Links and authority · Intermediate

Nofollow link

A nofollow link has a rel attribute (nofollow, sponsored or ugc) telling search engines not to treat it as an endorsement. Google treats these as hints about whether to count the link.

By Thryv StudioUpdated

Level
Intermediate
Also called
rel="nofollow"
Values
nofollow, sponsored (paid), ugc (user-generated)
Treated as
Hints, since 2020
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example</a>

The rel attribute qualifies a link. Google introduced sponsored for paid or affiliate links and ugc for user-generated content in 2019, alongside nofollow, and since 2020 treats all three as hints rather than strict rules.

When to use each

  • sponsored: ads, sponsorships and affiliate links.
  • ugc: links in comments and forum posts.
  • nofollow: other links you don't want to vouch for.

Frequently asked questions

Are nofollow links worthless?

No. They still send visitors and visibility, and Google may choose to count them.

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