What is a dofollow link? Dofollow backlinks explained

What is a dofollow link?

A dofollow link is an ordinary HTML link with no rel value such as nofollow, sponsored or ugc. "Dofollow" isn't a real attribute; it's slang for a link search engines can follow and count as a recommendation. Dofollow backlinks are the ones that can pass ranking credit, which is why link builders track them.

What a dofollow link looks like

Links are followed by default, so a dofollow link is simply a link without a restricting rel attribute: <a href="https://margin.example">Margin</a>. Adding rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc" turns it into a qualified link that asks search engines not to treat it as an endorsement.

Dofollow vs nofollow, sponsored and ugc

Google supports three link qualifiers, described in its guide to outbound links. Since September 2019 it treats all three as hints rather than strict rules.

nofollow. A general "don't count this as an endorsement". See nofollow link.
sponsored. For paid links, ads and sponsorships. Required on any link you paid for.
ugc. For user-generated content like comments and forum posts.

Are dofollow backlinks better?

For rankings, usually yes: a followed link from a relevant page passes more credit than a qualified one. But a natural link profile mixes both, and a nofollow link from a page your buyers read can send more customers than a followed link nobody sees. Dofollow vs nofollow backlinks covers how much each is worth.

Be wary of "dofollow backlinks lists" and sellers promising followed links. Lists of sites that hand out followed links to anyone attract spam, and followed links that were paid for break Google's link spam policy.

How to check if a link is dofollow

Right-click the link, choose Inspect, and look for a rel attribute on the <a> tag. No nofollow, sponsored or ugc means it's followed. To check a whole page at once, paste the URL into the nofollow link checker. Some sites qualify every outbound link by policy, which is their call and worth knowing before you pitch.

BacklinkGenie checks this for you on every link it wins: it records whether the link is followed when it goes live and emails you if it later changes to nofollow.

Example

<a href="https://margin.example">Margin</a> with no rel attribute is a followed ("dofollow") link.

Putting it into practice

Where to use it: Nofollow link checker. For the longer version, read dofollow vs nofollow backlinks and what each is worth.

Sources

Questions people ask

Is there a dofollow attribute in HTML?

No. There is no rel="dofollow". Links are followed by default, and "dofollow" is just the informal name for a link without nofollow, sponsored or ugc. Adding rel="dofollow" does nothing.

Can I ask an editor for a dofollow link?

You can mention it, but don't make it a condition. The editor decides how their site links out, and many qualify every outbound link by policy. Never offer payment for a followed link: Google treats that as link spam.

Do dofollow links always help SEO?

No. A followed link from an irrelevant, low-quality or link-selling site may be ignored or, in a pattern, hurt you. Relevance, placement in the content and whether the page gets read matter as much as the follow status.

How do I check if a backlink is dofollow?

Inspect the link in your browser and look at its rel attribute, or paste the page URL into a nofollow checker that lists every link and its status. No nofollow, sponsored or ugc value means the link is followed.