What is Nofollow
Nofollow is the HTML link attribute rel="nofollow", which tells search engines not to pass PageRank (link equity) through the link or take it into account when ranking the destination page.
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Ссылка</a>Google introduced it in 2005 to combat comment spam.
Evolution: new link attributes (2019)
In 2019, Google introduced more specific attributes:
| Attribute | Use |
|---|---|
rel="nofollow" | General case — when you don't want to associate your reputation with the link |
rel="sponsored" | Paid, sponsored, and advertising links |
rel="ugc" | User-generated content — comments, forums |
All three tell Google, “Don't pass link equity,” but provide additional context.
<!-- Рекламная ссылка -->
<a href="/partner-shop" rel="sponsored">Партнёрский магазин</a>
<!-- Ссылка в комментарии -->
<a href="https://user-site.com" rel="ugc nofollow">Ссылка из комментария</a>When to use Nofollow
Nofollow / sponsored required
- Paid links and advertising
- Affiliate links
- Sponsored content
- Any links provided in exchange for compensation
Nofollow recommended
- Links in user comments
- Forum posts
- Links to untrustworthy sources
- Widgets and embed codes containing links
Leave Dofollow (without nofollow) for
- Links to authoritative sources in articles
- Partner materials (editorial)
- Links to official documents
Nofollow does not mean “don't crawl”
Important to understand: nofollow means “don't pass link equity,” but Google may still:
- Crawl the link
- Index the destination page (if it is accessible in another way)
- Use nofollow as a “hint,” not a strict rule
To prevent crawling, use robots.txt or <meta name="robots" content="nofollow">.
PageRank sculpting — an outdated technique
Previously, webmasters used nofollow to “redistribute” PageRank within a site (by blocking “unimportant” pages). Google confirmed that this no longer works — link equity simply “evaporates.”
Check link attributes with reChecker
Use the Link Analyzer to check all the links on your page and their attributes. The tool will show:
- Links with the nofollow attribute
- Links with sponsored and ugc
- Links without attributes (dofollow)
- External and internal links separately
FAQ
Does Nofollow affect traffic? No. Nofollow does not affect a user's ability to follow a link — users can click it as usual. The attribute is intended only for search engine crawlers.
Should nofollow be used on navigation links? No. Navigation links are internal and useful for crawling. Nofollow here will only reduce the effectiveness of internal linking.
Does Google ignore nofollow? Google has officially stated that it treats sponsored, nofollow, and ugc as “hints,” not absolute directives. In some cases, it may follow the link. But PageRank is not passed through nofollow.