What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink with a rel="nofollow" attribute that tells search engines not to pass ranking credit, or link equity, to the destination page. It was introduced by Google in 2005 to fight comment spam and is now used for untrusted, user-generated, paid, or sponsored links. A normal link without this attribute is a followed, or dofollow, link that can pass ranking value. Since 2019 Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict directive.
- HTML attribute
- rel="nofollow" added to an anchor tag's rel attribute (Google Search Central)
- Introduced
- Created by Google in 2005 to combat blog comment spam (Google Search Central)
- New attributes
- rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" added in 2019 for paid and user-generated links (Google Search Central)
- Hint, not directive
- Since March 2020 Google treats nofollow as a hint for crawling and indexing (Google Search Central)
What is a nofollow link? #
A nofollow link is an ordinary hyperlink that carries an extra instruction in its HTML: the rel attribute is set to nofollow. This attribute signals to search engines that you do not want to pass ranking credit to the page you are linking to. In plain terms, it says do not count this link as a vote of confidence in the destination. A regular link, one without the nofollow attribute, is called a followed or dofollow link, and it can pass along a share of your page's ranking authority, the link equity discussed in /wiki/what-is-internal-linking. The nofollow version deliberately withholds that endorsement. Visually and functionally, a nofollow link looks and behaves exactly like any other link; users click it and go to the destination just the same. The difference is invisible to visitors and exists purely in the HTML for search engines to read. Nofollow is applied to links you want to include for users but do not want to formally endorse in the eyes of search engines, whether because they are paid, untrusted, or outside your control.
Why was nofollow created? #
Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 to combat a specific and rampant problem: comment spam. At the time, spammers flooded blog comment sections and forums with links to their own sites, trying to harvest ranking value from every link. Because links were votes of confidence in Google's model, even a spammy comment link could pass a little authority, so spamming was worthwhile. Nofollow gave site owners a way to include user-submitted links, in comments, forum posts, and profiles, without those links passing any ranking credit. Once major platforms automatically added nofollow to user-generated links, the incentive to spam for SEO value dropped sharply. Over time, the attribute's use expanded well beyond comment spam. It became the standard way to mark any link you did not want to formally endorse: paid advertisements, sponsored placements, affiliate links, and links to sites you were referencing but not vouching for. The core idea stayed the same throughout: nofollow lets you link freely for your users while telling search engines, in effect, do not treat this particular link as my endorsement of the destination.
What are rel=sponsored and rel=ugc? #
In September 2019 Google introduced two new link attributes to sit alongside nofollow and give site owners more precise ways to describe their links. The rel=sponsored attribute marks links that are paid or part of an advertising or sponsorship arrangement, such as an ad or a sponsored post. The rel=ugc attribute stands for user-generated content and marks links created by your users, such as those in comments and forum posts. The original rel=nofollow remains valid and now serves as a general-purpose way to say you do not want to pass credit for any other reason. You can also combine attributes, for example marking a link as both sponsored and nofollow. Google has said that using the more specific sponsored and ugc values is preferred where they apply, but nofollow still works and no one needs to rush to rewrite existing links. For most local business sites the practical guidance is simple: mark paid or sponsored links as sponsored, mark comment and user-submitted links as ugc, and use nofollow for anything else you want to link to without endorsing. This ties into the anchor and link practices in /wiki/what-is-anchor-text.
Is nofollow a directive or a hint? #
This changed in an important way in 2019 and 2020. Originally, nofollow was a strict directive: Google would not follow a nofollow link at all and would not use it for crawling or indexing. As of March 2020, Google announced it treats nofollow, along with sponsored and ugc, as a hint rather than an absolute command. This means Google may choose to consider a nofollow link for crawling and indexing purposes, even though it still generally will not pass full ranking credit. The reasoning was that link data is valuable for understanding the web, and treating nofollow as an unbreakable rule discarded useful information. For most site owners the practical impact is small. You still use nofollow to signal that you do not endorse a link, and it still generally prevents ranking value from flowing. But you should no longer assume nofollow guarantees a page will never be discovered through that link. If you truly need to keep a page out of the index, use a proper noindex directive or block it appropriately, as explained in /wiki/sitemaps-and-robots-txt-explained, rather than relying on nofollow alone.
When should you use nofollow links? #
Use nofollow, or its more specific cousins, in a handful of clear situations. Paid links and advertisements should be marked sponsored, because passing ranking credit through paid links violates Google's guidelines and can trigger penalties. Affiliate links, where you earn a commission, should generally be marked sponsored or nofollow for the same reason. User-generated links, in comments, forums, and profiles, should be marked ugc so you are not endorsing content you did not write and cannot fully vouch for. Links to sites you are referencing but do not want to formally endorse, perhaps because you are citing a source critically or linking to a page of uncertain quality, are reasonable candidates for nofollow. Some sites also nofollow links to low-value utility pages, though this is less common now. What you should not do is nofollow your own internal links in a misguided attempt to sculpt PageRank; that practice is outdated and generally counterproductive. Your internal links should almost always be followed, so authority flows naturally through your site as described in /wiki/what-is-internal-linking. When we set up sites through /services/web-design, we configure these attributes correctly from the start.
