Dofollow vs Nofollow Backlinks: What Matters for SEO
Dofollow vs nofollow backlinks explained simply: how Google treats each, why nofollow links still help, and how to build a natural link profile.
Every backlink is either "followed" or carries a hint asking search engines not to pass credit. Knowing the difference stops you chasing the wrong links.
What is a dofollow backlink?
There is no actual "dofollow" attribute. A normal link with no rel hint is called dofollow. It can pass ranking signals (often called link equity) from the linking page to yours.
What is a nofollow backlink?
A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow", rel="ugc" (user-generated content) or rel="sponsored" (paid placements). Since 2019 Google treats these as hints rather than strict rules, so it may still use them for discovery and, sometimes, for ranking.
Why nofollow links still help
- Crawling and discovery. Crawlers can still find your URL through them.
- Referral traffic. A visitor can click a nofollow link just like any other link.
- A natural profile. Real websites have a mix of both. A profile with only dofollow links looks manufactured.
Comparison
| Dofollow | Nofollow | |
|---|---|---|
| Passes ranking signals | Yes, usually | Sometimes, as a hint |
| Helps discovery | Yes | Yes |
| Can send traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Typical sources | Editorial content, resource pages | Comments, forums, lookup pages, sponsored posts |
How to check whether a link is nofollow
Right-click the link, choose Inspect, and look for a rel attribute on the link tag. Browser extensions for SEO can highlight nofollow links on any page.
Building a healthy link profile
- Create content worth citing: original data, guides and tools.
- Earn editorial dofollow links through outreach and partnerships.
- Use discovery backlinks, such as those made by our free backlink generator, to help new pages get found.
- Never buy dofollow links to manipulate rankings; it breaks Google's spam policies.
How Google treats each link attribute
Google describes three rel values that tell it how a link was created:
| Attribute | Meant for | How Google uses it |
|---|---|---|
| (none) | Normal editorial links | Can pass ranking signals |
| rel="nofollow" | Links you do not want to vouch for | A hint, may still be used for discovery |
| rel="sponsored" | Paid placements and affiliate links | A hint that the link was paid for |
| rel="ugc" | Comments, forums and other user content | A hint that the link came from users |
The key idea is that these are hints. Google decides how much weight each link gets, and a nofollow link from a trusted page can still be useful.
Myths worth dropping
- "Nofollow links are worthless." They still help discovery and can send real visitors.
- "More dofollow links is always better." Quality and relevance matter far more than the attribute. One relevant editorial link beats dozens of irrelevant ones.
- "A natural profile is all dofollow." The opposite is true. Real sites collect a mix, and an all-dofollow profile can look manufactured.
- "Nofollow links can hurt me." They do not. The links that cause trouble are paid or manipulative dofollow links. See toxic backlinks and the disavow tool.
Which links to expect from where
- Editorial articles and resource pages: usually followed, and the hardest to earn.
- Social profiles, forums and comments: usually nofollow or ugc.
- Directories and citations: mixed. See local citations in India.
- Lookup and statistics pages: usually nofollow, the kind created by discovery backlinks.
How to audit your own profile
- Open the Links report in Google Search Console to see who links to you.
- Run a free backlink checker and sort by follow type. Our walkthrough on how to check backlinks for free shows each step.
- Look at the mix. If it is mostly nofollow from lookup pages, put your effort into earning editorial links.
- Review your anchor text for over-optimised phrases.
For a wider view of link types, see types of backlinks and what makes a high-quality backlink.
FAQ
Are Backlink Generator's links dofollow?
Most are nofollow mentions on public lookup pages. We say this clearly because their job is discovery, not passing ranking credit.
Do nofollow links hurt my site?
No. Nofollow links are a normal part of every website's profile.