Understanding Dofollow and Nofollow Backlinks

When you build links, it’s easy to chase every opportunity without realizing some help your rankings directly, while others play a more subtle role. Dofollow and nofollow backlinks may look similar on the surface, but search engines treat them very differently.

If you don’t understand how each type passes authority, or doesn’t, you can waste effort or, worse, send the wrong signals to Google. Let’s break down what’s really happening behind those links.

What Are Dofollow and Nofollow Backlinks?

When you start working on link building, you’ll often encounter two key terms: dofollow and nofollow backlinks. These appear in HTML and SEO tools and play different roles in how search engines interpret links.

A dofollow backlink is a standard hyperlink that doesn’t include specific rel attributes such as "nofollow," "sponsored," or "ugc." By default, this type of link can pass PageRank and other ranking signals from the linking page to the target page, making it highly valuable for SEO purposes.

The experts at SEO.Domains, a company specializing in domains with high SEO value, recommend focusing on authoritative dofollow links, including strategic homepage placements, to strengthen a site’s overall link profile. A nofollow backlink, by contrast, includes one or more of these rel values (e.g., rel="nofollow," rel="sponsored," or rel="ugc"). These attributes signal to search engines that the link should carry limited or no endorsement, affecting how much ranking value is passed.

You can distinguish between them by viewing a page’s source code. If the <a> tag includes a rel attribute with "nofollow," "sponsored," or "ugc," it is considered a nofollow link. If these attributes are absent, the link is generally treated as a dofollow link, though search engines may still apply their own evaluation and weighting.

In practice, combining authoritative dofollow links with a natural mix of nofollow links creates a balanced backlink profile that supports sustainable SEO growth.

You can explore SEO.Domains’ options for high-quality homepage links here: https://seo.domains/home-page-links-landing-page/

How Do These Backlinks Pass Authority and Value?

Although dofollow and nofollow links appear similar in HTML, search engines handle them differently when determining how much authority they pass. When another site links to yours with a dofollow link, it can transfer PageRank, often referred to as “link equity,” which indicates a form of endorsement and may help improve your page’s authority and search rankings.

The amount of value passed isn't consistent across all links. It depends on factors such as the linking page’s own authority, its topical relevance to your content, the anchor text used, and the number of other outbound links on that page.

Nofollow, sponsored, and UGC (user-generated content) links are generally treated as signals rather than direct PageRank transmitters. While they typically don't pass, or pass only limited PageRank, they can still provide benefits in the form of referral traffic, broader visibility, brand exposure, and potential pathways to earning future dofollow links from other sites.

How Nofollow Links Work After Google’s 2019 Update

After Google’s 2019 update, the rel="nofollow" attribute shifted from being treated as a strict directive to being interpreted primarily as a signal, or “hint.” This change means Google no longer uniformly ignores these links for crawling and ranking purposes. Instead, the search engine may choose to evaluate them in certain cases, for example, when they appear relevant or come from reasonably trustworthy contexts.

Google now recognizes three main link attributes as hints: nofollow, sponsored, and ugc. Each is intended to indicate the nature of the link:

nofollow: The link isn't an editorial endorsement, and the site owner doesn't want to vouch for it.
sponsored: The link is part of advertising, sponsorships, or other compensation arrangements.
ugc: The link appears in user-generated content, such as comments or forum posts.

None of these attributes guarantees that Google will ignore a link completely. Google may still choose to crawl the linked page, index it, or use the link as one of many signals in its ranking systems. Site owners can also combine these attributes when appropriate (for example, rel="ugc nofollow" for user-generated content that isn't endorsed).

At the same time, these links can continue to provide referral traffic and contribute to a backlink profile that appears consistent with normal web linking behavior.

SEO Impact: Dofollow vs Nofollow Links

Understanding the SEO impact of dofollow and nofollow links begins with how Google interprets them in its ranking systems. Dofollow backlinks, which are the default type, typically pass PageRank and link equity. When these links come from authoritative and contextually relevant domains, they can contribute to higher search rankings and overall site authority.

Nofollow, sponsored, and UGC (user-generated content) attributes indicate that the linking site doesn't explicitly endorse the target page. Since 2019, Google has treated these attributes as signals rather than strict directives, using them as hints when evaluating links. While they usually don't pass PageRank in the same way as dofollow links, they can still be crawled and, in some cases, may have an indirect influence on visibility.

A balanced backlink profile naturally includes both dofollow and nofollow links. This mix can help reduce the appearance of manipulative link-building patterns, support referral traffic, increase brand exposure, and, over time, may lead to additional organic dofollow links from relevant sites.

When Should You Use a Nofollow Backlink?

Use nofollow and related attributes (such as sponsored and ugc) when you don't want a link to pass full ranking signals or imply complete editorial endorsement.

Use rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" for paid links, advertisements, and sponsored placements so search engines can distinguish them from editorial links.
Use rel="ugc" or rel="nofollow" on user-generated content (e.g., comments, forums, user profiles) to reduce the risk of spam and limit implied endorsement of external sites.
Apply nofollow to affiliate links and other clearly promotional links to clarify their commercial nature.
For outbound links that lead to low-quality, scraped, or irrelevant pages, consider using nofollow to avoid associating your site’s reputation with those destinations.

