Whether a link is dofollow or nofollow changes how search engines treat it, so it is one of the first things to check after a guest post goes live. The good news is that you do not need any paid tools. Every browser can show you the answer in under a minute.
This guide covers three ways to check, what each rel value means, and the mistakes that cause people to misread a link.
Dofollow or nofollow: what the difference is
There is no actual “dofollow” attribute in HTML. A link is called dofollow when it has no rel value that tells search engines to hold back. That is the default for any normal link.
A link is nofollow (in the broad sense) when its rel attribute contains one of these values:
| rel value | What it signals | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| nofollow | Do not associate this link with the site or pass ranking credit | General catch-all, links the site does not vouch for |
| sponsored | The link is paid, sponsored or part of an advertisement | Paid placements, affiliate links, ads |
| ugc | The link is user-generated content | Comments, forum posts, user profiles |
Values can be combined, such as rel=”nofollow sponsored”. Google treats these values as hints rather than strict commands, but in practice you should assume a nofollow, sponsored or ugc link passes little or no ranking value.
Other common rel values like “noopener” and “noreferrer” are about browser security and referrer data. They do not make a link nofollow.
Method 1: Inspect the link with browser dev tools
This is the fastest way to check a single link and works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari (in Safari, enable the developer menu in settings first).
- Find the link on the page.
- Right-click it and choose Inspect.
- The developer panel opens with the anchor tag highlighted. It looks something like <a href=”https://yoursite.com/page” rel=”nofollow”>.
- Read the rel attribute. If it is missing, or only contains values like noopener, the link is dofollow.
One advantage of Inspect is that it shows the page after JavaScript has run. Some sites add rel attributes with scripts, so this view matches what Google is likely to see after rendering.
Method 2: View the page source
Viewing the source shows the raw HTML the server sent, before scripts change anything.
- Press Ctrl+U on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Option+U on Mac. You can also type view-source: in front of the URL.
- Press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F) and search for your domain.
- Check the rel attribute on each match.
While you are in the source, also search for “robots”. A meta robots tag with “nofollow” makes every link on the page nofollow, even if your individual link has no rel attribute. This is easy to miss and is a common reason a “dofollow” placement is not actually followed.
If the source and the Inspect view disagree, a script is changing the link. Treat the rendered version (Inspect) as the more likely final state, and ask the publisher about it.
Method 3: Use a browser extension
If you check links often, an SEO browser extension can highlight nofollow links on any page with a coloured outline or box. Many free extensions do this, and some also show the meta robots status of the page.
Extensions are handy for scanning a page quickly, but they can miss links added by scripts or read the page before it finishes loading. For a link you paid for, confirm with Inspect.
Checking many links at once
Checking one link by hand is easy. Checking fifty every month is not. For larger lists you can:
- Use a crawler or backlink tool that records the rel value for each link it finds.
- Keep a spreadsheet of every placement with its URL, target, anchor and expected rel value, then spot-check a few each week.
- Set up regular checks as part of your backlink monitoring routine, so a link that changes from dofollow to nofollow does not go unnoticed for months.
Common mistakes when checking
- Checking the wrong link. Your domain may appear in several places, such as the author bio. Make sure you are checking the one you paid for.
- Ignoring the meta robots tag. A page-level nofollow overrides a clean link tag.
- Reading a cached or logged-in version. Use an incognito window so you see what the public sees.
- Checking only once. Attributes can change after publication. We explain why in how dofollow backlinks can lose value.
Should you insist on dofollow?
Most buyers want dofollow because those links can pass ranking signals. Be aware that Google’s guidance says paid links should use rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”, so buying dofollow placements carries some risk. Many SEOs accept it, but it is your call.
Nofollow links are not useless either. They can bring referral visitors, and a natural link profile includes a mix of both. If you are deciding where to spend, look at the full picture of a site, as covered in what makes a high quality backlink, and confirm the result after publication with our guide to validating backlinks.
FAQ
Is there a dofollow attribute I should look for?
No. A dofollow link is simply a link without nofollow, sponsored or ugc in its rel attribute. Writing rel=”dofollow” has no effect.
Does rel=”sponsored” count as nofollow?
Search engines treat sponsored links in a similar way to nofollow, so they are not expected to pass ranking credit. The sponsored value just gives a more specific reason.
Why does my link show as dofollow in the source but nofollow in Inspect?
A script on the page is adding the rel attribute after it loads. Google renders JavaScript, so the Inspect view is usually the one that counts.
Before your next order, compare guest post prices across marketplaces on LinkAcquire, then check the link’s attributes as soon as it goes live.