rel=nofollow
nofollow is a link attribute hint telling search engines not to fully pass link equity. Common for untrusted or paid links.
Definition
`rel="nofollow"` is a link attribute that tells search engines the link should not be treated as an endorsement. Modern engines often treat it as a hint. It’s commonly used for paid links, untrusted UGC, and comments.
Why it matters
- Reduces risk from spammy or paid links
- Helps manage UGC link quality
- Clarifies link intent (alongside sponsored/ugc)
How to implement
- Use nofollow/ugc/sponsored for untrusted outbound links
- Avoid nofollow on internal links (it can harm internal flow)
- Don’t use nofollow as a crawl-control mechanism (use robots/noindex)
Examples
html
<a href='https://example.com' rel='nofollow'>Example</a>Related
Tutorials
FAQ
Common questions about this term.