Every normal link from your site passes some trust (often called link equity) to the page it points to. That is fine for links you genuinely recommend. But for paid, affiliate, or untrusted links, Google wants you to add a special attribute. Get it wrong with paid links and you risk a penalty; I learned this the hard way when one of my blogs was penalized for a paid link without nofollow.
Here is when and how to use nofollow, and the newer sponsored and ugc attributes, in 2026.
The Three Link Attributes
| Attribute | Use It For |
|---|---|
rel="sponsored" | Paid links: ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links |
rel="ugc" | User-generated content, such as comments and forum posts |
rel="nofollow" | Any other link you do not want to vouch for |
Google introduced sponsored and ugc in 2019 and now treats all three as hints rather than strict commands. Using nofollow on paid links is still acceptable, but sponsored is the most accurate. You can combine them, for example rel="sponsored nofollow".
When to Add Nofollow or Sponsored
- Paid links and sponsored posts: always use sponsored (or nofollow). Selling followed links violates Google’s spam policies.
- Affiliate links: use sponsored. See how to manage and cloak affiliate links.
- Banner ads sold directly to advertisers.
- Untrusted or low-quality sites you need to mention.
- Embedded widgets or badges that include keyword-rich links back to their creator.
When Not to Use Nofollow
Do not nofollow every outbound link. Linking to helpful, relevant sources with normal links is natural and good for readers. Your own internal links should also be normal (followed) links.
How to Add Nofollow to a Link
Method 1: HTML
A normal link looks like this:
<a href="https://example.com">Example</a>Add the rel attribute to make it nofollow (or sponsored):
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example</a>In the block editor, select the block, click the three dots in its toolbar, and choose Edit as HTML to add it.
Method 2: Your SEO Plugin (Easiest)
Rank Math and All in One SEO add nofollow and sponsored toggles to the link popup in the block editor, so you just tick a box when adding a link. Rank Math can also add nofollow to all external links automatically, with exceptions for domains you trust.
Method 3: A Dedicated Plugin
If your SEO plugin does not offer this, see our list of the best nofollow plugins for WordPress. Affiliate link plugins such as ThirstyAffiliates also add nofollow and sponsored automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do nofollow links help SEO?
They pass little or no ranking value, but they can still bring traffic and brand awareness.
Should affiliate links be nofollow or sponsored?
Sponsored is the most accurate, and nofollow is also acceptable. Use one of them on every affiliate link.
Are blog comment links nofollow?
Yes. WordPress automatically adds nofollow and ugc to links in comments.
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