When building a link strategy, understanding the dofollow vs nofollow distinction is fundamental. These two link types behave very differently in the eyes of search engines and choosing the wrong one can affect your SEO performance. This guide breaks down everything you need to know.
What Is a Dofollow Link?
A dofollow link is the default type of hyperlink on the web. When a website links to another page without any special attribute, search engine crawlers like Googlebot follow that link and pass what’s known as link equity (or “link juice”) from the source page to the destination page.
Dofollow links are a direct ranking signal. Google’s algorithm treats them as a vote of confidence the more quality dofollow backlinks a page earns, the more authority it may accumulate over time.
How a Dofollow Link Looks in HTML
<a href="https://example.com">Anchor Text</a>No special attribute is required. Any standard <a> tag without a rel directive is treated as dofollow by default.
What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link includes the rel="nofollow" attribute, which signals to search engines that they should not pass link equity through that link. Introduced by Google in 2005, the nofollow attribute was originally created to combat comment spam.
How a Nofollow Link Looks in HTML
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Anchor Text</a>In 2019, Google updated its treatment of nofollow links, reclassifying the attribute as a hint rather than a hard directive. This means Google may choose to crawl and index nofollow links, but will generally not count them as ranking signals.
Dofollow vs Nofollow: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| HTML Attribute | None (default) | rel="nofollow" |
| Passes Link Equity | Yes | Generally No |
| Crawled by Google | Yes | Usually Yes (hint-based) |
| Impact on Rankings | Direct | Minimal to None |
| Common Use Cases | Editorial links, citations | Sponsored, UGC, untrusted |
| Anchor Text Influence | Yes | Limited |
| Risk of Penalty | Yes (if manipulative) | Low |
Two Additional Link Attributes: Sponsored and UGC
When Google updated its nofollow policy in 2019, it also introduced two new rel attributes that work alongside the dofollow vs nofollow framework:
rel="sponsored"— Used for paid placements, affiliate links, or any link that exists as part of an advertising or sponsorship arrangement.rel="ugc"— Stands for User Generated Content. Applied to links in forums, blog comments, or community submissions.
These attributes help search engines better understand the context of a link rather than treating everything as either dofollow or nofollow.
When to Use Dofollow Links
Dofollow links are appropriate when:
- You are editorially endorsing the linked content
- You are citing a source you trust and want to recommend
- You want to pass authority to an internal page on your own website
- You are building natural backlinks through content marketing or outreach
Most internal links on a website should be dofollow, as they help distribute authority across key pages and guide crawlers through your site architecture.
When to Use Nofollow Links
Use nofollow links when:
- Linking to untrusted or user-generated content
- Placing paid or sponsored links (though
rel="sponsored"is now preferred) - Adding links in comment sections or forums
- Linking to pages you don’t want to vouch for editorially
- Blocking crawlers from low-value pages like login or registration URLs
Does Nofollow Still Have SEO Value?
This is one of the most debated questions in the dofollow vs nofollow conversation. While nofollow links may not pass direct link equity, they still carry indirect benefits:
- Referral Traffic — Nofollow links on high-traffic sites can still drive significant visitors to your page.
- Brand Visibility — Appearing on authoritative platforms, even with nofollow, builds awareness.
- Natural Link Profile — A backlink profile that contains only dofollow links can appear unnatural to Google. A mix of dofollow and nofollow links reflects an organic, balanced profile.
- Indexation — Since Google treats nofollow as a hint, crawlers may still follow and index those URLs.
Studies across the SEO community generally suggest that a healthy link profile includes both types. Relying solely on dofollow links, especially from link schemes, can trigger penalties.
How to Check if a Link Is Dofollow or Nofollow
There are several methods to identify link types:
Method 1: Inspect the HTML Source
Right-click on a link → Inspect Element → Look for rel="nofollow" in the <a> tag. If it’s absent, the link is dofollow.
Method 2: Browser Extensions
Tools like MozBar, Ahrefs SEO Toolbar, or LinkMiner visually highlight dofollow and nofollow links on any webpage.
Method 3: SEO Audit Tools
Platforms such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Majestic allow you to filter your backlink profile by link type, helping you assess the dofollow vs nofollow ratio in your backlink portfolio.
Dofollow vs Nofollow in Internal Linking
For internal link architecture, dofollow links are almost always preferred. They help search engines discover new pages and distribute PageRank through your site. However, selectively using rel="nofollow" on internal links — such as admin pages, duplicate content URLs, or session-based parameters — can prevent crawl budget waste, especially on large websites.
The Dofollow vs Nofollow Ratio: What’s Ideal?
There is no universally accepted ideal ratio. However, most SEO professionals generally recommend that a majority of backlinks pointing to a site should be dofollow, with nofollow links appearing naturally from sources like social media, forums, directories, and news platforms.
| Link Profile Type | Dofollow % | Nofollow % | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over-optimized (risky) | 90–100% | 0–10% | May appear manipulated |
| Balanced (natural) | 60–80% | 20–40% | Typically healthy |
| Predominantly Nofollow | Below 40% | Above 60% | Limited ranking potential |
Common Misconceptions About Dofollow vs Nofollow
“Nofollow links are worthless.” Not entirely accurate. While nofollow links don’t typically pass link equity, they contribute to a natural link profile and can drive real traffic.
“All paid links must be nofollow.” Google now recommends rel="sponsored" specifically for paid links. Using nofollow is still acceptable, but sponsored is the more precise signal.
“You can use nofollow to sculpt PageRank internally.” Google’s John Mueller has confirmed that PageRank sculpting via internal nofollow no longer works as it once did. The equity is simply lost rather than redistributed.
Conclusion
The dofollow vs nofollow distinction remains a core concept in SEO strategy. Dofollow links are the primary driver of link equity and search engine authority, while nofollow links play a supporting role by contributing to a natural backlink profile, generating referral traffic, and signaling content context to Google. Understanding when to use each type and how to audit your link profile gives you greater control over your site’s search performance. A balanced, intentional approach to both link types is generally the most sustainable path in modern SEO. Understanding how link attributes influence modern seo ranking factors helps build a more sustainable and natural long-term SEO strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google penalize sites for having too many nofollow backlinks?
No. Google does not penalize sites for having nofollow links. However, if the majority of your backlink profile consists entirely of low-quality, spammy nofollow links, it may reflect poorly on overall site quality during manual reviews.
Can a single link have both nofollow and sponsored attributes?
Yes. Google allows combining rel values, such as rel="nofollow sponsored"those that can be useful when a link is both untrusted and paid.
Do social media links count as nofollow?
Most major social media platforms — including Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Instagram add rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc" to outbound links. They generally do not pass direct link equity.
Is it possible to accidentally make a link nofollow?
Yes. Some CMS platforms, themes, or plugins automatically add nofollow attributes to external links. It is worth regularly auditing your outbound links to ensure important editorial links remain dofollow.
Does the dofollow vs nofollow distinction apply to image links?
Yes. Image links wrapped in <a> tags follow the same rules. A dofollow image link can pass equity and attribute anchor context through the image’s alt text.
