Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow?
A dofollow link is a normal link that can pass ranking value. A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow", and since 2019 Google treats it as a hint rather than a rule, so it usually passes little value.
What do ugc and sponsored mean?
Google added them in 2019. rel="sponsored" marks paid or affiliate links, and rel="ugc" marks links in user content like comments and forum posts. Both are treated like nofollow.
Can a whole page be nofollow?
Yes. A robots meta tag with nofollow tells search engines not to follow any link on the page, even links without a rel attribute. This checker flags that at the top of the results.
Are nofollow links worthless?
No. They still send visitors and make a link profile look natural. But to rank you need relevant dofollow links, so check the type before you count a new link as a win.