Nofollow Backlinks and Their Role in SEO (2026)

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

A nofollow backlink contains the rel="nofollow" HTML attribute, which instructs search engines not to pass link equity (ranking power) to the linked page.
Google treats nofollow as a “hint” rather than a strict directive since 2019, meaning it may still consider nofollow links in some ranking calculations.
Nofollow links do not directly boost keyword rankings, but they can drive referral traffic, increase brand awareness, and contribute to a natural-looking link profile.
Links from Wikipedia, most social media platforms, many news sites, and the vast majority of blog comment sections are nofollow.
In your own linking, always use nofollow (or sponsored) for paid links, affiliate links, and user-generated content links.

What Is a Nofollow Backlink?

A nofollow backlink is a hyperlink with the HTML attribute rel="nofollow" added to it. The nofollow attribute was introduced by Google in 2005 as a way for website owners to signal that a link should not pass link equity (also called “link juice” or PageRank) to the destination page.

In HTML, a nofollow link looks like this:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">anchor text</a>

Without the nofollow attribute, a link is treated as a standard (dofollow) link, and Google uses it as an endorsement that passes ranking credit to the destination.

This article is for SEO practitioners, content marketers, and website owners who want to understand when nofollow links matter, when they do not, and how to use the rel attribute correctly.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow: Key Differences

Attribute	Passes Link Equity?	Influences Rankings Directly?	When to Use
Dofollow (no attribute)	Yes	Yes	Editorial links you endorse
`rel="nofollow"`	No (mostly)	Hint only	Unvetted links, comments, general use
`rel="sponsored"`	No	No	Paid and affiliate links
`rel="ugc"`	No	No	User-generated content

Dofollow links are the gold standard for link building because they pass ranking credit. A dofollow link from a high-authority, relevant domain is one of the most powerful SEO signals available.

Nofollow links do not pass direct ranking credit in the traditional sense, but as Google clarified in 2019, they may still serve as a “hint” for crawling and indexing decisions. This ambiguity means that nofollow links from high-traffic, authoritative sites may still carry some indirect benefit.

The Full rel Attribute Family (2019 Update)

In September 2019, Google expanded the link attribute options beyond the binary dofollow/nofollow:

`rel="nofollow"`

The original attribute, now used for links where you simply do not want to pass link equity and do not have a specific reason (paid, UGC) to categorize differently. Also used when you cannot vouch for the destination.

`rel="sponsored"`

Introduced specifically for paid links, including affiliate links, sponsored content, and paid placements. Using this attribute properly is part of complying with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines regarding paid link disclosure.

`rel="ugc"`

Stands for User-Generated Content. Intended for links added by users in comments, forums, and community platforms, where the site owner cannot vet each link’s quality.

Multiple attributes can be combined: rel="nofollow sponsored" or rel="ugc nofollow" are valid.

Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?

This is the most debated question in nofollow link discussions. The honest answer is: not directly, but potentially indirectly.

Google’s Official Position (Updated 2019)

Google’s John Mueller has confirmed that nofollow links are treated as “hints” rather than directives since the 2019 update. This means Google reserves the right to consider nofollow links in its ranking calculations but is not obligated to use them. In practice, most industry research suggests nofollow links have minimal direct ranking impact.

Indirect Benefits of Nofollow Links

Referral traffic: A nofollow link from a high-traffic site (like a major news publication or Wikipedia) can drive substantial visitor traffic to your site, regardless of its SEO impact.

Brand awareness and trust: Being mentioned and linked to by authoritative sites increases brand recognition, even if those links are nofollow.

Natural link profile: A backlink profile that contains only dofollow links looks unnatural. Real editorial link profiles contain a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. An overly “clean” dofollow-only profile can itself be a spam signal.

Crawl and indexation: Google uses links (including nofollow) to discover and crawl new pages. A nofollow link from a highly-crawled site can speed up the discovery and indexation of new content.

Indirect dofollow links: Coverage on a high-authority site (even with a nofollow link) can attract secondary coverage from smaller sites that use dofollow links.

The Bottom Line

Do not aggressively pursue nofollow links for SEO purposes. But do not discount them entirely either. A nofollow link from a major newspaper or Wikipedia is still worth having, even if the direct ranking impact is minimal.

