A nofollow link is a hyperlink that tells search engines not to pass ranking authority from one site to another. Understanding the difference between nofollow and dofollow links — and knowing when each matters — is essential for building an effective link strategy.

After 30 years in SEO, nofollow links are widely misunderstood. Here’s everything you need to know.

The HTML Behind Nofollow

A standard (dofollow) link looks like this in HTML:

<a href="https://example.com">Link text</a>

A nofollow link adds the rel attribute:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Link text</a>

The rel="nofollow" tag is a signal to search engines: “I’m linking to this page, but I’m not editorially vouching for it — don’t count this as a ranking endorsement.”

Why Nofollow Links Were Created

Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 to combat link spam. Without it, the only way to stop spammy links from manipulating rankings was to not link at all — which wasn’t practical for blog comments, forum posts, or paid placements.

Nofollow gave webmasters a way to link without endorsing — letting users follow links in comments and user-generated content without those links being exploitable for SEO manipulation.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow: The Key Difference

Dofollow links (the default):

• Pass PageRank (link equity/authority) from the linking page to the linked page
• Count as ranking signals in Google’s algorithm
• Are what most SEO link-building efforts aim to acquire

Nofollow links:

• Originally told Google not to pass PageRank (updated in 2019 to be a “hint”)
• Don’t count as formal ranking endorsements in Google’s algorithm
• Still create clickable links that drive real traffic to your site

The 2019 Nofollow Update

In September 2019, Google changed how it handles nofollow. Previously: a strict directive — Google would not follow or pass PageRank through nofollow links. After 2019: nofollow is now a “hint” — Google may choose to use nofollow links for ranking purposes in some circumstances.

Google also introduced two new link attributes:

• rel="ugc" (User Generated Content): For links in forum posts, comments, blog comments — content created by users
• rel="sponsored": For paid links, ads, and affiliate links

All three attributes (nofollow, ugc, sponsored) signal “don’t treat this as an editorial endorsement.” Google says the ugc and sponsored attributes help it better understand the link context.

Are Nofollow Links Worthless?

No — and this is one of the biggest misconceptions in SEO.

Nofollow links still provide value through:

1. Referral traffic: A nofollow link from a high-traffic website sends real visitors to your site, regardless of SEO value.

2. Brand visibility: Being mentioned on major publications (even with nofollow links) increases brand awareness. People who see your business on Forbes or Wikipedia search your brand name later — that branded search is itself a ranking signal.

3. Potential crawling: Google’s crawlers may still discover and index your content through nofollow links.

4. Google’s “hint” treatment: Google may pass some authority through nofollow links it deems editorially relevant, even though it’s not guaranteed.

5. Link profile naturalness: A backlink profile consisting entirely of dofollow links can appear unnatural. Nofollow links from social media, directories, and news sites add natural diversity.

A nofollow link from Wikipedia or a major newspaper is more valuable from a traffic and brand perspective than a dofollow link from a spammy low-authority directory.

When to Use Nofollow on Your Own Website

Google’s guidelines specify certain situations where you must use nofollow (or the more specific sponsored/ugc attributes):

Required by Google’s link spam policy:

• Paid/sponsored links: Any link that was paid for, exchanged for goods/services, or part of an advertising arrangement. Use rel="sponsored".
• Affiliate links: Links that earn you commissions. Use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".
• Guest post links: If you’re accepting guest posts and linking to the author’s site, use rel="nofollow" unless you genuinely editorially vouch for the linked site.

Best practice:

• User-generated content: Comments, forum posts, reviews where external links appear. Use rel="ugc".
• Untrusted content: Any link you’re including but don’t want to vouch for.

Failure to nofollow paid links can result in a manual action (Google penalty). This is a serious compliance issue, not optional.

How to Check if a Link Is Nofollow

Method 1 — Browser inspect: Right-click any link → “Inspect” → Look for rel="nofollow", rel="ugc", or rel="sponsored" in the HTML

Method 2 — Browser extensions: NoFollow Chrome extension highlights all nofollow links on a page visually.

Method 3 — SEO tools: Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz all show dofollow/nofollow status in their backlink analysis. In Ahrefs: Site Explorer → Backlinks → filter by “Dofollow” or “Nofollow.”

Building Your Link Strategy

The ideal link-building strategy prioritizes dofollow links from authoritative, relevant sources — but doesn’t discount nofollow links from high-traffic platforms.

Dofollow targets:

• Industry publications and trade press
• Local news and business journals
• Chamber of Commerce and business associations
• Partner and vendor websites
• Guest articles on relevant blogs

Valuable nofollow sources:

• Wikipedia citations (if genuinely source-worthy)
• Social media profiles and posts
• News media coverage
• Major directories (Yelp, BBB, Angi)
• Forum and community participation (Reddit, Quora)

A healthy backlink profile has both. Chasing only dofollow links leads to an unnatural-looking profile; ignoring nofollow misses traffic and brand-building opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a nofollow link? A nofollow link is a hyperlink with the rel=‘nofollow’ attribute added to its HTML code. It signals to search engines that the linking site does not want to pass ranking authority (PageRank) to the linked page. The link still appears and is clickable for users, but Google treats it as a ‘hint’ not to count it as a ranking endorsement.

What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow links? A dofollow link (the default for all links) passes PageRank authority from the linking site to the linked page and counts as a ranking signal. A nofollow link (marked with rel=‘nofollow’) tells Google not to pass authority. Dofollow links are more valuable for SEO rankings; nofollow links can still drive traffic and brand awareness.

Are nofollow links worthless for SEO? No. Google updated its treatment of nofollow in 2019 — it’s now a ‘hint’ rather than a hard directive, meaning Google may still consider some nofollow links. More importantly, nofollow links from high-traffic sources drive real referral traffic, increase brand visibility, and may generate branded searches — all indirect ranking signals.

When should I use nofollow on my own website? Use nofollow on: paid/sponsored links (required by Google’s guidelines), user-generated content links (forum posts, comments), affiliate links, and any link you’re not editorially vouching for. Not using nofollow on paid links violates Google’s link spam policies.

What are UGC and sponsored link attributes? In 2019, Google introduced two additional rel attributes: rel=‘ugc’ (user-generated content — for forum posts, comments, reviews) and rel=‘sponsored’ (for paid links, ads, affiliates). These are more specific than nofollow and help Google better understand the link context. All three attributes tell Google not to pass PageRank.

How do I check if a link is nofollow? Right-click the link in your browser → ‘Inspect Element’ → look for rel=‘nofollow’ in the HTML. In Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz’s link analysis tools, the dofollow/nofollow status is displayed next to each backlink in your link profile.

Does Wikipedia use nofollow on external links? Yes — all Wikipedia external links are nofollow. Despite this, getting cited on Wikipedia as a source is still valuable: it drives significant referral traffic, increases brand visibility, and signals authority (because Wikipedia editors only cite genuinely authoritative sources).

Bryan Collins is an SEO consultant based in Piscataway, NJ, with 30+ years of experience helping small businesses grow through content and search. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the author of Why Your Website Isn’t Ringing.