A dofollow link passes ranking value to the page it points at. A nofollow link carries a small piece of code that tells search engines not to pass that value. That single distinction shapes how much a backlink is worth, and it is the first thing to understand before you build, buy or audit links.
This guide explains both link types in plain terms, what rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" add to the picture, and whether nofollow links still help your SEO. Where it matters we link straight to Google’s own documentation, since the rules here come from Google rather than from opinion. Link Verified can tell you which type any link is in one click, but it helps to know what you are looking at.
What is the difference between a dofollow and a nofollow link?
A dofollow link passes ranking value, sometimes called link equity, to the page it points to, which can help that page rank. A nofollow link includes a rel attribute telling Google not to pass that value. Both can still send referral traffic, so the difference is about ranking signals, not whether the link works for a reader.
In practice that one attribute is the whole story. A plain link is dofollow by default, and a link only becomes nofollow when someone adds the attribute. Google sets out exactly how this works in its Qualify outbound links documentation.
What is a dofollow link?
A dofollow link is an ordinary link with no rel attribute holding it back, so it passes ranking signals to the destination. It is the link type that supports your SEO, and the default state of any link unless a publisher changes it.
What a dofollow link looks like in HTML
A dofollow link is just a standard anchor tag:
<a href="https://example.com/page">anchor text</a>There is no special attribute to add. If you see no rel value, or only values unrelated to following such as rel="noopener", the link is dofollow.
Why dofollow links matter for SEO
Google uses links to discover pages and to help judge their relevance and value, which is why dofollow links from relevant, trusted sites are worth pursuing — and what our backlink building service is built around. Google’s link best practices explain that links are how Google finds and understands the relationships between pages. A dofollow link is the only type that passes that signal in full.
What is a nofollow link?
A nofollow link includes rel="nofollow", which tells Google not to associate your site with the linked page or pass ranking value to it. It still works as a normal link for anyone clicking it, so it can drive traffic, but it is not designed to move rankings.
What a nofollow link looks like in HTML
<a href="https://example.com/page" rel="nofollow">anchor text</a>The rel="nofollow" is the flag. The same pattern applies to the two newer attributes below.
Why nofollow exists
Google introduced nofollow on 18 January 2005, in collaboration with Yahoo and MSN, to fight comment spam. The idea was to let site owners flag links they had not vouched for, such as those dropped into blog comments, so spammers gained nothing from posting them (Google, Evolving nofollow).
rel=“sponsored” and rel=“ugc”
On 10 September 2019 Google added two more attributes. rel="sponsored" marks links created through advertising, sponsorship or other paid arrangements, and rel="ugc" marks links in user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. Google says you can combine values, and that the older rel="nofollow" is still fine to use (Google, Qualify outbound links).
Nofollow is now a hint, not a directive
This is the part most “dofollow vs nofollow” explainers get wrong, and it matters. When Google announced sponsored and ugc in 2019, it also said all three attributes would be treated as hints rather than strict instructions, so Google may still consider these links when analysing the web. The change applied to ranking from the September 2019 announcement, and to crawling and indexing from 1 March 2020 (Google, Evolving nofollow).
In day-to-day terms, treat a nofollow link as one that will not reliably pass ranking value. The hint model means Google reserves the right to use the information, not that nofollow links now pass equity by default. The safe planning assumption has not changed: chase dofollow, value nofollow for the traffic and exposure it brings.
Do nofollow links help SEO?
Not directly, but they are far from worthless. Nofollow links drive referral traffic, build brand awareness, and a natural backlink profile contains a healthy mix of both types rather than dofollow alone.
The referral traffic and brand case
A nofollow link from a busy, relevant page can send real visitors and put your brand in front of a new audience, neither of which depends on passing ranking value. Many of the most valuable places to be linked, including large news sites and community platforms, apply nofollow or ugc by default, so refusing nofollow links would mean turning down genuinely useful exposure.
Why a natural profile has both
Real link profiles are mixed, not pure. Ahrefs found that 10.6% of all backlinks to the top 110,000 sites are nofollow, with much smaller shares using ugc (0.44%) or sponsored (0.01%) (Ahrefs, SEO statistics). A profile made up only of dofollow links looks less natural than one with a sensible spread.
How to tell if a link is dofollow or nofollow
There are two quick ways to check, plus one that also handles the other things a link needs to be worth anything.
Inspect the rel attribute
Right-click the link, choose Inspect, and read the rel attribute on the anchor tag. No rel means dofollow; rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc" means it does not pass standard ranking value.
Use a checker or extension
Checking by hand is fine for one link. Link Verified reads the rel attribute for you and, in the same pass, confirms the link is present, on an indexable page, indexed by Google, and not diluted, then returns a single PASS, WARN or FAIL verdict. If you also want to estimate what a link is worth, our backlink value checker does that separately.
Check any link with Link Verified
When should you use nofollow, sponsored or ugc?
Use rel="sponsored" for paid or affiliate links, rel="ugc" for links in user-generated content, and rel="nofollow" when you do not want to vouch for or pass value to a page. This is not just good manners: Google’s spam policies treat paid links that pass ranking credit as link spam, so paid placements need qualifying.
| Attribute | Passes ranking value? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| (none, dofollow) | Yes | Editorial links you genuinely endorse |
rel="sponsored" | No (hint) | Paid, affiliate or sponsored links |
rel="ugc" | No (hint) | Comments, forum posts, other user content |
rel="nofollow" | No (hint) | Any link you do not want to vouch for |
If you are vetting bought placements, our guide on verifying a guest post backlink walks through the full check, dofollow status included.
Dofollow vs nofollow at a glance
In one line: dofollow links pass ranking value and are the default; nofollow, sponsored and ugc links carry a rel attribute that tells Google not to pass that value, though all three are now hints rather than hard rules. Both types can drive traffic, but only dofollow links reliably support rankings.
Dofollow and nofollow FAQs
Is a dofollow link better than a nofollow link? For rankings, yes, because only dofollow links reliably pass value. For traffic and brand awareness a nofollow link from the right page can be just as useful.
Are internal links dofollow by default?
Yes. Any link is dofollow unless someone adds a rel attribute, so your internal links pass value around your site by default.
Does Google count nofollow links? Since March 2020 Google treats nofollow as a hint, so it may consider these links, but it does not reliably pass ranking value through them. Plan as though they do not.
How many nofollow links is normal? There is no target, but a natural profile contains a mix. For context, Ahrefs found 10.6% of backlinks to the top 110,000 sites are nofollow.
Is rel="nofollow" the same as noindex?
No. A rel attribute controls whether a link passes value, while noindex controls whether a page can appear in Google’s index. They are different controls, which is why a page can carry a dofollow link and still pass no value if it is not indexed.
Know exactly what a link is worth before you rely on it. Add to Chrome · Verify a link now