You paid for dofollow backlinks. The report says dofollow. The freelancer swears every link is dofollow.
But when you check? Half are nofollow.
I’ve audited reports where “premium dofollow links” were nofollow comment spam. Where “editorial placements” had rel="sponsored" on them. Where links that existed last month have vanished.
If you’re not verifying backlinks yourself, you’re trusting people who may not deserve it.
<a> tag. If there's no rel attribute, or it doesn't contain nofollow, sponsored, or ugc, the link is dofollow. For bulk checking, upload your backlink report to Backlink Checker Pro.
What Makes a Link “Dofollow”
“Dofollow” isn’t an actual HTML attribute. There’s no rel="dofollow". When SEOs say dofollow, they mean links without any rel attribute telling search engines to ignore them.
A standard dofollow link:
<a href="https://yoursite.com">Your Anchor Text</a>
A nofollow link:
<a href="https://yoursite.com" rel="nofollow">Your Anchor Text</a>
The rel="nofollow" tells Google not to count it as an endorsement.
Since 2019, Google treats these as “hints” rather than directives. They might crawl nofollow links and pass some value. But assume nofollow/sponsored/ugc links provide significantly less benefit than dofollow.
Why Verification Matters
You’re paying for specific deliverables. Nofollow instead of dofollow means they didn’t deliver what you bought.
Unverified reports compound. Accept one bad report without checking, and you’ve normalized not checking. Six months later, you’ve paid thousands for unverified links.
Attributes change. A dofollow link can become nofollow when site policies or templates update.
Manual Method: Check Any Link in 60 Seconds
Step 1: Go to the Source Page
Open the URL where your backlink should exist.
Step 2: Find Your Link
Use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to search for your domain or anchor text. Can’t find it? The link doesn’t exist.
Step 3: Right-Click and Inspect
Right-click directly on the link text. Select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.”
Developer Tools opens with the HTML element highlighted. Find the <a> tag.
Step 4: Check the Rel Attribute
No rel attribute = dofollow.
If you see rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc", it’s not passing full SEO value.
Alternative: View Page Source
Press Ctrl+U (Cmd+Option+U on Mac) to see raw HTML. Search for your URL. Shows original HTML before JavaScript modifications.
Why Manual Checking Breaks Down
Manual works for one link. Real verification involves more.
Typical link building:
- Monthly reports: 15-30 new backlinks
- Quarterly audits: 50-200 links
- Annual reviews: hundreds of links
At roughly 2 minutes per link:
- 20 links = 40 minutes
- 50 links = 1.5+ hours
- 100 links = 3+ hours (with increasing errors)
By link 30, you’re making mistakes and not catching them.
What Manual Checking Misses
Noindex tags. Link exists and is dofollow, but the page isn’t indexed. Google doesn’t know the link exists.
Bot blocking. Page looks fine in your browser but robots.txt blocks Googlebot.
JavaScript-rendered links. Not in HTML source. Created by script after page load.
Redirect chains. Link goes through multiple 301s. Each hop can introduce issues.
Verify Your Backlinks
Backlink Checker Pro validates whether the links in your reports actually exist.
- Link existence — is the link on the page?
- Dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC status
- Page accessibility — noindex, bot blocks, errors
When You Find Nofollow Links That Should Be Dofollow
Document First
Screenshot the link and HTML showing the rel attribute before anything changes.
Contact the Provider
Be specific: “Link on [source URL] pointing to [your URL] was delivered as dofollow but has rel="nofollow". Can you correct this?”
Sometimes it’s genuine error. The site owner may have changed it after placement.
Request Correction or Refund
Two reasonable asks:
- Fix it (get the rel attribute removed)
- Refund that link
Accepting nofollow at dofollow prices isn’t reasonable.
Consider Keeping It
Nofollow links still drive traffic and build brand awareness. If it’s on a good site, keep it for other benefits. Just don’t pay dofollow prices.
Build a Verification Workflow
Check reports immediately. Before paying final invoices. Before saying “great job.”
Monthly spot checks. Re-verify 10-20 important backlinks. Links change. Pages get redesigned.
Pre-payment verification. “We’ll review links before releasing payment” should be standard.
Red Flags
- Unusually high DA claims. DA 90 link for $50 doesn’t happen.
- All links on same day. Natural building doesn’t produce 30 links with identical timestamps.
- Sites you’ve never heard of. Links from
bestguestposts247.comdeserve scrutiny. - Provider gets defensive about verification. You have your answer.
How can I tell if a backlink is dofollow without any tools?
Right-click the link, select "Inspect," and look at the HTML anchor tag. No rel attribute (or rel without nofollow/sponsored/ugc) means dofollow.
Do dofollow backlinks guarantee higher rankings?
No. Quality matters more than quantity. A dofollow link from a spammy site might hurt you. A nofollow link from a top-tier publication might help. Dofollow status matters but isn't everything.
Can a link be both dofollow and nofollow?
No. If the rel attribute includes "nofollow" at all (even as rel="nofollow sponsored"), the link is not dofollow.
How often should I check my dofollow backlinks?
Check new backlinks immediately when delivered. Monthly spot checks for important placements. Quarterly full audits.
Can I change a nofollow backlink to dofollow myself?
No. Only the website owner can modify the rel attribute. You can request a change but have no direct control.
The Bottom Line
Every backlink report is a promise that work was done. Some promises are kept. Some aren’t.
The only way to know is to check. Not occasionally. Every time.
Manual checking works for learning and spot checks. For serious verification at scale, use a system that processes dozens of links without burning hours.
Stop trusting. Start verifying.