Nofollow links

A nofollow link is a hyperlink carrying a rel attribute value that withholds endorsement from the link. Search engines introduced the value in 2005 to help publishers fight comment spam on their pages.¹ Google treated such links as strict instructions until 2019, when it recast them as hints instead.¹ Provider articles record the attribute of sampled placements wherever checks allow.

Definition

The value sits inside the anchor tag as rel equals nofollow, alongside the destination address.² It tells crawlers that the publisher prefers no association between the two pages for ranking purposes. Ordinary links need no attribute at all, since crawlers fetch and weigh them without qualification. Nofollow therefore marks the exception, flagging links the publisher cannot or will not vouch for. The value also exists as a robots meta tag, unlike its newer sponsored and ugc counterparts. Multiple values may combine on one link, so nofollow can accompany newer values for compatibility. Marked links are generally not followed, though crawlers may still discover the target by other means. Sitemaps and third-party links provide those alternate discovery routes even when crawlers honour the value. Google groups the value with sponsored and ugc as three hints about link nature for search systems. All three now work as ranking hints, replacing the earlier model of strict non-counting. Attribute practice counts as observable evidence rather than as a seller promise.

A hint is a suggestion that crawlers weigh alongside other signals, rather than a strict instruction. Ranking credit is the informal name for the endorsement value a link passes to its target. Endorsement weight is the ranking influence that qualification withholds from the linked target page. A crawler is the automated programme that fetches pages and follows links across the web. These four terms recur across search documentation and provider articles regularly.

History of the value

Nofollow arrived in 2005 as a response to comment spam spreading across blogs and forums.¹ It quickly became the recommended flag for advertising-related links and sponsored placements as well. For over a decade Google counted no marked link as any signal inside its ranking algorithms. In September 2019 Google announced two further values, sponsored and ugc, alongside the original. From that point all three values work as hints, which Google weighs with other signals. The company said links carry useful information even when publishers withhold endorsement from the target. Anchor wording inside marked links can therefore inform ranking analysis without passing endorsement weight onward. For crawling purposes the hint model took effect on March 1, 2020, several months later. Existing nofollow markup needed no changes, and Google stated that old links continue to work. Blog platforms adopted the value widely, adding a deterrent on top of moderation and review tools. Marked comment links generally carry no ranking consideration, which removed the original incentive for spammers.

The change reflected how much the web had outgrown a single catch-all flag for links. Publishers needed finer vocabulary to describe advertising, sponsorship, and user content separately to search systems. The two new values gave crawlers that vocabulary without breaking existing markup across millions of pages. Old nofollow attributes kept working exactly as before, so site owners faced no migration burden. The announcement framed the shift as evolution rather than replacement of the original mechanism.

How publishers use it

Publishers apply the value to untrusted links and to paid placements they flag this way. Comment sections commonly carry the value by default through platform settings or moderation tools. Forums extend the same treatment to signatures and member posts that editors have not reviewed. Advertisers flag paid links with the value to remain clear of possible link-scheme actions. Site owners use robots rules rather than link values when blocking crawls of their own pages. The noindex rule, not nofollow, keeps a page out of the search index under current guidance. Publishers sometimes lift qualification from contributors with a sustained public record of strong submissions. Editors review outbound links on sensitive pages and qualify anything outside their own control.³ Marketplace listings increasingly state attribute defaults upfront, since buyers filter offers by that field. Each choice leaves a mark in the page source that buyers and auditors can inspect directly.

A worked example shows the markup choices found on a typical published article page. Editorial links chosen by the author carry no rel value at all in the anchor tag. Reader comments below the article carry the ugc value through platform defaults applied automatically. A paid product mention inside the copy carries the sponsored value with visible disclosure for readers. Combining values remains valid wherever compensation and user authorship overlap on one single link. Each markup variant reads differently to crawlers while remaining clickable for ordinary human visitors.

How providers sell it

Stated attribute defaults form a core commercial term in every paid placement offer today. Dofollow offers promise ordinary links with no rel value, passing full ranking endorsement by default. Nofollow offers promise qualification on delivery, keeping paid links within search-engine policy for advertising. Mixed catalogues let buyers choose the attribute per placement, usually with different prices per option. Some listings omit the attribute entirely, leaving buyers to discover the markup only after publication.

A standard offer generally states the attribute default alongside the publisher band and word count. Reports name the attribute of each delivered link, which lets buyers check the stated default. Common exclusions include post-publication attribute changes, which need fresh publisher cooperation every single time. Upgrades from qualified to dofollow status are frequently refused or priced as entirely new placements. Buyers confirm the default in writing before ordering, since silent qualification disputes are common after delivery.

Effect on paid links

Google lists paid articles with optimised anchors that pass credit as a form of link spam.⁴ Unqualified paid links therefore breach policy, while qualified ones remain an accepted advertising practice. Either nofollow or sponsored satisfies the rule for paid links, though Google prefers sponsored. Publishers who omit qualification associate their own pages with the linked destination in results.³ Buyers therefore treat attribute defaults as a core quality signal when comparing provider offers. A product sold as a link placement sometimes defaults to nofollow or sponsored markup. Where the offer omits that default, it draws a penalty under the published penalty schedule. The methodology page describes how this is graded for each provider in every round. Reporting that names the attribute of each delivered link lets buyers verify the position.