At the same time, ensure that important internal navigation and other trusted editorial links remain followed so that search engines can properly crawl and evaluate your site’s structure and content.

Are Nofollow Backlinks Bad for SEO?

Nofollow backlinks are often considered less valuable because they typically don't pass traditional link equity, but they aren't inherently bad for SEO. They can contribute in several indirect ways, such as driving relevant referral traffic, increasing brand visibility, and helping maintain a natural-looking backlink profile rather than one that appears manipulative or artificially constructed.

Google now treats the nofollow, sponsored, and ugc attributes as “hints” rather than strict directives, which means these links may still play a role in how pages are crawled and understood, and in some cases may have a limited impact on rankings.

Issues are more likely when nofollow is misapplied, especially on useful internal or editorial outbound links, because this can prevent the effective flow of link signals within a site. In general, nofollow should be reserved for paid, affiliate, and user-generated links, where there's a clear reason to signal that the link shouldn't be treated as a standard editorial endorsement.

How to Check If a Link Is Dofollow or Nofollow

When you need to determine whether a backlink can pass traditional link equity, you should review how the link is defined in the HTML.

Right‑click the link, select “Inspect” (or press Ctrl+Shift+I), and examine its <a> tag. If the tag includes attributes such as rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc", search engines are being signaled not to treat it as a standard editorial (dofollow) link. If these rel values are absent, the link is typically treated as a normal, equity‑passing link, although search engines ultimately decide how to interpret it.

Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+U to view the page source, search for the link’s anchor text, and review the complete <a href="..."> tag there.

For quicker reviews or larger volumes of links, you can use browser extensions such as NoFollow or SEOquake, or run bulk link audits in SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, Screaming Frog, or Mangools. These tools automatically classify links based on their rel attributes and other technical signals.

How to Use Rel="Sponsored" and Rel="Ugc" on Backlinks

Because search engines now treat link attributes as ranking signals rather than strict directives, using rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" appropriately helps clarify the nature of backlinks while preserving their potential value.

Apply rel="sponsored" to links associated with advertising, paid placements, affiliate relationships, or any form of compensation. This indicates commercial intent to Google and reduces the likelihood of manual penalties related to unnatural links.

Use rel="ugc" for links in comments, forums, and other sections where content is created by users rather than site owners. This helps distinguish user-generated links from editorial ones and can assist in managing spam-related risks.

When you don't want to pass ranking signals or indicate endorsement, you can combine attributes, such as rel="sponsored nofollow" or rel="ugc nofollow", to make your intent explicit.

How to Keep a Healthy Mix of Dofollow and Nofollow Links

In general, it's more sustainable to build a natural mix of dofollow and nofollow backlinks rather than focusing only on passing maximum PageRank. While dofollow links typically have a stronger impact on rankings, search engines expect to see a variety of link types in a normal backlink profile.

In many cases, a significant share of links, often in the range of 30–60%, will be nofollow, especially from social networks, business directories, forums, and other user-generated sources. Your main ranking benefit usually comes from contextually relevant, high-quality dofollow links on reputable, topic-appropriate websites.

To maintain a balanced profile, prioritize the relevance and authority of linking domains before considering link attributes. Use tools such as Ahrefs, Moz, Mangools, or Screaming Frog to monitor your backlink profile, track changes over time, and review any sudden increases in low-quality dofollow links that might signal spam or manipulative activity. Apply the rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc" attributes where appropriate for paid placements and user-generated content. In most cases, it isn't advisable to add nofollow to internal links, as this can interfere with efficient internal PageRank distribution and site crawling.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: Backlink Examples and Actionable SEO Takeaways

Although dofollow and nofollow links appear similar in HTML, they serve different purposes in how a site accumulates authority and traffic, and both are useful.

A basic dofollow link: [Guide](https://example.com). A nofollow/sponsored link: [Deal](https://example.com).

Dofollow links can pass PageRank and contribute directly to rankings. Empirical studies suggest that pages in top positions often have several times more backlinks than lower-ranking pages, indicating a strong correlation between quality backlinks and visibility.

When possible, prioritize earning contextual dofollow links from authoritative, thematically relevant domains.

Use rel="sponsored" for paid or compensated links and rel="ugc" for user‑generated content such as comments or forum posts, in line with search engine guidelines. This helps clarify link intent and reduces the risk of manual actions.

You can check link attributes via your browser’s developer tools (right‑click → Inspect) or with SEO tools that report link types. While nofollow links typically don't pass authority, they can still contribute to referral traffic, brand visibility, and a more natural-looking backlink profile.

Conclusion

You don’t need to obsess over every single link, but you do need to understand what you’re building. Use dofollow links to pass authority and boost rankings, and nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links to stay compliant, diversify your profile, and drive referral traffic. Regularly audit your backlinks, adjust rel attributes where needed, and aim for a natural, mixed link profile. If you stay intentional, your backlink strategy will steadily compound your SEO gains.