Dofollow Link: What It Means and Why Launch Sites Sell It
A dofollow link is a normal hyperlink that carries no rel="nofollow", "ugc" or "sponsored" attribute, so search engines may treat it as a vote for the page it points to. There is no dofollow tag; the word only describes the absence of a nofollow one. Launch sites mention it because a followed link from a respected site may help your search ranking, though no site can promise that it will.
What is a dofollow link, exactly?
Every link on the web is followed by default. A crawler reads the page, finds the address inside the anchor and visits it, and the destination collects a little credit from the page that sent the visitor. “Dofollow” is the community’s name for that default. It is not an HTML attribute you can write, and a link marked rel="dofollow" does nothing the plain link would not.
The interesting case is the opposite one. A page owner can add rel="nofollow" to ask search engines not to count the link as an endorsement. Google has said since 2019 that it treats nofollow as a hint and not as a command, and that it also reads two newer values: rel="ugc" for links inside user-written content, and rel="sponsored" for paid links. So the useful question is never “is it dofollow?” but “which, if any, rel value does the link carry?”
| Link as written | What it asks of a crawler | Where you usually see it |
|---|---|---|
| No rel attribute | May count as an endorsement | Editorial links, most outbound links on a profile or product page |
| rel="nofollow" | A hint not to count it | Links the site owner does not want to vouch for |
| rel="ugc" | A hint that a visitor wrote it | Comments, forum posts, descriptions anyone can edit |
| rel="sponsored" | A hint that it was paid for | Ads and paid placements |
Why do launch directories talk about it so much?
A launch listing is one of the few places a brand-new product can get any link at all, so makers ask what kind of link it is. Platforms know that, and several make the link type part of what they offer. Some mark links on a free listing nofollow and give a followed link to a paid or top-ranked one. Others grant the followed link only after you embed their badge or reach a vote threshold. The details change, so read the platform’s current pages before you plan around them; the free launch platforms comparison shows what each site said when we read it.
On this site, the outbound link on a launch page to the product’s own website is an ordinary followed link, and it is free. Links inside text that people write, such as a description, a thread or a comment, are marked nofollow ugc, because anyone can post there. That is the sensible default for any board with open posting, and it is why a link inside a comment is never the point of commenting.
What is a followed link actually worth?
Less than the sales pages suggest, and nobody outside a search engine can give you a number. A followed link helps most when it comes from a page that is relevant to yours, is itself linked to by others and is read by real people. Ten followed links from directories nobody visits are not worth one from a page that sends visitors. Google’s own guidance is to write content people want to link to, and to treat links as something other sites decide to give you.
- Relevance beats the attribute. A nofollow link from a page that sends you ten engaged visitors can be worth more than a followed link from a page nobody opens.
- Visitors are the first return. Treat the traffic a listing sends as the benefit, and any ranking effect as a bonus.
- A mix looks natural. Real products collect followed, nofollow and ugc links together; a profile made only of one kind is the unusual one.
- Do not pay for the attribute alone. If a fee only changes nofollow to followed on an unvisited page, you are buying a hope, not a result.
How can you check a link yourself?
- Open the page that links to you and use your browser’s “view source” or its element inspector.
- Search for your domain name to find the anchor tag that holds your address.
- Read its
relvalue. No rel, or a rel without nofollow, ugc or sponsored, is a followed link. - Check again in a week. Some platforms change the attribute once a launch drops out of the ranking, and an embedded badge can be removed.
Write down what you found next to the date. When you launch your product, do the same for each listing you earn and keep the notes with your launch metrics, so you can see which places sent visitors and which only sent a link.
What mistakes do makers make with dofollow links?
The common one is chasing the attribute across dozens of directories in a week. Search engines read a sudden pile of near-identical listings as a pattern, and the readers you wanted were never on those sites. A smaller list of places where your product belongs serves you better. Where to launch your product lists directories worth a look, and do launch directories give backlinks goes through what to expect.
The second mistake is writing your own link text carelessly. Use your product name or a plain description of what it does, not a keyword string. The third is forgetting that links are only half the work: a listing with a weak tagline sends no visitors whatever its attribute says. If you are still shaping yours, the tagline formulas are a start, and the ideas board shows how other builders describe what they are making.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a dofollow HTML tag?
No. Dofollow is a nickname for a link that has no nofollow, ugc or sponsored value in its rel attribute. Writing rel="dofollow" is harmless but does nothing, because following links is already the default behaviour of a search crawler. Only the restrictive values change how a link is treated.
Does a dofollow link improve my Google ranking?
It can help, but nobody outside Google can say by how much, and the link has to come from a relevant, trusted page to matter. Google treats nofollow as a hint, and it weighs many signals together. Treat any ranking effect as a possible bonus and the visitors a listing sends as the real return.
Can I get a dofollow link for free?
Yes, from places that link out normally, such as a product page on a board that does not mark outbound links nofollow, your own profiles, and sites that choose to write about you. Some launch platforms reserve the followed link for paid or top-ranked launches, so read each one’s current rules first.
Is a nofollow link worthless?
No. A nofollow link can still send visitors, build your name and help people find you, and Google treats the attribute as a hint rather than a block. A healthy link profile contains followed, nofollow and ugc links together. Judge a listing by the people it brings before the attribute it carries.
Written by Post your build ideas with AI assistance and edited for this site. Where a page names another product, the facts came from that product’s own pages on the date shown above; terms change, so check them before you rely on them. About the publisher.