<!-- A normal, followed link that passes ranking value -->
<a href="https://example.com/services">Our services</a>
<!-- A paid or sponsored link -->
<a href="https://advertiser.com" rel="sponsored">Sponsored partner</a>
<!-- A user-generated link, e.g. in a comment -->
<a href="https://user-site.com" rel="ugc">Commenter's website</a>
<!-- A general untrusted or non-endorsed link -->
<a href="https://unknown-source.com" rel="nofollow">Referenced source</a>Do nofollow links have any SEO value? #
Yes, though not in the direct way a followed link does. A nofollow link generally does not pass the ranking credit that a followed link passes, so it will not directly boost the destination's rankings the same way. But nofollow links still carry real value. They send referral traffic: a person can click a nofollow link and become a customer regardless of what the HTML says. They contribute to a natural, diverse backlink profile, because a healthy site earns a mix of followed and nofollow links, and a profile made entirely of followed links can itself look unnatural. They build brand awareness and can lead indirectly to followed links, as people who discover you through a nofollow link may later reference you elsewhere. And because Google now treats nofollow as a hint, some nofollow links may still inform Google's understanding of the web. The practical takeaway is to stop obsessing over whether a link is followed. A link from a relevant, high-traffic site is worth having whether it is nofollow or not, both for the visitors it sends and for the credibility it lends. Chasing only followed links is a narrow and outdated mindset.
How do you check if a link is nofollow? #
You can check whether a link is nofollow by inspecting its HTML. Right-click the link in your browser and choose inspect, or view the page source, and look at the anchor tag for a rel attribute containing nofollow, sponsored, or ugc. If the rel attribute is absent or does not include those values, the link is followed. Many SEO browser extensions highlight nofollow links on a page automatically, often by outlining or coloring them, which is faster than inspecting each one by hand. When auditing links pointing to your own site, backlink analysis tools report whether each inbound link is followed or nofollow, so you can see the balance across your profile. For links you place on your own site, you control the attribute directly in the HTML or through your content management system, many of which let you toggle nofollow when inserting a link. If you are working in a /wiki/what-is-a-cms platform like WordPress, the link editor typically offers a checkbox or setting for this. Getting these attributes right is a small but genuine part of technical SEO hygiene, and it is something our /services/local-seo audits verify along with the rest of your on-page setup.
What are common nofollow mistakes? #
Several mistakes recur. The first is nofollowing internal links to sculpt PageRank, an outdated tactic that no longer works as intended and usually just impedes the natural flow of authority through your own site; your internal links should almost always be followed. The second is forgetting to nofollow paid or sponsored links, which can look like an attempt to buy ranking value and risks a Google penalty; always mark paid placements as sponsored. The third is relying on nofollow to keep a page out of Google's index, which never worked reliably and works even less well now that nofollow is a hint; use noindex or proper blocking instead. The fourth is nofollowing every outbound link out of an exaggerated fear of leaking authority, which makes your site look stingy and can even seem unnatural; linking out to quality resources is good practice. The fifth is inconsistency, applying attributes haphazardly so some paid links are marked and others are not. The right approach is a clear, consistent policy: followed internal links, sponsored for paid and affiliate links, ugc for user content, and nofollow for the occasional non-endorsed reference. We set this up correctly as part of /services/care-plans maintenance.
FAQ
Does a nofollow link pass any ranking value?
Generally no. The nofollow attribute tells search engines not to pass ranking credit to the destination, so it does not directly boost the linked page's rankings the way a followed link does. However, nofollow links still send referral traffic, build brand awareness, and contribute to a natural backlink profile, so they retain real value beyond direct ranking influence.
What is the difference between nofollow, sponsored, and ugc?
All three tell search engines not to pass full ranking credit, but they describe different reasons. Sponsored marks paid or advertising links, ugc marks user-generated links like comments, and nofollow is the general-purpose value for any other non-endorsed link. Google prefers the specific values where they apply, but nofollow still works fine.
Should internal links be nofollow?
Almost never. Nofollowing your own internal links to sculpt PageRank is an outdated tactic that no longer works as intended and just blocks authority from flowing naturally through your site. Internal links should be followed so ranking value reaches your important pages. Reserve nofollow and its variants for external, paid, or user-generated links.
Can I stop a page being indexed with nofollow?
No, not reliably. Nofollow controls link credit, not indexing, and since 2020 Google treats it as a hint that may still be used for crawling and discovery. To keep a page out of the index, use a noindex meta tag or block it properly. Relying on nofollow for this purpose has never been dependable.
Are nofollow backlinks worth having?
Yes. A nofollow backlink from a relevant, high-traffic site sends real visitors who can become customers, builds brand awareness, and contributes to a natural, diverse link profile. A backlink profile made entirely of followed links can look unnatural. Judge a link by the traffic and credibility it brings, not solely by whether it is followed.
How do I add a nofollow attribute to a link?
Add rel="nofollow" to the anchor tag in your HTML, for example a link with rel set to nofollow. In a content management system like WordPress, the link editor usually offers a checkbox or setting to mark a link as nofollow or sponsored, so you rarely need to edit the HTML by hand. Apply the attribute consistently per your linking policy.
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