Not all backlinks are equal. A dofollow link passes ranking value to the page it points to. A nofollow link doesn’t. Knowing which one you’re dealing with tells you exactly how much SEO value a link is really giving you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s how to check, in under a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of a link as a vote. When one site links to another, it’s saying, “I trust this page enough to send my visitors there.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By default, every link is dofollow. Search engines crawl it and pass ranking value to the page it points to. No special code is needed. This is just the default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s a normal dofollow link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<a href=\"https:\/\/example.com\">Example Site<\/a>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nNo rel<\/code> attribute at all. That’s what makes it dofollow.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA nofollow link adds one small instruction that tells search engines not to pass ranking value through it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<a href=\"https:\/\/example.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">Example Site<\/a>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nPeople can still click it. Search engines just won’t treat it as a trust signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why This Matters for SEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A dofollow link from a trusted site works like a strong recommendation. It can genuinely help you rank higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nofollow links don’t pass that same ranking signal, but they’re not worthless. They still bring real visitors to your site, and they can lead other people to discover your content and link to it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A backlink profile made entirely of dofollow links can actually look suspicious to Google, since natural link profiles are usually a mix of both. Chasing only dofollow links can work against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A real-world example.<\/strong> Say a blog offers you a guest post for $150 and promises a “high-authority backlink.” If that link turns out to be nofollow, you’re mostly paying for exposure, not ranking power. That’s not necessarily a bad deal, but you should know which one you’re getting before you pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Check a Link: 4 Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\nMethod 1: Right-Click and Inspect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Best for checking a single link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Right-click the link.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your browser opens developer tools and highlights the exact HTML.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look inside the
<a><\/code> tag for rel=\"nofollow\"<\/code>, rel=\"sponsored\"<\/code>, or rel=\"ugc\"<\/code>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nNone of those present? The link is dofollow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Method 2: View Page Source<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Best for scanning a whole page at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Right-click anywhere on the page, but not on a link.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click “View Page Source,” or press Ctrl+U (Windows) or Cmd+Option+U (Mac).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) and search for “nofollow.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Repeat the search for “sponsored” and “ugc.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Every match is a link that isn’t passing full ranking credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Method 3: Browser Extensions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Best if you check links regularly. Extensions like NoFollow<\/a> or MozBar<\/a> highlight nofollow links automatically as you browse, usually with a colored border. No inspecting, no searching. You just see it as you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMethod 4: Use an Online Dofollow\/Nofollow Link Checker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Best for checking many links at once, or getting a clean report to share with a client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You paste in a URL, and the tool scans the entire page for you. Within seconds, it lists every link and tells you which ones are dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n