The dofollow vs nofollow distinction is one of the most asked-about topics in link building — and one of the most oversimplified. The short version: dofollow links pass PageRank (link equity), nofollow links historically did not, and in 2019 Google changed how it treats nofollow to a “hint” rather than a directive. The practical implications of that change are still misunderstood by many SEOs. This guide covers what the distinction actually means, what changed, and how to build a link profile that accounts for both.
What dofollow means (and why “dofollow” is a misnomer)
“Dofollow” is not an HTML attribute — it is the absence of a nofollow attribute. A standard hyperlink with no rel attribute is what gets called “dofollow”:
<a href="https://example.com">anchor text</a>This link tells search engines: follow this link, count it as an endorsement, and pass PageRank through it. The term “dofollow” emerged as shorthand to distinguish these natural links from nofollow links, but it does not appear in the HTML spec. When someone says “dofollow link,” they mean a standard link with no rel tag — the default state of any link.
What nofollow means
A nofollow link includes rel="nofollow":
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">anchor text</a>Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 as a way for publishers to link to content without endorsing it — for comment spam prevention, paid link disclosure, and linking to untrusted content. The original interpretation: nofollow links pass no PageRank and are ignored by Google’s ranking systems.
What changed in 2019
In September 2019, Google announced two significant changes:
- Nofollow became a “hint” rather than a directive. Google may choose to follow nofollow links and consider them for ranking purposes, at its discretion. It does not commit to ignoring them.
- Two new link attributes were introduced:
rel="sponsored"— for paid or sponsored links (replaces the nofollow requirement for paid links)rel="ugc"— for user-generated content (forum posts, comments, reviews)
The practical effect: nofollow links are not guaranteed to pass zero PageRank in 2026. Google uses them as signals alongside other quality factors and may pass partial or full link equity depending on the context. This does not make nofollow links equal to dofollow links — dofollow links are still meaningfully stronger — but it means the binary “nofollow = worthless” framing is no longer accurate.
How much do nofollow links still matter?
More than many SEOs assume, for three reasons:
1. Indirect ranking influence
A nofollow link from a high-authority, high-traffic source (Forbes, Wikipedia, Reddit) can drive substantial referral traffic. That traffic generates behavioral signals — time on page, engagement, return visits — that influence rankings independent of link equity. A Wikipedia nofollow citation that sends 500 visitors per month is more valuable than a dofollow link from a DR 10 blog that sends two.
2. Google’s hint treatment
Because Google now treats nofollow as a hint rather than a directive, high-quality nofollow links on trusted domains may pass partial PageRank. There is no way to confirm this for individual links, but the policy change means the effective value of a nofollow link from a trusted source is non-zero — even if it is less than the equivalent dofollow link.
3. Profile naturalness
A link profile with 100% dofollow links looks unnatural — natural link acquisition always includes nofollow links from social shares, forum mentions, and editorial sites that use nofollow as policy. A diverse profile that includes nofollow links alongside dofollow links looks organic, which reduces the manipulation footprint risk that comes with an all-dofollow managed profile.
The link attribute landscape in 2026
| Attribute | PageRank effect | When to use | Common sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (dofollow) | Full (intended) | Standard editorial links | Guest posts, editorial citations, cloud backlinks |
| rel=”nofollow” | Hint (partial or none) | Links to untrusted content; legacy use | Wikipedia, Reddit, many forums, some blogs |
| rel=”sponsored” | Typically none | Paid links, affiliate links | Sponsored posts, paid placements |
| rel=”ugc” | Typically none | User-generated content | Forum signatures, comment sections |
| rel=”nofollow sponsored” | None | Paid UGC (e.g., influencer reviews) | Combined paid + user-generated contexts |
Where dofollow links come from
The highest-value dofollow links come from editorial decisions — a writer or editor chose to link without any rel attribute, meaning the link is a genuine endorsement. The main sources:
- Editorial citations: journalists, bloggers, and researchers linking to your content as a source
- Guest post body links: links within the body of a guest post (bio links are sometimes nofollow)
- Resource page inclusions: most resource page links are dofollow
- Cloud backlinks: pages on cloud platforms (Netlify, GitHub Pages, Vercel) published with standard hyperlinks — no rel attribute — are dofollow by default. The cloud backlinks guide covers how these work and why the host domain’s authority amplifies the link value.
- Broken link replacements and niche edits: typically dofollow, as they replace or supplement existing editorial links
The full range of methods for acquiring dofollow links without guest posting is covered in the backlinks without guest posting guide.
The anchor text interaction
Anchor text strategy applies primarily to dofollow links — because dofollow links are the ones where anchor text is most clearly passing a keyword relevance signal to Google. For nofollow links, anchor text optimization matters less (since the link equity signal is reduced or absent), though branded anchors on high-traffic nofollow links still reinforce brand entity recognition.
For your dofollow link campaigns, the anchor text strategy guide covers the distribution ratios and the over-optimization thresholds that separate safe from risky profiles.
Should you pursue nofollow links intentionally?
Yes — selectively. The right frame is not “dofollow only” but “best available link from this source.” A nofollow mention in a high-authority, high-traffic context (a Wikipedia citation, a Reddit thread, a major news outlet’s article) is worth pursuing even without full PageRank transfer, because of the referral traffic, the brand signal, and the hint-treatment potential.
What is not worth pursuing: intentionally building nofollow links at scale from low-DR, low-traffic sources specifically to fill a link count metric. These links provide no referral traffic, no meaningful PageRank hint, and no brand signal — they are genuinely worthless regardless of how many you build.
FAQ
Do nofollow links help SEO at all?
Indirectly, yes — through referral traffic, behavioral signals, brand mentions, and Google’s hint-treatment policy. Directly as a PageRank signal, they are weaker than dofollow links and may pass no equity depending on the source and context. The answer is “it depends on the source” rather than a flat yes or no.
Should I disavow nofollow links?
Almost never. Disavowing is reserved for links that are actively harming your profile — typically dofollow links from link farms or spammy sources in large volumes. Nofollow links, even from low-quality sources, are generally ignored by Google’s ranking systems and do not need disavowal. The exception: a large volume of nofollow links from sources that signal spam at the brand level (irrelevant, foreign-language spam sites mentioning your brand) could be disavowed as part of a broader profile cleanup.
Are social media links dofollow or nofollow?
Nofollow or UGC on virtually all major platforms — LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit. Social links do not pass PageRank as a rule. Their value is entirely in referral traffic and brand signal, not in link equity. This is why “social shares” as a link-building strategy does not build the kind of authority that moves rankings.
What about Wikipedia links?
Wikipedia links are nofollow (they use rel=”nofollow ugc”). Despite this, appearing as a cited source on a relevant Wikipedia article carries significant value: the referral traffic is real, the brand credibility signal is strong, and Google’s hint treatment may pass partial equity from one of the highest-DR domains on the internet. Wikipedia citations are worth pursuing for suitable content even under nofollow policy.
If I pay for a link, should it be nofollow?
Under Google’s guidelines, yes — paid links should use rel=”sponsored” (or the legacy rel=”nofollow”). A dofollow paid link violates Google’s link scheme policy and is the type of link most likely to be identified and discounted in a manual review. Paying for dofollow links is not inherently detectable, but it is a policy violation with meaningful penalty risk if discovered.
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