SEO · Free tool
Nofollow / Sponsored / UGC Auditor
See every link, its rel attribute and which category it falls into — dofollow, nofollow, sponsored or ugc.
dofollow
1
nofollow
1
sponsored
1
ugc
1
| Anchor | rel | Flag | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| “internal” | none | dofollow | /internal |
| “partner” | sponsored | sponsored | https://partner.com |
| “comment link” | ugc | ugc | https://example.com |
| “old style” | nofollow | nofollow | https://example.com |
When to use which rel value
sponsored for paid links, affiliate links and ads — required by Google's policies. ugc for user-generated content like comments and forum posts. nofollow as a generic hint not to pass equity (legacy). Failing to mark sponsored content can trigger manual actions against the site.
All three are hints now, not directives
Since 2019 Google treats nofollow as a hint, not a strict instruction. Anchor text in nofollow links is still seen but typically discounted. Pair with the anchor text analyser for the full link audit. The deeper guidance is in nofollow, sponsored and UGC link rels explained.
Common findings
- Affiliate links without
rel="sponsored". - Blog comments with do-follow links — usually a WordPress misconfig.
- Old
nofollowon internal links — drop it; let equity flow. - Multiple rel values stacked (
rel="noopener nofollow ugc") — all valid.
FAQ
What is the difference between nofollow, sponsored and ugc?
nofollow (legacy): generic hint not to pass equity. sponsored: paid links, ads, affiliate links. ugc: user-generated content (comments, forum posts). All three are hints since 2019; Google may still pass partial signals.
When should I use rel="sponsored"?
On any paid placement - affiliate links, sponsored reviews, ad units. Failing to mark sponsored content can trigger manual actions against your site, regardless of whether the placement was disclosed editorially.
Do internal links need nofollow?
Rarely. Older "PageRank sculpting" theories suggested nofollow-ing low-value pages, but Google has discouraged this since 2009. Use noindex meta tags instead if you do not want pages in the index.