Nofollow Link: When a Site Uses It and Whether It Is Worth Having
A nofollow link is a link carrying rel="nofollow", which tells Google the page owner would rather not associate the site with the linked page. Google says links marked this way will generally not be followed, though the destination may still be found through other routes. A nofollow link can still send real visitors, so judge it by the people who click.
What does a nofollow link ask a search engine to do?
The attribute sits inside the anchor tag, next to the address, and reads rel="nofollow". Google Search Central describes it as the value to use when the other values do not apply and you would rather Google not associate your site with, or crawl the linked page from, your site. It adds that links marked with these attributes will generally not be followed, and that the linked page can still be found by other means, such as a sitemap or a link from another site. We read that page on 13 November 2026.
Two details are easy to miss. First, nofollow also exists as a robots meta tag, which applies the same instruction to every link on a page, where the attribute covers one link. Second, Google says to use the robots.txt disallow rule, not nofollow, when you want to keep Google from fetching a page on your own site. The attribute is for describing a relationship with someone else’s page.
Why would a site mark a link to you nofollow?
- They do not want to vouch for you. A site that lists thousands of products cannot check each one, so a blanket attribute is cheaper than judgment.
- The text came from a visitor. Google’s advice on preventing abuse suggests adding nofollow or ugc to links in untrusted content, since spammers are often motivated by a link to their site.
- The link was paid for. Google prefers
sponsoredfor advertisements, and still accepts nofollow. - It is a free-tier rule. Some launch platforms attach it to free listings. DevHunt’s pages, for example, say links on free listings are nofollow and paid launches get a permanent dofollow link.
None of that means the site thinks badly of you. The attribute describes the site’s policy about a class of links, not a verdict on yours. The ugc link entry covers the value built for the visitor-written case.
Is a nofollow link worth having?
Often, yes, and the test is simple. Imagine the attribute were invisible. Would you still want the link? A nofollow link on a page where your target users spend their evenings is a better result than a followed link on a page that nobody reads. The visitors who arrive do not know or care which attribute the link carried, and they are the part you can measure.
A mixed profile also looks like what actually happens to a product people talk about: some links followed, some marked as user content, some nofollow, a few paid and labelled. A set of links that all look identical is the odd case. This is why paying for a change of attribute alone rarely makes sense. The dofollow link entry looks at that side of the trade.
When should you use nofollow on your own pages?
- Is the link an advertisement or an affiliate link? Mark it
sponsored, or nofollow if your CMS only offers that. - Did a visitor write it, in a comment, a review or a profile? Use
ugc, and add nofollow beside it if you want both. - Is it a site you cannot vouch for but still want to cite? Use nofollow, and say in the text why you are linking.
- Do you vouch for it? Leave the attribute off. A page full of unqualified links to trusted sources is normal and helps readers.
For example, a maker with a “tools I use” page that links to a hosting service through a referral code should mark that link, because money may change hands. The same page can link to the maker’s favourite free open-source library with no attribute at all. Multiple values go in one attribute, separated by a space or a comma, as in rel="ugc nofollow".
What mistakes surround the nofollow attribute?
The first is using it to hide pages or steer crawling inside your own site. That is a job for robots.txt and the noindex rule, and Google says as much. The second is rejecting a listing because it is nofollow, when the audience is right. The third is the reverse: celebrating a followed link from a site whose readers do not match your product.
To see which attribute a site gives you, view the page source of an existing listing before you submit. The launch directory entry lists what else to check. If you want a free public page whose outbound link is a normal followed link, launch your product free here, and see how other builders describe theirs on the finance idea board.
Related terms: a backlink is any link to you whatever its attribute, an anchor text is the clickable words and a referring domain is one site, however many links it gives.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nofollow link?
It is a link with rel="nofollow" in its anchor tag. It tells Google the page owner would rather not associate the site with the linked page. Google says such links will generally not be followed, though the destination may still be found by other routes, and people can click it as usual.
Does a nofollow link send traffic?
Yes. Visitors click it exactly like any other link, and the attribute only affects how search engines treat it. A nofollow link from a page your target users read can be worth more than a followed link from a quiet page, so measure the visits it sends.
What is the difference between nofollow, ugc and sponsored?
Nofollow is the general value for links you would rather not vouch for. Ugc marks links in user-written content such as comments and forum posts. Sponsored marks advertisements and paid placements. Google accepts nofollow for the other two but prefers the specific values, and you can combine them in one attribute.
Should I add nofollow to links on my own site?
Add it to links you cannot vouch for, such as ads, affiliate links and untrusted user content, using sponsored or ugc where they fit. Leave it off links to sources you trust. Do not use it to control crawling of your own pages, where robots.txt and noindex are the right tools.
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.