Before accepting a guest post deal, a blogger friend asked the site owner whether the link would be dofollow. The owner said yes. After publication she checked the page and found rel nofollow on every link. A nofollow link checker would have saved her the argument. It is also essential for checking your own site follows the rules for paid and user generated links.
What are link attributes
A link can carry a rel attribute that tells search engines how to treat it:
- Dofollow: no special attribute. The link can pass ranking value.
- Nofollow: rel nofollow asks search engines not to pass value or endorse the page.
- Sponsored: rel sponsored marks paid, affiliate or advertising links.
- UGC: rel ugc marks user generated content like comments and forum posts.
What our checker shows
The Nofollow Link Checker reads every link on a page, or in pasted HTML, and shows:
- Counts of dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and UGC links
- A full table with type, URL, anchor text and whether the link is internal or external
How to use it
- Open the Nofollow Link Checker.
- Enter a page URL or paste HTML.
- Click Check Nofollow Links.
- Review the table, especially external links.
When to use each attribute
- Affiliate and paid links: always rel sponsored. Google requires paid links to be marked.
- Comments and forum posts: rel ugc, or nofollow, so spammers gain nothing.
- Links you do not want to vouch for: nofollow.
- Editorial links to trusted sources: normal dofollow links are perfectly fine.
- Internal links: keep them dofollow so authority flows through your site.
Verify links you earned
When you get a backlink from a guest post, directory or partner, check the page to confirm the link exists and has the attribute you expected. Then verify the full profile with the Backlink Checker.
Common mistakes
- Marking every external link as nofollow out of fear. It looks unnatural and is not needed.
- Forgetting to mark affiliate links as sponsored.
- Accidentally nofollowing internal menu links through a theme setting.
- Selling dofollow links without labels, which breaks search engine guidelines.
A quick audit for bloggers
If you run a blog with affiliate links, open your top five earning articles and run each through the checker. Every Amazon, Daraz or other affiliate link should show sponsored or nofollow. Every link to a trusted source like an official website can stay dofollow. Comment sections should show ugc or nofollow on commenter links. Fixing these takes minutes in most themes or plugins, and it keeps your site clearly within the rules while still rewarding the sources you genuinely recommend.
Check what your theme adds
Some themes and plugins add nofollow to links automatically, for example all external links, all links in widgets or even menu items. Run the checker on a normal blog post and on your homepage to see what is really happening. If your theme nofollows trusted editorial sources or internal pages, adjust the setting so your links reflect what you actually mean. A few minutes of checking prevents months of wasted internal authority.
Before you agree to any link deal
If someone offers you a guest post or a listing in exchange for a fee, ask them in writing how the link will be marked. Then check the published page yourself with this tool. Clear agreements and quick verification protect your budget and keep your site safe.
Frequently asked questions
Do nofollow links help SEO at all
They pass little or no ranking value, but they bring visitors and keep your profile natural.
Can a link be both sponsored and nofollow
Yes. You can combine values, for example rel sponsored nofollow.
Will Google penalise me for dofollow links to good sites
No. Linking to helpful sources is normal and encouraged.
Check any page now with the free Nofollow Link Checker.