# Nofollow link A nofollow link is a link with rel="nofollow", which tells Google that you do not vouch for it. You will use it on paid, untrusted or user‑added links. Here is what changed since 2019, how to check yours and when to use each rel value. Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/nofollow-link ## What a nofollow link is today A nofollow link is an HTML link with rel="nofollow". It was introduced in 2005 so a link would not pass ranking credit, first to fight comment spam. In September 2019 Google added rel="sponsored" for paid or advertising links, and rel="ugc" for user‑generated content. Google also said all three are hints rather than directives. From March 2020 the hint applies to crawling and indexing as well as ranking. So a nofollow link does not guarantee that credit will not flow or that a URL will not be crawled. It still reduces the chance. It still signals you do not endorse the target. Links from most social networks, forums, directories and comment sections carry nofollow or ugc. They still bring visitors and mentions, and may still be counted as a hint. ## What this means for a small site Do not bin a link just because it is nofollow. A mention on a busy subreddit can send signups. A press link marked sponsored can still bring buyers. Chase relevance and humans. A link from a niche forum thread to /guides/getting-started that answers the question is worth the effort, even if it is ugc. Keep your profile clean. If you pay for placement on /pricing, label it. If you host comments on your blog, mark user links correctly. This avoids manual actions and messy audits later. ## How to check and measure rel values 1. **Check a link in your browser** Right click, Inspect, and look at the tag. If you see rel="nofollow", rel="ugc" or rel="sponsored", note the values. No rel usually means it can pass credit. 2. **Sample your key referrers** Open a few top referral pages that send traffic. Inspect their links to your site. Record which rel values they use, and which pages on your site they hit. 3. **Audit your own outbound links** Search your templates for rel="". Check affiliate buttons on /blog/* and sponsored posts. Confirm the right rel value is present and crawlable. 4. **Spot mixed cases** You can combine values, for example rel="sponsored nofollow". That is valid. Google treats the set as hints. For volume, you will need a backlink export to study patterns. When you cannot get that, check a representative sample: the top ten referrers and a few deep links. Note anchor text and landing pages as well as rel values. > Paid placements must use rel="sponsored". If you are unsure, add nofollow as well. ## When to use nofollow, sponsored or ugc - Use rel="sponsored" for paid ads, affiliate links, paid reviews and gifted products. - Use rel="ugc" for comments, forum posts, profiles and any user‑added link. - Use rel="nofollow" when you link but cannot fully vouch for the target, for example in a guestbook export or a scraped directory. - Combine when needed, for example rel="sponsored nofollow" on an affiliate banner. ```html Try Partner User link Reference ``` A fixed page looks like this: your /blog/post links to an affiliate with rel="sponsored", credits a forum thread with rel="ugc", and cites a source you do not endorse with rel="nofollow". Your editorial links you trust have no rel attribute at all. ## Common traps to avoid - Do not add nofollow to all external links by default. You dilute useful signals and make maintenance harder. - Do not use nofollow to block indexing. As of 2026 it is a hint. Use noindex or robots.txt where appropriate. - Do not nofollow internal links. You hobble discovery of /features and /pricing and create crawl issues. - Do not assume social links pass credit. Most carry nofollow or ugc. Treat them as traffic and brand, not ranking fuel. - Do not rely on nofollow to fix a weak page. Improve the content on /guides/getting-started instead. ## Questions ### What is a do not follow link? It is a link with rel="nofollow". You are telling Google you do not vouch for it. Since 2019 it is a hint, not a command, for ranking, crawling and indexing. ### Do backlinks still matter in 2026? Yes. Good, relevant links still help discovery and can help ranking. Nofollow, ugc and sponsored links can still bring visitors and brand mentions that lead to more natural links. ### How to tell if a link is dofollow or nofollow? Inspect the tag in your browser. If you see rel="nofollow", "ugc" or "sponsored", it is not a normal followed link. If there is no rel attribute, it is usually followed. ### Should I nofollow external links? Only when needed. Use sponsored for paid links, ugc for user links and nofollow when you cannot vouch for the target. Editorial citations you endorse should be normal links. ### Can Google crawl nofollow links? Yes. Since March 2020 Google may use nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints for crawling and indexing. Do not depend on nofollow to block a URL from being seen. ## Read next - [Backlink](https://porteur.ai/glossary/backlink): A backlink is a link from another site to yours. See what counts, how to check links, dofollow vs nofollow, and what a small site can expect. - [How to get backlinks for a small product site](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-get-backlinks-for-a-small-site): What to build, who to ask and how to measure. A founder’s plan to earn backlinks without spam or spend, with examples and a checklist. - [Referring domain](https://porteur.ai/glossary/referring-domain): A referring domain is a unique site that links to yours. Here is why the count matters more than backlink totals, how to check it, and what to do. - [The Links report in Search Console: what it shows and what it hides](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-console-links-report): What Google’s Links report really shows, why counts differ from Ahrefs or Semrush, and two jobs it is good at on a small site. - [Brand mention](https://porteur.ai/glossary/brand-mention): What brand mentions are, why they matter for a small site, how to find and measure them, and how to turn unlinked mentions into links. - [Internal linking for a small site: which pages link to which](https://porteur.ai/guides/internal-linking-for-seo): Decide which pages rank. Build hubs, write clear anchors, fix orphans, and crawl your site to map links you control. - [Dofollow link](https://porteur.ai/glossary/dofollow-link): A dofollow link is a normal link without rel values. Here is how to tell, what it means for rankings, and where small sites can earn them. Paste your homepage URL to see three link findings in about thirty seconds, including which pages earn links and where you waste them. Free check: https://porteur.ai/