Dofollow, Nofollow, Sponsored and UGC: A Practical Guide
Choose link attributes that describe editorial, paid and user-generated links accurately, with Google guidance and practical checks before publishing.
On this page
Links help readers move between useful resources. Their rel attributes describe the relationship with the destination; they do not guarantee an improvement in rankings.
Ordinary editorial links
“Dofollow” is an informal name for a normal link. There is no need to add rel="dofollow". Link to a relevant source with descriptive text when it helps readers. Learn more in our backlink introduction.
Paid and user-generated links
Use rel="sponsored" for advertising and paid placements; Google also accepts nofollow for paid links. Use ugc for user contributions. Use nofollow when the other values do not apply and you do not want Google to associate your site with the destination. These values are hints, not a reliable way to block indexing.
Check links before publishing
Inspect the rendered anchor in the browser, confirm its destination and choose the attribute that describes the real relationship. A paid guest post does not become an unpaid editorial endorsement because its wording looks natural. There is no prescribed dofollow/nofollow percentage to engineer.
Read Google’s link attribute guidance and the link spam policy. Continue with our internal linking guide.
Inspect the actual HTML
An ordinary reference can use <a href="/guide">Read the guide</a>. A paid placement can use <a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">Sponsor</a>, while a comment link may use rel="ugc nofollow". These examples illustrate attributes, not endorsements of a destination.
Open the rendered page's link inspector and check the actual href and rel values. Follow redirects to confirm the intended destination. Do not infer the attribute from a seller's label or visual styling, and do not use nofollow as a substitute for noindex on a page you control.
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View packages and pricingFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow links?
Dofollow is an informal name for an ordinary link without a qualifying rel value. Nofollow is an attribute Google treats as a hint about the relationship; neither label guarantees a particular ranking outcome.
Should I use nofollow for all external links?
No. Use normal links for ordinary references, sponsored for paid placements and ugc where appropriate for user-generated links. Nofollow is available when other values do not apply and you do not want to associate with the destination.
What are sponsored and UGC link attributes?
Sponsored identifies advertising or paid placements, while ugc identifies user-generated links such as comments. Multiple values can be combined when relevant; the attribute should describe the actual relationship.
Do nofollow links still help SEO?
They can send useful visitors and help people discover your work. Google treats nofollow as a hint, so it is inaccurate to guarantee either zero search value or a ranking boost from a particular link.
