What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link differs from a standard (dofollow) link in a single way: it carries a rel attribute that signals to search engines to withhold their crawling and ranking endorsement. The destination page can still be reached by users — the link is fully functional for navigation — but it does not receive PageRank from the linking page.
The three nofollow-like rel values in use today are: rel="nofollow" (general purpose), rel="sponsored" (paid or affiliate links), and rel="ugc" (user-generated content). Google treats all three as hints that the linked content should not receive the linking page's editorial endorsement — though since 2019, Google has technically classified nofollow as a "hint" rather than an absolute directive, meaning it may occasionally choose to follow or credit nofollow links.
- rel="nofollow" — general purpose, used for any link you don't want to editorially vouch for
- rel="sponsored" — required for paid links, affiliate links, and advertisements per Google's guidelines
- rel="ugc" — recommended for links in blog comments, forum posts, and other user-submitted content
How Nofollow Links Affect SEO
For external backlinks, a nofollow link does not directly contribute to the destination page's PageRank. This is why SEOs generally seek dofollow backlinks for link building — they provide measurable ranking benefit. However, nofollow backlinks can still drive traffic, expose your content to new audiences, and may contribute to brand signals that indirectly influence rankings.
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See your internal link equity in 30 seconds →For internal links, nofollow has more serious consequences. When you add nofollow to an internal link, you actively prevent PageRank from flowing to that destination page within your own site. Unlike with external nofollow links (where you may have limited control), internal nofollow links are a deliberate choice — and in most cases, they work against your own SEO interests.
- External nofollow backlinks pass no direct PageRank but can still drive referral traffic
- Internal nofollow links block equity flow to your own pages — avoid unless intentional
- Since 2019, nofollow is a hint: Google may occasionally follow nofollow links, but dofollow is required for reliable equity transfer
When to Use Nofollow
Use rel="sponsored" on any link you have been compensated to place — affiliate links, paid placements, advertorials. Use rel="ugc" on links in comment sections, forum threads, or any area where users can add links without editorial review. Use rel="nofollow" for any other link you do not want to editorially endorse — links to unverified external sources, links added by automated systems, or links in banners and widgets.
Do not use nofollow on internal links to your own content unless you have a specific, deliberate reason. Login pages, checkout flows, and cart pages are reasonable exceptions — these are utility URLs that should not accumulate ranking authority. But applying nofollow to navigational links to category pages, blog posts, or landing pages is an own-goal that reduces your site's effective internal PageRank.
- Use rel="sponsored" on all affiliate and paid placement links
- Use rel="ugc" on user-generated content areas where editorial control is absent
- Do not apply nofollow to internal links to content pages — it blocks your own equity flow
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Find your site's weakest links before Google does →Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a nofollow link?
- A nofollow link is any hyperlink that carries the rel="nofollow" attribute in its HTML. This attribute tells search engines not to follow the link for crawling and not to pass PageRank to the destination. Google introduced nofollow in 2005 primarily to fight blog comment spam, and it has since become a standard tool for managing link equity.
- Do nofollow links still have any SEO value?
- Indirectly, yes. Nofollow links can drive referral traffic. Google's 2019 update also clarified that nofollow is treated as a "hint" rather than a directive, meaning Google may occasionally choose to follow nofollow links and consider them in ranking — though this is the exception, not the rule. For reliable PageRank transfer, dofollow links are required.
- When should I use nofollow on internal links?
- Very rarely. Adding nofollow to internal links prevents PageRank from flowing to those pages, which typically hurts their ability to rank. Legitimate cases include links to login pages, checkout flows, user profile pages, and other utility URLs that should not accumulate organic ranking authority.
- What is the difference between rel=nofollow, rel=sponsored, and rel=ugc?
- All three block PageRank transfer. Nofollow is the general-purpose attribute. Sponsored should be used for paid links, affiliate links, and advertisements. UGC (user-generated content) should be used for links in forum posts, blog comments, and other user-contributed content. Google introduced sponsored and ugc in 2019 to give more granular context about why a link is restricted.
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