Dofollow backlinks: what they are, how to check them and how to get them safely

What is a dofollow backlink?

There is no "dofollow" tag. A link is dofollow simply because it has no rel attribute that tells search engines otherwise. This is a normal, dofollow link:

<a href="https://example.com/">Example Company</a>

This is a nofollow link:

<a href="https://example.com/" rel="nofollow">Example Company</a>

Dofollow vs nofollow vs sponsored vs ugc

Since 2019 Google has treated nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints rather than strict rules. In practice, ranking value comes mainly from editorial dofollow links on relevant sites.

Are nofollow links useless?

No. A nofollow link from a popular article or forum still sends visitors, helps Google discover your pages and builds brand searches. A natural link profile has both kinds. A profile with only dofollow links from unrelated sites looks bought.

How to check if a link is dofollow

1. Inspect the link. Right-click the link on the page and choose Inspect. Look at the <a> tag. If there is no rel attribute, or only rel="noopener", it is dofollow.
2. View the page source. Press Ctrl+U, then Ctrl+F and search for your domain. Check the rel attribute on each link.
3. Use a browser extension. Free extensions such as NoFollow or SEO Minion highlight nofollow links on any page.
4. Use a backlink tool. Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz label each backlink as dofollow or nofollow. Google Search Console shows your links but not their type.

Also check that the page itself is not set to noindex and is not blocked in robots.txt. A dofollow link on a page Google cannot index passes little or nothing.

How to get dofollow backlinks safely

• Supplier, distributor and partner pages. Ask the companies you buy from or sell to for a listing with a link.
• Industry associations and chambers of commerce. Member directories often link to members.
• Guest articles on real, relevant sites, written to help their readers, not to place a link.
• Original data. Publish prices, survey results or statistics from your own work. Journalists and bloggers link to sources.
• Unlinked mentions. Search for your brand name. Where a site mentions you without a link, ask politely for one.
• Broken link replacement. Find dead links on relevant pages and suggest your page as the replacement.
• Useful tools and templates. Calculators, checklists and templates attract links over time.
• Local press. A new product, an award or a community project is a story for local news sites.

Our list of 12 safe ways to get free backlinks covers each in more detail.

Dofollow backlinks to avoid

• Paid links without rel="sponsored". Buying links that pass credit breaks Google's spam policies.
• Private blog networks (PBNs). Groups of sites built only to link out. Google detects and ignores or penalises them.
• "1,000 free backlinks" tools and lists. They place links on spam directories, comment sections and auto-generated pages. Most are nofollow, worthless, or harmful.
• Link exchanges at scale. "Link to me and I'll link to you" across many unrelated sites.
• Sitewide footer links from sites you have no relationship with.

How many dofollow backlinks do you need?

There is no fixed number. Look at the sites ranking above you for your main keywords and count their referring domains from relevant sites. Ten links from respected sites in your field are worth more than a thousand from unrelated directories. For a local business, a handful of good local links plus a complete Google Business Profile is often enough to compete.

Getting help

We build links by outreach to real sites, and every link is listed in your monthly report with its type. See off-page SEO and link building.