A nofollow link uses the value nofollow inside a link’s rel attribute. It tells search engines that you do not want to endorse or be associated with the destination in the usual way. It is a hint to Google, not a guarantee that the URL will never be crawled or considered.

NoFollow Links: What Are They & Actionable Tips - YouTube thumbnail

A nofollow link is an ordinary link with nofollow added to its rel attribute. Google treats rel="nofollow" as a hint, so the destination may still be discovered or crawled through this or other links.

Why Use NoFollow Links?

There are several reasons why you might want to use NoFollow links:

  1. Untrusted or Unendorsed Sources: Use nofollow when you need to reference a page but do not want Google to associate your site with it. You do not need to add nofollow merely because a normal external link points to a competitor.
  2. Paid Links or Sponsored Content: Mark advertising, affiliate links, and other paid placements with rel="sponsored". Google still accepts nofollow for paid links, and you can combine values when appropriate.
  3. User-Generated Content: Mark links in comments, forums, and other untrusted user content with rel="ugc" or rel="nofollow". WordPress commonly adds nofollow to comment links automatically, but check your own setup.

Creating a NoFollow link is simple. Just add the rel="nofollow" attribute to your HTML link tag, like this:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example Website</a>

Of course if you’re using the WordPress block editor you can click the “advanced” area and select that you want the link to be set to nofollow without editing HTML.

Adding nofollow in WordPress

To check if a link on a website is using the NoFollow attribute, simply:

  1. Right-click on the link
  2. Select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” from the context menu
  3. Look for the rel="nofollow" attribute within the link’s HTML

If the value is present, the link is nofollowed. If it is absent, the link is simply a regular link. “Dofollow” is a common label, not an HTML attribute, and a regular link does not guarantee that search engines will assign it value.

If your blog runs on WordPress, you can manage link attributes in the editor or with a plugin such as External Links. Avoid automatically adding nofollow to every external link: normal editorial citations usually do not need it.

If you use automated rules, review their allow lists and exceptions carefully. The goal is to label paid, user-generated, or unendorsed links accurately, not to hoard “SEO value.”

When to Use Nofollow Links

Nofollow is a relationship label for links that you do not want to endorse in the usual way. Use it when the situation calls for it, while using sponsored for paid links and ugc for user-submitted links.

Regular editorial links do not need nofollow by default. Choose the value that truthfully describes your relationship with the destination, and let useful citations remain ordinary links.