SEO GLOSSARY
What is a dofollow link?
A dofollow link is an ordinary HTML link with no rel="nofollow", "sponsored" or "ugc" value, so search engines can follow it and count it. It matters because dofollow backlinks are the ones that pass ranking strength to your pages; qualified links generally do not.
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Updated 23 October 2026
What is a dofollow link in SEO, and how is it different from nofollow?
There is no "dofollow" attribute. A link is dofollow by default; it becomes nofollow, sponsored or ugc only when you add that rel value.
Google's documentation says that for regular links you expect Google to fetch and parse, you don't need to add a rel attribute at all. Everything else gets qualified:
| Link type | HTML | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Dofollow (default) | <a href="…"> | Editorial links you stand behind |
| Sponsored | rel="sponsored" | Ads, paid placements, affiliate links |
| UGC | rel="ugc" | Comments and forum posts |
| Nofollow | rel="nofollow" | Links you do not want associated with your site when the others do not apply |
How to check dofollow and nofollow links, with an example
On one page, inspect the link's HTML and look for a rel attribute. Across a whole site, use a backlink tool that labels every link by type.
Right-click a link, choose Inspect, and read the <a> tag: no rel value (or one like noopener) means dofollow. That works for a single link, not for thousands.
The backlink checker (Digimetrics Backlinks Explorer, 10 to 45 seconds) reports a dofollow share for the domain and the type of every link. In the official tutorial's sample (fictional brand Brightpath), 81% of 4,870 backlinks were dofollow. A healthy profile has a natural mix; a profile that is almost entirely dofollow with exact-match anchors can look engineered.
How to get dofollow links and add them correctly
Earn dofollow links by being worth citing editorially. To add one yourself, write a normal <a href> link with descriptive anchor text and no qualifying rel value.
- Pitch original research or expert commentary to publications in your niche.
- Get listed by partners, suppliers and associations you genuinely work with.
- Link internally with plain links so authority flows to key pages; check them with the anchor text checker.
- Never pay for dofollow links: Google treats buying or selling links for ranking as link spam.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Frequently asked questions
Still unsure? Email support@digimetrics.ai and a person will reply.
Are nofollow links worthless?
No. They can still send visitors, build brand awareness and lead to followed links later. They just generally do not pass ranking strength the way dofollow links do.
How do I create a dofollow link?
Write a standard link, <a href="https://example.com/page/">descriptive text</a>, and leave out rel="nofollow", "sponsored" and "ugc". Most editors make links dofollow by default.
Should affiliate links be dofollow?
No. Google asks you to mark paid and affiliate links with rel="sponsored"; nofollow is still accepted, but sponsored is preferred.
What share of my backlinks should be dofollow?
There is no official target. Compare your dofollow share with competitors in the same tool, and focus on the quality of the followed links rather than the percentage.
Find out which of your links actually count.
See dofollow share and link type for every backlink: free for 7 days, no card.