A nofollow link is a hyperlink with the rel=”nofollow” attribute in the code. With this attribute, the person publishing the link asks search engines not to give it credit, because they do not intend to endorse the destination page. The attribute was created to counter practices that manipulate search results, such as comment spam and the buying and selling of links for ranking purposes.
Over time, the concept has evolved. On September 10, 2019, Google announced the sponsored (paid links) and ugc (user-generated content) values and explained that nofollow, sponsored, and ugc are hints, not orders: Google may use them for ranking as well. For crawling and indexing, nofollow became a hint on March 1, 2020. Understanding how the nofollow link works is essential for anyone working in SEO, because it influences how link profiles are built and how content hosted by third parties is managed.
What distinguishes a nofollow link
A nofollow link is a link to which the rel attribute with the value nofollow is added. The search engine encounters the indication and considers it a hint: it may not follow the link or not give it credit, but it may also use it. The link remains clickable for users and can bring traffic.
The attribute was created in 2005 as a coordinated response by the leading search engines of the time to curb blog spam. Comments could be filled with links to commercial sites, altering results. Nofollow offered site owners a simple tool to flag those links as untrustworthy.
What happens when a search engine encounters rel nofollow
From a technical standpoint, the attribute is inserted in the anchor tag. The typical syntax is a link with rel followed by the value nofollow. Search engines recognize this value and interpret it as an invitation not to pass authority. However, the interpretation is not uniform across all search engines and has changed over time.
It should be distinguished from the nofollow value of the robots meta tag, which applies to all links on a page: the rel attribute acts on the individual link.
Nofollow and dofollow links: what changes in the passing of authority
A link without qualifiers (in jargon, “dofollow“) can pass value from the source page to the destination page. A nofollow link asks it not to, but Google treats it as a hint and may use it as a context signal. The distinction remains central in link building strategies, without considering nofollow a null value.
Sponsored and ugc: when nofollow is not enough
To make the classification more granular, the sponsored attribution was introduced for paid or advertising links, and ugc for user-generated content such as forums and comments. These sit alongside nofollow and help search engines understand the nature of the link. Nofollow remains the generic value for cases that do not fall into the other two categories.
When to apply nofollow
Nofollow is used in various practical situations. It is recommended for blog comments, links inserted by users, sponsored reviews, and all cases where you do not want to guarantee your endorsement of the destination content. Paid links should also be marked, to comply with search engine guidelines.
Another case, recommended in the past, is nofollow on internal links to low-value pages, in the hope of concentrating authority on important ones (PageRank sculpting). Since 2009, the technique no longer works: Google clarified that the value is not redistributed to the other links on the page. To exclude a page from results, use noindex, not nofollow on internal links.
What really changes for SEO
The impact of nofollow on SEO depends on the context. A nofollow link may not transfer credit to the destination site (Google treats it as a hint), but it can generate referral traffic, visibility, and branding opportunities. That is why many link building strategies also consider nofollow links as part of a natural profile.
Search engines evaluate the overall quality of links, not just their attribution. A site with many nofollow links from authoritative sources can still benefit from indirect effects, such as greater visibility and the possibility of obtaining dofollow links in the future.
Comparing link types
| Link type | Attribute | How Google treats it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without attributes (“dofollow”) | None (rel=”dofollow” does not exist) | Follows it and may use it as a signal | Trusted editorial links |
| Nofollow | rel=”nofollow” | Hint: may use it or ignore it | Comments and non-guaranteed links |
| Sponsored | rel=”sponsored” | Hint | Advertising or paid links |
| Ugc | rel=”ugc” | Hint | User-generated content |
| Internal | Usually none | Distributes value across the site’s pages | Navigation within the site |
How to manage nofollow links without penalties
- Apply nofollow to links in comments and user-generated content.
- Mark all paid links or links resulting from commercial collaborations as sponsored.
- Do not add nofollow to internal links: since 2009, it no longer works to concentrate authority on other pages.
- Periodically check your inbound link profile to identify suspicious links.
- Use analytics tools to verify which nofollow links bring actual traffic.
- Do not consider nofollow a penalty: it is simply a context signal.
- Update attributions when search engine guidelines change.
- Document attribution choices to maintain consistency over time.
Frequently asked questions about nofollow links
Does a nofollow link hurt SEO?
No, a nofollow link does not penalize by itself. It can actually contribute to a natural link profile and bring referral traffic, even though Google treats it as a hint and may not give it credit.
Does nofollow prevent search engines from following the link?
Not always: Google treats it as a hint (for ranking since 2019, for crawling and indexing since March 1, 2020) and may decide to use it. So it is not an absolute prohibition.
What is the difference between nofollow and sponsored?
Nofollow is a generic value for non-guaranteed links, while sponsored specifically identifies paid or advertising links. For Google, both are hints.
Should I use nofollow on internal links?
Generally no. Nofollow on internal links does not concentrate authority on other pages (the PageRank sculpting technique has not worked since 2009) and can hide useful pages. To exclude a page from results, you need noindex.
Is nofollow still useful today?
Yes, it remains the generic value for flagging non-guaranteed links and complying with guidelines. Its interpretation by Google changed in 2019-2020: from instruction to hint.
How do you recognize a nofollow link?
You recognize it by looking at the page code: the anchor tag contains rel followed by the value nofollow. SEO analysis tools highlight this attribution in inbound link reports.
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Dofollow link Follow link SEO and link building SEO link UGC link