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Link attributes

Follow vs Nofollow Links: What Buyers Should Understand

Follow is informal shorthand for a standard link without restrictive relationship attributes. Nofollow and sponsored attributes communicate additional context to search engines.

Editorially reviewed • Updated September 14, 2026

Standard links

A normal link without rel='nofollow' or rel='sponsored' can be interpreted as an ordinary editorial link.

Nofollow

The nofollow attribute indicates that the publisher does not want to pass the same kind of endorsement signal through the link.

Sponsored

The sponsored attribute is designed for advertising or paid-placement relationships.

Do not treat attributes as the only value

Referral traffic, citations, visibility and relationships can still matter even when a link is not followed.

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