If you’ve ever added a link on your website or blog, you’ve already made a small SEO decision whether you realized it or not.
That decision is between “follow” and “nofollow” links.
These two little words may sound technical, but they play a huge role in how your website performs in search results.
Let’s make it simple and clear with examples anyone can understand.
A follow link (often called a dofollow link) is just a regular hyperlink that allows Google to crawl the page you’re linking to — and pass on some SEO strength, also known as link equity or link juice.
Think of it like this:
When you link to another website without any extra attributes, you’re telling Google —
“I trust this page. You can follow this link and give it credit.”
<a href="https://example.com/">Learn more</a>
This is a follow link because it doesn’t include any special “rel” attribute.
Google will crawl that page and pass a small portion of your website’s authority to it.
Follow links help search engines understand which websites you recommend or find trustworthy.
That’s why getting follow backlinks from other trusted websites is one of the most powerful SEO strategies.
A nofollow link includes a small attribute in the code that tells Google not to pass ranking credit.
<a href="https://example.com/" rel="nofollow">Check this out</a>
This tiny tag — rel="nofollow" — tells Google:
“I’m linking to this page, but I don’t want to endorse it or pass ranking value.”
So while users can still click and visit that link, Google doesn’t count it as a “vote” for that page.
Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 to fight spam and manipulative link-building.
People used to post spammy comments or pay for backlinks to increase rankings — nofollow was the solution.
It told Google: “Ignore these kinds of links for ranking purposes.”
Today, nofollow links are used in a few key cases:
Sponsored or Paid Links:
When you’re paid to promote a product or brand, you should always mark those links as rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".
Example:
<a href="https://brand.com" rel="sponsored">Buy now</a>
This keeps your site safe from Google penalties.
Affiliate Links:
When you earn a commission from a product link, use nofollow to stay transparent with Google.
Example:
<a href="https://affiliatebrand.com" rel="nofollow">Shop here</a>
User-Generated Content (UGC):
Links in blog comments, forums, or guest posts should usually be nofollow or marked as rel="ugc" to prevent spam.
Example:
<a href="https://randomsite.com" rel="ugc">Visit site</a>
Untrusted or Controversial Sites:
If you need to mention a source you don’t fully trust, nofollow it.
Example:
You can link to a site criticizing unethical practices — but still tell Google not to count it as a recommendation.
Yes — just not directly.
Even though they don’t pass ranking power, nofollow links can still be incredibly valuable for your website. Here’s how:
A link from a popular site like Forbes or Medium might be nofollow, but if people click on it and land on your website, that’s real traffic — and potential customers.
Being mentioned on high-traffic sites increases visibility. Even without SEO credit, people will see your brand and may later link to you naturally with follow links.
A healthy backlink profile always includes a mix of both link types.
If every backlink you get is a “follow,” it can look unnatural to Google and raise red flags.
Nofollow links show that your website is growing organically.
You can find out easily using your browser or SEO tools.
Right-click on a webpage and select Inspect.
Find the link in the HTML code.
If you see rel="nofollow", rel="ugc", or rel="sponsored", it’s a nofollow link.
Otherwise, it’s follow.
Platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Moz can instantly show you which of your backlinks are follow vs. nofollow, and where they come from.
These insights help you balance your link-building strategy.
Using nofollow on internal links:
Never add nofollow to your own website pages — it stops Google from crawling your content properly.
Nofollowing all external links:
Some people do this thinking they’ll “save” SEO power. In reality, it weakens your site’s trust signals.
Ignoring paid link disclosure:
Always mark paid or affiliate links correctly. Google can penalize hidden promotions.
Assuming nofollow links are useless:
They’re not. They add visibility, clicks, and reputation — which matter more in long-term SEO.
Use follow links when you’re referencing, citing, or recommending credible sources.
Use nofollow or sponsored for paid, affiliate, or promotional content.
Use ugc for user-generated content to avoid spam issues.
Keep a natural mix of both link types across your backlink profile.
Regularly audit your links using tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to ensure compliance.
Follow and nofollow links are not enemies — they’re partners in a balanced SEO strategy.
Follow links tell Google who you trust.
Nofollow links protect your credibility and keep your link profile clean.
So before you add a link, ask yourself:
“Am I recommending this page, or just mentioning it?”
If you trust it — make it follow.
If it’s paid, user-generated, or questionable — go nofollow.
When used wisely, both link types work together to make your SEO stronger, safer, and smarter.