Dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and ugc backlinks: what each attribute changes

You manage SEO for a B2B site and need to know which links count. This page explains what dofollow backlinks are, what each attribute changes (nofollow, sponsored and ugc) in the way Google reads a link, and how to check them on a page.

It helps you decide how to mark up a paid link, what to fix in an existing profile and what value to give a nofollow link, on Google as well as in generative engine answers. The overall framework is set out in our link building guide.

Dofollow: a link with no attribute, not a rel value

In SEO terms, a "dofollow link" is a standard link that carries neither nofollow, nor sponsored, nor ugc. It is simply the default behaviour of an HTML link. There is no rel="dofollow" attribute: adding it does not make a link "more followed". A link is followed unless it is explicitly marked otherwise.

What makes a followed link valuable (Trust Flow, Citation Flow, topic of the source, position on the page) is covered in our article on backlink quality. Here, we only deal with the attribute.

What a followed link brings: crawling, recommendation and context

For Google, a followed link plays three roles:

• Discovery: links help crawlers move from one page to another.
• Recommendation: an editorial link acts as a vote for the destination page and passes authority to it.
• Variable weight: topic alignment, the credibility of the source, placement and over-optimisation all change the value that is passed.

A followed link from an unrelated page, or from a page clearly built to stack links, carries little weight, and Google may simply ignore its value.

rel attributes: dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and ugc

The rel attributes describe the nature of a link: editorial, commercial or placed by a user. A wrongly qualified link can be reclassified as part of a link scheme. The table summarises what Google does with each value at the time of writing.

A hint, not a directive: what changed in March 2020

Nofollow was long read as an instruction: do not follow, do not count. Since March 2020, Google treats nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints: it may use them for crawling or ranking, without committing to it. Saying that a nofollow link "passes nothing" is therefore wrong by omission.

A nofollow link keeps an operational value, even though you cannot manage it like a followed link:

• Referral traffic: a click is still a click, whatever the attribute.
• Brand visibility: Google sees that you are being mentioned, which supports awareness.
• Profile credibility: a mix of attributes looks like the natural web.

Sponsored and ugc: qualify commercial and contributed links

The rel="sponsored" attribute indicates a commercial relationship: advertising, sponsorship or paid partnership. It clarifies intent and reduces the risk associated with undisclosed paid links.

The rel="ugc" (User Generated Content) attribute qualifies links placed by third parties in contribution areas. On a B2B site, it applies as soon as an area is open to contributions: it prevents an open space from becoming a channel for manipulative authority transfer, whilst still allowing conversation to happen.

Combining several values in one attribute

The rel attribute accepts several values separated by a space. The combination describes a link that falls into two categories, rather than leaving ambiguity about its nature:

• rel="nofollow sponsored": a paid link that keeps the nofollow value for tools that only read that one.
• rel="ugc nofollow": a user link, with the same compatibility logic.
• rel="sponsored ugc": a link placed by a user and paid for, declared under both aspects.

A paid link is declared sponsored

Google's rule is simple: a paid link, or one that comes from a partnership, is declared rel="sponsored". A paid link presented as an editorial followed link falls within the link schemes targeted by Google's spam policies. This is the riskiest scenario in the long run.

Align the agreement, the publication and the markup

In audits, misalignment is common: a "partner" piece marked as a standard followed link sends an unnecessarily risky signal. Three things must match:

• The agreement: the contract or exchange that sets out the consideration.
• The publication: its true nature, editorial or promotional.
• The markup: the attribute actually present in the link's code.

What a sponsored link is worth

Once declared, the link does not drop out of Google's reading: like nofollow, sponsored is a hint. It does not count among your dofollow referring domains, but it brings referral traffic and a mention of your brand on a publisher that generative engines may cite. When the brand is named in the article, that signal exists whatever the attribute.

Check a link's attribute

Before counting a link, check that it exists, that its page is indexed and that it carries the expected attribute. Two checks complement each other.

Inspect the source page's code

The manual method takes a few clicks in your browser:

• Right-click the link and select "Inspect": the rel attribute appears in the link tag.
• Right-click the page and select "View page source": search for the destination URL and read its rel.
• If the rel contains no nofollow, sponsored or ugc, the link is followed.
• Finally, check that the source page is indexed: a link on a page outside the index carries little weight.

