Nofollow Link

A nofollow link is a hyperlink with rel="nofollow" that tells search engines not to treat the link as an endorsement or to pass ranking credit to the destination page.

Beginner3 min readUpdated 2026-07-26Reviewed by Lucía Marín

Key takeaways

Nofollow links do not pass PageRank but can still be crawled and drive traffic.
Use rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content.
Google treats nofollow as a hint since 2020.
Always verify the HTML source to check the attribute.

Understanding nofollow helps you manage link equity and comply with search engine policies.

Example

Comment section: A blog post includes a user comment with a link to a suspicious site. The site owner adds rel="nofollow" to prevent passing authority.
Sponsored post: A brand pays for a review. The link uses rel="sponsored" (a more specific variant).
Wikipedia: All external links in Wikipedia articles are automatically nofollow.

When Should I Use This?

Untrusted content: Links in user-generated comments or forum posts.
Paid/sponsored links: Links that are part of advertisements, sponsorships, or affiliate programs.
User-generated content (UGC): Links in reviews, forums, or community posts.
Dead links: As a temporary measure for broken or expired links you haven't removed yet.

What It Is Not

Not a directive to block crawling: The link can still be discovered and indexed. Not a noindex command: The destination page can still be indexed. Not a guarantee of zero SEO value: Nofollow links can still drive traffic and brand exposure. Not appropriate for all external links: Use for sponsored/UGC/trusted links accordingly.

Quick Start

Identify links that are untrusted, sponsored, or user-generated.
Add rel="nofollow" to the <a> tag in your HTML.
For sponsored links, use rel="sponsored" instead.
For user-generated links, use rel="ugc".
Verify by viewing the page source (Ctrl+U) and checking the attribute.

Common Mistakes

Assuming a nofollow link cannot be crawled or indexed at all.
Assuming nofollow links have zero value because they can still drive traffic and discovery.
Using nofollow as a blanket replacement for sponsored or ugc when those values are more specific.
Checking only the visible page and not the HTML source when verifying whether a link is nofollow.

Next step

Dofollow LinkUnderstand how dofollow links differ and when to use them.

FAQ

Can a nofollow link be crawled and indexed?

Yes. Nofollow links can still be crawled and indexed. The attribute only affects how Google treats the link for ranking purposes.

What is the difference between nofollow and noindex?

nofollow applies to links (prevents passing link equity). noindex applies to pages (prevents indexing). They are different directives.

Should I use nofollow for all external links?

No. Use nofollow only for untrusted, sponsored, or user-generated links. For editorial links you trust, use an ordinary (dofollow) link.

Sources

Google Search Central — Primary source for Google's current guidance on nofollow, sponsored, and UGC link attributes.
Google Search Central Blog — Explains Google's shift to treating nofollow as a hint and introducing sponsored/UGC.
Google Search Central — Useful for distinguishing nofollow from noindex.
LinkScope — What Is Link Building — Foundational overview of link building as an SEO practice.

Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.