Nofollow vs Dofollow Links Explained

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A link is more than a clickable path from one webpage to another. It can influence discovery, authority signals, referral traffic, and how users perceive your brand. Understanding the difference between dofollow and nofollow links helps website owners make better decisions about outbound links, paid partnerships, affiliate disclosures, and backlink-building strategy.

Despite the common terminology, “dofollow” is not an HTML attribute. A standard hyperlink is followed by default unless its rel attribute changes how search engines should interpret it. The practical question is not simply whether a link is dofollow or nofollow; it is what signal the link sends, why it exists, and whether it provides value to users.

What Are Dofollow and Nofollow Links?

A standard link without a restrictive rel value is commonly called a dofollow link. For example:

<a href="https://example.com">Example Website</a>

Search engines can generally crawl these links, use them to discover pages, and potentially consider them when evaluating the linked page’s authority and relevance. This potential transfer of value is often called link equity, link authority, or “PageRank” in SEO conversations.

A nofollow link includes the rel="nofollow" attribute:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example Website</a>

This tells search engines that the website owner does not want to fully endorse the destination in the usual way. Nofollow links are useful when you need to link to a page for readers but cannot confidently vouch for the destination or do not want the link interpreted as an editorial recommendation.

How Link Attributes Work: Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC

Modern link qualification goes beyond a simple dofollow-versus-nofollow choice. The rel attribute can include values that clarify why a link exists.

• rel="nofollow": A broad signal for links you do not want to endorse or pass along as a standard editorial citation. It may be suitable for untrusted external URLs or situations where no more specific value applies.
• rel="sponsored": The preferred label for paid links, advertisements, compensated placements, and many affiliate links. It identifies a commercial relationship behind the link.
• rel="ugc": Used for links within user-generated content, such as blog comments, forum posts, community profiles, or public discussion threads.

You can combine values where appropriate. For example, a link posted by a user in a forum could use rel="ugc nofollow". The purpose is transparency: the attribute gives search engines more context about the source and nature of the link.

Nofollow Links Are Hints, Not Absolute Directives

Google has stated that nofollow, sponsored, and ugc link attributes are treated as hints for ranking-related purposes and crawling behavior rather than absolute commands. In practical terms, search engines may choose how to use these signals based on context.

This does not mean that every nofollow link passes ranking value. It means website owners should stop treating the attribute as a guaranteed “off switch” for crawling, indexing, or all SEO value. Search engines assess many factors, including the linking page’s quality, topical relevance, link placement, surrounding content, and the overall trustworthiness of the site.

For SEO strategy, the key takeaway is simple: use link attributes accurately. Do not rely on nofollow tags to hide weak linking practices, manipulate rankings, or prevent a page from being found in search results.

Link Equity, Crawling, Indexing, Traffic, and Visibility Are Different

Many misconceptions come from treating all link outcomes as the same thing. They are not.

• Link equity: The potential authority or ranking signal that may be associated with an editorially placed, followed backlink. This is only one component of search engine ranking systems.
• Crawling: A search engine bot discovering or revisiting a URL. A nofollow attribute can be a hint about crawling, but it is not a universal guarantee that a crawler will never visit the destination.
• Indexing: A search engine deciding whether to store and show a page in its search results. A link attribute alone does not reliably control indexing; use appropriate indexation controls when needed.
• Referral traffic: Real visitors who click a link. Both followed and nofollow links can send highly qualified traffic from relevant articles, directories, communities, and publisher websites.
• Brand visibility: Exposure gained when your business is cited on trusted websites. Even if a link is nofollow, a relevant mention can build awareness, credibility, searches for your brand, and future editorial opportunities.

When Should You Use Nofollow or Other Link Attributes?

Website owners should select attributes based on the relationship behind the link, not based on an attempt to manipulate link equity.

Paid Placements and Advertisements

Use rel="sponsored" for paid placements, paid reviews, banner advertisements, and compensation-based promotions. This helps distinguish advertising from independent editorial links and supports a compliant, transparent linking policy.

Affiliate Links

Affiliate links should generally use rel="sponsored", because the publisher may earn a commission when readers purchase or sign up. Clear on-page affiliate disclosures are also important for reader trust and applicable advertising rules.

User-Generated Content

For blog comments, forums, guestbooks, and community profiles, use rel="ugc". If your platform has a history of spam or unmoderated submissions, adding nofollow alongside ugc can provide additional context.

Untrusted External Links

If you must reference an unfamiliar, questionable, or unverified source, rel="nofollow" may be appropriate. Better still, avoid linking to unsafe destinations entirely. Nofollow is not a substitute for proper moderation, security review, or editorial judgment.

Do Nofollow Links Have SEO Value?

Yes, nofollow links can have meaningful SEO value, even when they are not treated like standard followed editorial backlinks. They can attract referral visitors, place your brand in front of a relevant audience, support topical visibility, and lead to natural mentions or earned links from other publishers.

A healthy backlink profile typically develops organically and includes a mix of followed links, nofollow links, sponsored links, UGC links, unlinked brand mentions, citations, and social sharing. There is no universal ideal ratio. Trying to force a specific percentage of nofollow links or purchasing links to “balance” a profile is not a sound SEO strategy.

Focus instead on earning relevant coverage through useful resources, original research, expert commentary, digital PR, partnerships, and content that deserves citations.

Common Dofollow and Nofollow Link Misconceptions

One outdated tactic is using nofollow links on internal navigation to sculpt PageRank toward selected pages. This is generally not a productive internal SEO approach. Use clear site architecture, logical navigation, contextual internal links, XML sitemaps, and purposeful content hierarchy instead.

Another misconception is that nofollow links are worthless. A nofollow mention from a trusted publication, respected industry resource, or highly relevant community can drive substantial traffic and improve brand recognition. Users do not decide whether to click based on a link attribute; they click because the recommendation is useful.

Finally, do not assume a followed link is automatically valuable. A low-quality, irrelevant, manipulative, or spammy backlink can be far less useful than a nofollow link from a credible source that reaches your ideal audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a nofollow link and a dofollow link?

A dofollow link is the common name for a normal hyperlink without a qualifying rel attribute. A nofollow link uses rel="nofollow" to indicate that search engines should not treat it as a conventional editorial endorsement. Search engines may treat nofollow as a hint rather than an absolute rule.

Do nofollow links help SEO at all?

They can help indirectly and strategically through referral traffic, brand exposure, audience discovery, and the possibility of attracting future editorial coverage. Their value should not be judged solely by whether they pass traditional link equity.

Should affiliate links be nofollow or sponsored?

Use rel="sponsored" for affiliate links because they involve a commercial relationship or potential compensation. You may also combine values when appropriate, but sponsored provides the clearest context.

How can I tell if a link is nofollow?

Inspect the link in your browser’s developer tools or view the page source. Look for a rel attribute containing nofollow, such as rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc nofollow". SEO browser extensions can also identify link attributes.

Can nofollow links still send website traffic?

Absolutely. Nofollow links can send visitors whenever people click them. A relevant link placed in a useful article, resource page, forum discussion, or media mention may generate highly engaged referral traffic regardless of its search engine attribute.

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