Cross-check with Google Search Console

Google Search Console shows the external links, anchor texts and referring sites of your domain. It does not give the attribute of each link: the console builds the inventory, inspecting the code qualifies it.

A link that disappears or becomes nofollow

An attribute can change after publication. If a followed link becomes nofollow or disappears:

• Confirm the change: source page, attribute, indexation.
• Contact the publisher if it stems from a template, CMS setting or layout error.
• If the link was important, aim for an equivalent link and strengthen internal linking around the target page.

Common markup mistakes

Markup mistakes are rarely deliberate: they come from a template, a plugin or manual input. The table gives the effect of each one and how to fix it.

The dofollow / nofollow ratio: a false objective

There is no universal ratio between followed and unfollowed links, and none is worth aiming for. A profile made up only of followed links looks artificial; a profile that is almost entirely nofollow suggests a brand that is mentioned but rarely recommended editorially. The right mix follows from your acquisition channels and your brand awareness.

Aim instead for a profile you can explain: if you had to justify it to a human, it should tell a coherent story.

Nofollow, sponsored, ugc and generative engines

ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and AI Overviews cite sources and name brands. Being named counts for these answers, whether there is a link or not. A nofollow link does not count towards your dofollow referring domains, but the mention that comes with it can count if the publisher is cited by AI engines.

Naming is not linking: the brand mention in the article carries the GEO signal, the followed link carries the SEO signal, and the two add up. The table cross-references both readings.

Measurement follows the same logic: AI citations gained or lost are read question by question, as a time correlation with the links obtained, never as their direct effect. The topic is developed in our article on links, mentions and AI citations.

Depending on your situation

Depending on the decision you need to make, continue with one of these articles:

• You buy links: the publisher eligibility grid and the price per Trust Flow point are in our guide to buying backlinks.
• You audit an existing profile: inventory, false positives, attributes, anchors, disavow and competitor benchmarking are covered in backlink analysis.
• You are looking for editorial followed links: cite-worthy content, digital PR and partnerships are compared by effort, timeframe and risk in our article on how to get backlinks.
• You set a link target: the median number of dofollow referring domains in the top 10 is calculated in our backlinks strategy.

To track these attributes over time, the Incremys Offsite media module flags nofollow links in its reporting and does not count them among your dofollow referring domains. At the time of writing, it also tracks the status of each link: live, lost or unverified.

Frequently asked questions about followed links

What is a dofollow backlink?

A dofollow backlink is a standard inbound link with no nofollow, sponsored or ugc attribute. There is no rel="dofollow" attribute: it is the absence of qualification that makes a link followed. Google takes it into account to crawl and rank the destination page, with a weight that depends on the topic, the placement and the credibility of the source site.

Does Google ignore nofollow links?

No, Google does not necessarily ignore nofollow links. Since March 2020, nofollow, sponsored and ugc are hints, not directives: Google may use them for crawling and ranking, without committing to it. A nofollow link therefore does not pass authority in a guaranteed way, but it is not neutral either.

Do you need a dofollow / nofollow ratio?

No, there is no dofollow / nofollow ratio to aim for. A natural profile mixes attributes because its sources are diverse. A profile made up only of followed links looks artificial, and a profile that is almost entirely nofollow signals a brand that is mentioned but rarely recommended. Aim for a profile your acquisition channels can explain, not a percentage.

How do you declare a sponsored link?

A sponsored link is declared with the rel="sponsored" attribute placed on the link tag. The rule applies to any paid link or link that comes from a partnership. You can combine values, for example rel="nofollow sponsored". What matters is that the agreement, the nature of the publication and the markup all match.

Can a sponsored link be dofollow?

No, a paid link should not be published as a standard followed link. Presenting it as editorial places it among the link schemes targeted by Google's spam policies. Declared as sponsored, it remains a hint for Google, brings referral traffic and carries a brand mention that is useful for generative engines.

How do you check whether a link is dofollow?

To check whether a link is dofollow, right-click it, select "Inspect" and read the rel attribute of the tag. Without nofollow, sponsored or ugc, the link is followed. Google Search Console lists your external links and referring sites, but the attribute is checked on the source page, which must also be indexed.

Does a nofollow link count for ChatGPT?

For ChatGPT, what counts is the mention of your brand, not the link attribute. Generative engines cite sources and name brands: being named on a publisher they cite counts for their answers, with or without a followed link. A nofollow link does not count towards your dofollow referring domains, but its mention can count on the GEO side.