The stated preference order matters greatly when buyers compare otherwise similar catalogue offers directly. The sponsored value describes paid placements most precisely for crawlers reading the page markup. Nofollow remains acceptable for paid links but conveys less information about the underlying relationship. Combined rel values cover links that are both paid and user-posted at the same time. The methodology page describes how such evidence is graded for each provider in every scoring round.

How to verify it

Direct page source inspection provides the decisive check for any seller attribute claim made. Opening the source beside the rendered article shows each anchor tag with its destination and rel values. Visible disclosure labels sit beside paid material on reputable publishers, matching the markup that crawlers read. Archive captures record the markup at publication, which settles disputes about later attribute changes. Third-party crawlers and browser extensions report rel values without manual source reading for bulk checks.

Index checks confirm that the host article remains indexed rather than merely reachable on the domain. The offer page states the attribute default for comparison against the delivered markup on each link. Pre-approval messages prove which publisher and format the buyer accepted before publication went ahead. Reports that omit attributes resist such checking, and thin reporting itself informs the assessment of the seller.

Common misconceptions

• Nofollow links pass no value of any kind. Qualification withholds endorsement weight, yet the link still sends readers and leaves a discoverable reference for crawlers.
• Crawlers never follow nofollow links. Marked links are generally not followed, though targets may surface through sitemaps and third-party references instead.
• Nofollow controls page indexing. Indexing obeys robots rules and noindex directives, while rel values only describe relationships between linked pages.
• Internal nofollow sculpting improves rankings. Marking internal links wastes effort, since robots rules govern crawling within a site rather than link values.
• A nofollow report means the order failed. Policy-compliant paid links require exactly such qualification, so the attribute confirms compliance rather than failure.

Terminology

Ranking credit is the informal name for the endorsement value a link passes to its target. A hint is a suggestion crawlers weigh with other signals, rather than a strict instruction.¹ Comment spam is bulk posting of promotional links in blogs and forums to gain ranking value. A link scheme is any arrangement that manipulates ranking credit in breach of published policy. The anchor tag is the HTML element that carries the destination, wording, and rel values. Endorsement weight is the ranking influence that qualification withholds from the linked target page. A crawler is the automated programme that fetches pages and follows links across the web.

A robots meta tag carries page-level directives such as noindex, unlike link-level rel values. Discovery is the process by which crawlers find target pages through sitemaps or third-party links. A strict instruction is a directive crawlers obey fully, unlike a hint weighed with other signals. A link-scheme action is search enforcement applied after human review confirms manipulative linking arrangements.⁴ A platform default is the automatic markup a publishing system applies without editor intervention.

Frequently asked questions

What is a nofollow link?

A nofollow link is a hyperlink carrying a rel attribute value that withholds endorsement from the target. Search engines introduced the value in 2005 to help publishers fight comment spam across blogs.¹ Google now treats it as a hint weighed with other signals rather than a strict instruction. Provider articles record the attribute of sampled placements wherever checks allow.

How did Google change nofollow in 2019?

Google announced sponsored and ugc as two further values alongside the original in September 2019. From that point all three values work as hints, which Google weighs with other signals. The company said links carry useful information even when publishers withhold endorsement from targets. Existing nofollow markup needed no changes, and old links continue to work as before.

Do nofollow links help SEO at all?

Qualified links withhold endorsement weight but still send readers and build brand visibility online. Anchor wording inside marked links can inform ranking analysis without passing endorsement weight onward. Discovery routes such as sitemaps and third-party links remain open regardless of link qualification. Buyers therefore value qualified links for traffic and visibility rather than for endorsement alone.

Are paid links allowed if they use nofollow?

Paid links are accepted advertising practice when qualified with nofollow or sponsored attributes on the tag. Google prefers sponsored for paid placements, though nofollow remains an acceptable flag for them. Clear visible disclosure separates legitimate sponsored content from covert link selling for ordinary readers. Undisclosed paid defaults draw penalties under the published penalty schedule for provider scoring in each round.

How can the nofollow attribute be checked?

Page source inspection shows each anchor tag with its destination address and rel values directly. Browser extensions and third-party crawlers report rel values without manual source reading for bulk checks. Archive captures record the markup at publication, settling disputes about later attribute changes fully. Reports that omit attributes resist checking, and thin reporting itself informs the seller assessment.

What is the difference between nofollow and sponsored?

The sponsored value identifies links created through advertisements, sponsorships, or compensation agreements between parties. Nofollow is a general flag covering paid links, untrusted content, and any link lacking endorsement. Google prefers the sponsored value for paid placements, though nofollow satisfies the policy rule equally. Combined values cover links that are both paid and user-posted at the same time.

Why do reports sometimes show nofollow on ordered links?

Catalogue offers sometimes default to qualified markup without stating so clearly on the offer page. Policy-compliant paid links require exactly such qualification, so the attribute confirms compliance rather than failure. Careful buyers always confirm the stated attribute default in writing before ordering any placements. Silent post-delivery qualification disputes remain common where offer pages omit the markup position entirely.

See also

• Sponsored and UGC attributes
• Anchor text
• Link spam
• Link building
• Editorial links
• Methodology