rel="nofollow" and tells Google not to pass ranking credit. All links are dofollow by default unless marked otherwise. Use Backlink Checker Pro to verify link status.
What Is a Dofollow Link?
“Dofollow” isn’t actual HTML. You won’t find rel="dofollow" anywhere. It’s SEO slang for a regular link:
<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example</a>
No special attributes. When Google sees this, it:
- Follows the link to discover the page
- Passes PageRank (“link juice”) to that page
Every link is dofollow by default. You don’t “make” links dofollow—the absence of nofollow makes them dofollow.
What Is a Nofollow Link?
A link with a specific attribute telling search engines not to pass ranking credit:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Visit Example</a>
Google introduced nofollow in 2005 to combat comment spam. It lets site owners say: “I’m allowing this link but not endorsing it.”
What happens:
- Typically doesn’t pass PageRank
- May still crawl/discover the page (since 2019, nofollow is a “hint”)
- Doesn’t count as editorial endorsement
Where you’ll find nofollow:
- Blog comments
- Forum posts
- Social media links
- Sponsored content
- Press releases
- Wikipedia (all external links)
Sponsored and UGC Attributes
Google added two more in 2019:
rel="sponsored" — For paid placements and affiliate links:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">Paid Link</a>
rel="ugc" — For user-generated content:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">User's Link</a>
You can combine them: rel="nofollow sponsored". Google says plain nofollow is fine too.
Quick Comparison
Aspect Dofollow Nofollow HTML None (default)rel="nofollow"
Passes PageRank
Yes
Typically no (it’s a “hint”)
SEO value
Direct ranking impact
Indirect (traffic, diversity)
When to use
Editorial endorsements
Paid, user content, untrusted
Why This Matters
For link building: Dofollow links are what you’re after for SEO. But a healthy profile has both—100% dofollow looks suspicious.
For verifying backlinks: If you paid for dofollow and got nofollow, you didn’t get what you paid for. Many low-quality services deliver nofollow while charging for dofollow.
Verify Dofollow Status
Backlink Checker Pro detects rel attributes across all your backlinks at once.
Upload your report (PDF, CSV, Excel) and see whether each link is dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC—plus whether it exists.
Verify Your Backlinks FreeCommon Myths
“Nofollow links are useless” — Wrong. They drive traffic, build awareness, diversify your profile. Since 2019, Google may still count some.
“All my links should be dofollow” — 100% dofollow looks unnatural. Real sites get nofollow links from social, forums, comments.
“I can see dofollow in HTML” — No such attribute exists. Absence of nofollow = dofollow.
“Google completely ignores nofollow” — Since 2019, it’s a hint. They may choose to count nofollow links.
How to Check
Manual: Right-click link → Inspect → look for rel="nofollow". Works for one link. Tedious for 50.
At scale: Upload your backlink report to a verification tool.
How do I make a link dofollow?
You don't need to. All links are dofollow by default. Just create a normal link without rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc".
Do nofollow links help SEO?
Indirectly. They drive traffic, build awareness, and make your profile look natural. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint—they may count some anyway.
Should I disavow nofollow links?
No. Nofollow links don't pass negative signals. Disavow is for toxic dofollow links. Nofollow is already "disavowed" by its attribute.
What's the difference between nofollow and sponsored?
Both prevent passing PageRank. Sponsored specifically tells Google money changed hands. Use rel="sponsored" for paid links, affiliate links, ads.