tag.

When Google's crawler sees rel="nofollow", it understands that the publisher does not want to formally endorse the linked page. Since 2019, Google treats this as a hint it may choose to follow or ignore for crawling and indexing, rather than an absolute command. The link can still be discovered and, in some cases, used, but it typically will not transfer the same authority a standard backlink would.

Nofollow vs Dofollow Links

The difference between nofollow and dofollow comes down to trust and ranking credit. A dofollow link (the default, with no special rel value) tells search engines "I vouch for this page" and can pass authority that helps the target rank. A nofollow link withholds that endorsement.

There is no rel="dofollow" attribute in HTML - "dofollow" simply describes any link without a nofollow, sponsored, or ugc value. A healthy link profile contains a natural mix of both. Sites that earn only nofollow links, or only dofollow links, can look unnatural. For more on how links build authority, see our guide to link building.

Sponsored and UGC: The Newer Link Attributes

In September 2019, Google introduced two more specific rel values to sit alongside nofollow:

• rel="sponsored" - for links created as part of advertising, paid placements, or affiliate arrangements.
• rel="ugc" - for user-generated content such as blog comments and forum posts.

These took effect for crawling and indexing on March 1, 2020. You can combine values when more than one applies, for example rel="nofollow sponsored". The goal is to give Google clearer context about why a link exists, rather than lumping every non-endorsed link under a single nofollow tag.

When to Use Each rel Value

Choosing the right attribute keeps your site aligned with Google's link spam policies and protects your off-page SEO:

• Use sponsored for any paid or affiliate link - failing to mark paid links can trigger a manual action.
• Use ugc for content your visitors create, like comments, so spammy links they add do not reflect on you.
• Use nofollow for pages you link to but do not want to endorse, such as untrusted sources or login and sign-up pages.

When in doubt, sponsored and ugc are more precise than a bare nofollow, but a plain nofollow is still acceptable if the others do not fit.

How to Add a Nofollow Link

In raw HTML, you add the attribute directly to the anchor tag: <a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">anchor text</a>. To mark a paid link, you would write rel="sponsored" instead, or combine them as rel="nofollow sponsored".

In WordPress, the block editor lets you toggle "Mark as nofollow" when you insert or edit a link, and most SEO plugins add sponsored and ugc options too. If you manage many outbound links, plugins can apply these attributes automatically to comment links and specific domains.

Do Nofollow Links Affect SEO?

Nofollow links do not pass the same direct ranking credit as dofollow links, but calling them worthless is a mistake. They still deliver referral traffic, put your brand in front of new audiences, and contribute to a natural, diverse link profile that looks credible to search engines.

Because Google now treats nofollow as a hint, some nofollow links may carry subtle value. High-authority nofollow placements - from major publications, Wikipedia, or social platforms - drive real visitors and can lead to genuine dofollow links later. Focus on relevance and traffic, not just whether a link is followed.

Frequently Asked Questions