When to Use Nofollow on Your Own Links

As a website owner, you should use appropriate rel attributes on the outbound links you publish:

Always Use nofollow or sponsored for Paid Links

Any link you were paid to include, or that earns you commission (affiliate links), must use rel="sponsored". Failing to disclose paid links violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and can result in manual penalties.

Use nofollow for Unvetted User-Generated Content

If your site has a comments section, forum, or any area where users can post links, use rel="ugc" (or rel="nofollow" at minimum) on those links. This is standard practice and protects your site from being associated with spammy links your users might post.

Use nofollow for Links You Do Not Editorially Endorse

If you link to a site for reference purposes but do not want to vouch for its quality (e.g., linking to a site you are criticizing, or linking to an unknown source), nofollow is appropriate.

Do Not Nofollow All Your Internal Links

Some webmasters add nofollow to internal links as a misguided attempt to control how Google distributes link equity. This practice (called “PageRank sculpting”) is outdated and ineffective. Internal links do not need nofollow.

Which Sites Use Nofollow by Default?

Many major platforms add nofollow to all outgoing links by default:

Wikipedia: All external links are nofollow, yet Wikipedia links are still considered valuable for traffic and brand exposure.
Social media: Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and most other social platforms nofollow external links.
Most blog comment sections: Including WordPress (which adds nofollow to comment links by default).
Reddit: Nofollow on most external links.
Google Business Profile and other directory profiles: Typically nofollow.
Forum links: Most forum software nofollows user-posted links.
Press release distribution services: Often nofollow, especially since Google penalized paid press release link schemes.

This explains why blog commenting and social media activity, while valuable for traffic and brand-building, do not directly boost search rankings through link equity transfer.

Should You Pursue Nofollow Backlinks?

The answer depends on your goals:

For direct ranking improvement: Focus your link building energy on earning dofollow links from authoritative, relevant domains. See our guides on best link building strategies and how to get high quality backlinks.

For brand exposure and traffic: Nofollow links from high-traffic sites are well worth pursuing. Getting mentioned in a Wikipedia article, featured in a major news outlet, or linked from a popular community forum can drive significant traffic.

For a natural link profile: Actively trying to avoid all nofollow links produces an unnaturally dofollow-heavy profile. Accept nofollow links that come naturally as part of a healthy, diverse link profile.

Do not pay for nofollow links: Nofollow links from link sellers provide minimal SEO value. Spend that budget on creating content that earns dofollow links organically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can nofollow links hurt my SEO?

Nofollow links from reputable sites do not hurt SEO. An unusually high proportion of nofollow links pointing to a specific page (compared to dofollow links) might suggest to Google that editorial sites are not endorsing the page, but this is more of an absence-of-signal issue than an active penalty.

Does Google ignore nofollow links completely?

Not completely. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a “hint” rather than a strict directive. They may use the signal for crawl, indexation, and potentially ranking purposes in some cases. For practical purposes, assume they pass minimal direct ranking value.

Should I try to convert nofollow links to dofollow?

If you have existing nofollow links from high-authority sites, it is occasionally worth reaching out to see if the editorial policy allows for a change. However, the effort-to-reward ratio is usually low. Focus on earning new dofollow links instead.

Are Wikipedia backlinks worth getting?

Yes, for brand exposure and referral traffic. Wikipedia has enormous traffic and high domain authority. A Wikipedia link can send thousands of visitors to your site over time. The fact that it is nofollow means it does not directly improve your keyword rankings, but the indirect benefits are real.

Do social media links count as backlinks?

Yes, they are technically backlinks, but they are almost universally nofollow. Social signals (shares, mentions) may have minor indirect SEO effects through increased traffic and brand awareness, but social media links do not contribute meaningful ranking credit.

Conclusion

Nofollow backlinks do not pass the same ranking credit as dofollow links, but they are not worthless either. They drive referral traffic, contribute to a natural-looking link profile, support brand awareness, and can indirectly lead to dofollow links from secondary coverage.

When building backlinks, prioritize earning dofollow links from authoritative, relevant domains. Accept nofollow links where they come naturally and recognize their value beyond direct ranking impact. And on your own site, use nofollow and sponsored attributes correctly: on paid links, affiliate links, and user-generated content.