Dofollow link: what it means (and why it's a misleading term)
Dofollow isn't an official attribute. Learn how link equity works, what nofollow really does today, and how to audit your links.
“Dofollow link” is SEO shorthand, not an HTML relationship value. Google’s official outbound-link qualification guide documents nofollow, sponsored, and ugc, but no dofollow value.
There is no rel="dofollow". A “dofollow” link usually just means a normal link that doesn’t have nofollow, sponsored, or ugc.
What people really mean by dofollow
They usually mean an ordinary crawlable link that has not been qualified with nofollow, sponsored, or ugc. That description does not reveal how much weight a search system assigns to the link.
Example:
<a href="https://example.com">useful reference</a>
Nofollow, sponsored, and UGC (the real attributes)
These are the attributes you will actually see:
rel="nofollow": a general qualification when the other values do not apply and you prefer not to associate with or have Google crawl the destinationrel="sponsored": for paid or sponsored linksrel="ugc": for user-generated content (comments, forums)
You can combine them:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow sponsored">ad link</a>
Should you care about dofollow links?
Yes, but not in the simplistic way many people talk about.
If your backlink profile is built almost entirely on paid or manipulated “dofollow” links, you’re in risky territory. If you earn a mix of natural editorial references (some followed, some not), that’s normal.
For internal links, focus on crawlable <a href> elements, useful destinations, and descriptive anchors. Do not treat an internal-link audit as a precise PageRank calculator.
Outbound links: when to use nofollow
Choose the relationship that matches the situation:
- use
sponsoredfor an ad, affiliate link, or paid placement - you don’t trust the destination
- use
ugcfor user-generated links, optionally combined withnofollow
Don’t slap nofollow on everything out of fear. Normal outbound citations are part of how the web works, and it often improves user trust to cite sources transparently.
How to audit links quickly
Link attributes can become inconsistent across templates and CMS plugins. It’s worth scanning:
- internal links with unexpected nofollow
- outbound links missing sponsored on obvious ads
- UGC sections that leak followed spam links
For a crawl-level check, run SEO Audit Tool. For spot checks while browsing, use the Chrome Extension.
Link back to the glossary
One-line definition: Dofollow Link in the Glossary.
Related wiki terms
Q&A
Is 'dofollow' a real HTML attribute?
No. 'Dofollow' is shorthand for a normal link that doesn't use rel="nofollow" (or similar). Standard links are simply links.
Do nofollow links pass any value?
Google treats nofollow as a hint and does not provide a per-link PageRank value. A nofollow link may still provide referral traffic or be discovered through other paths.
Should I nofollow all outbound links?
No. Use nofollow for ads, sponsored content, or untrusted user-generated links. For normal editorial references, followed links are fine.