Nofollow Link Checker: Count Nofollow vs Dofollow Links on Any Page
Paste any URL and RankNibbler counts every link with a rel attribute — nofollow, sponsored, UGC, dofollow — and shows the exact ratio. Free, instant, no signup. Catch accidentally-nofollowed internal links, over-nofollowed outbound links, and missing sponsored/UGC attributes before they damage your SEO.
What Is Nofollow?
The rel="nofollow" attribute is a hint to search engines that they should not pass ranking authority (PageRank, link equity) from your page to the linked page. It was introduced in 2005 specifically to combat comment spam, and it has evolved into a core SEO tool for controlling how authority flows through your site.
In 2019 Google introduced two more specific attributes to replace the catch-all nofollow: rel="sponsored" for paid or promotional links, and rel="ugc" for user-generated content. All three are now hints rather than directives — Google may treat them as nofollow, or may still follow them based on context. Bing and other engines still treat nofollow more literally.
The Three Link Attributes You Need to Know
| Attribute | When to Use | Signal to Google |
|---|---|---|
rel="nofollow" | Legacy catch-all; untrusted links | Hint: may pass no authority |
rel="sponsored" | Paid links, affiliate links, advertising | Must be disclosed; may pass no authority |
rel="ugc" | User-generated content: comments, forum posts | Hint: may pass reduced authority |
| (no attribute / dofollow) | Editorially chosen links you trust | Passes full authority |
Attributes can be combined: rel="nofollow sponsored" is common for affiliate links.
When to Use Each Attribute
Always Use Sponsored (or Nofollow Sponsored)
Paid links, affiliate links, sponsored posts, and guest content exchanged for payment must be marked. Failing to do so violates Google's Webmaster Guidelines and can trigger manual or algorithmic penalties. This applies even when the disclosure is not legally required — Google considers undisclosed paid links a form of link manipulation.
Use UGC for User-Submitted Content
Blog comments, forum posts, user reviews, and any link a visitor can insert without editorial review should use rel="ugc". This prevents spammers from inflating their rankings by abusing your comments section. WordPress and most forum software add UGC attributes automatically in recent versions.
Use Nofollow for Untrusted Links
If you link to a page you cannot vouch for — a source whose credibility is unclear, a site you reference for criticism, or a competitor — rel="nofollow" is appropriate. Editorial links to trusted sources should be dofollow.
Do NOT Nofollow Internal Links
A common mistake is nofollowing internal links to "sculpt" PageRank away from less-important pages (privacy policies, login pages). Google deprecated this approach in 2009. Internal nofollow now just leaks authority — the link equity evaporates entirely instead of flowing to another page.
What a Healthy Nofollow Ratio Looks Like
There is no universal ideal ratio, but these benchmarks hold across most site types:
| Page Type | Typical Nofollow Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial blog post | 5–20% | Mostly dofollow to trusted sources; nofollow for criticisms |
| Affiliate / review content | 40–80% | Most outbound links are sponsored |
| User forum / comments | 70–95% | UGC is default; only editorial picks are dofollow |
| Homepage | 0–10% | Internal links only; external links rare |
| Product page | 10–30% | Reviews and Q&A sections raise UGC proportion |
If your ratio falls well outside these ranges, investigate. A blog post with 80% nofollow is unusual; a product page with 0% sponsored links when you have affiliate placements is a compliance risk.
Common Nofollow Problems
Every Link Nofollowed (Link Plugin Bug)
Some SEO plugins have an "automatically nofollow external links" setting that accidentally nofollows everything — including editorial links to high-authority sources. This blocks you from passing authority to legitimate citations, which Google interprets as distrustful linking behaviour.
Missing Sponsored Attributes
Affiliate links with just rel="nofollow" (no sponsored) violate Google's 2019 guidance. Google can still algorithmically detect paid links, but disclosed paid links are treated more favourably than undisclosed ones.
Comment Section Missing UGC
Old forum and blog software still outputs either plain dofollow or plain nofollow on user-submitted links. Update your commenting system or add UGC attributes programmatically.
Internal Links Marked Nofollow
Especially common on links to privacy policies, terms pages, or login forms. No benefit — just leaks authority. Remove the attribute.
How to Audit and Fix Nofollow Issues
- Run this checker on key pages. Homepage, top blog posts, and category pages first.
- Calculate your ratio. Compare to the benchmarks above.
- Audit outliers. If ratio is unexpectedly high, identify the source — plugin, theme, or manual attribute.
- Fix the source, not just symptoms. If a plugin is blanket-nofollowing, reconfigure it rather than patching individual links.
- Re-audit after fixing.
- Document policy. Give editors a clear rule for when to use which attribute, so new content maintains consistency.
Related Link Tools
- What is a nofollow link? — full reference.
- Link analysis — complete internal/external link breakdown.
- Broken link checker — find dead links.
- How to write anchor text — the other half of link SEO.
- Internal linking guide — structure internal authority flow.