What link attributes are
A link in a web page’s code can carry a label in its rel attribute that describes the relationship between the page and the destination. A normal link might look like <a href="https://example.com/">. A labeled link adds something like rel="nofollow". Visitors cannot see the label, and the link works exactly the same for them. The label is information for search engines.
Three labels are widely used for this purpose: nofollow, sponsored and ugc.
Nofollow
Nofollow originally appeared as a way for site owners to say, in effect, “I am not vouching for this link.” It was created largely to discourage comment spam: if links in comments passed no credit, there would be less reason to post them.
Today, search engines have described nofollow as a hint, which means they may use it as a signal but are not bound by it. It is a general-purpose label, appropriate when you link to something but do not want to imply endorsement, for example a page you are criticizing, or a destination you have not checked.
Sponsored
The sponsored label is meant for links created as part of advertising, sponsorships or other paid arrangements. If money, free products or other compensation was exchanged for a link, search engines ask that it be marked this way. This keeps the link from being counted as an unpaid recommendation.
Using it is not a sign of wrongdoing; it is the honest way to handle a paid placement. Problems arise when paid links are left unlabeled, which falls into the territory described under link schemes.
UGC
UGC stands for user-generated content. The label fits links that visitors, not the site owner, add: forum posts, blog comments, reviews and similar. The idea is that you did not choose the link yourself and cannot personally vouch for it. Applying it automatically to all such links is a common and sensible default, and many content systems do so out of the box.
Combining labels
Labels can be combined, since the rel attribute accepts several values separated by spaces. A comment link in a sponsored section could be labeled with both sponsored and ugc. In practice, most pages need only one.
Are they commands?
Search engines have said that these labels are treated as hints. That wording suggests they may sometimes still discover pages through such links or use them in other ways. For the owner, the practical meaning is: do not count on nofollowed links to make a page invisible, and do not count on them to be wasted either. Details can change, and exact treatment is not fully public.
This matters because beliefs about “link juice” sometimes lead people to dramatic action, such as labeling all outbound links nofollow. That approach is generally unnecessary and can make a site look like it does not trust anyone, so keep a light touch.
When to use each
A straightforward guide:
| Situation | Typical label |
|---|---|
| An ordinary editorial link you stand behind | None |
| A link in a paid ad or sponsored post | Sponsored |
| A link within a visitor comment or forum post | UGC |
| A link you do not wish to endorse | Nofollow |
| An affiliate or compensated link | Sponsored |
Where a case is borderline, sponsored is the safer choice for anything involving compensation.
What they mean for your own incoming links
Links from other sites to you may arrive with these labels. That is normal and not a problem. Many valuable links, for example from social platforms, forums or big publications, carry some label. They can still send visitors and raise awareness. When you review incoming links, do not discard or ignore a link just because it is labeled. Instead, take it into account along with its source and relevance.
Equally, do not ask a publisher to remove a sponsored or nofollow label from a paid placement. Doing so asks them to misrepresent the arrangement. If someone offers you such a deal, treat it as a warning sign. Section after section of guidance on outreach etiquette makes the same point: honesty about how a link came about is central.
Checking your own links
You can inspect labels in a few ways:
- View the page’s source in your browser and search for
rel=. - Use your browser’s developer tools to inspect a specific link.
- Run a crawl of your own site with a crawler that reports link attributes, which is part of a good set of audit tool types.
Look for these patterns:
- Navigation and body links that are labeled nofollow without reason.
- User comment sections with no UGC or nofollow labeling.
- Paid or affiliate links without a sponsored label.
- Labels used on internal links, which is rarely needed. For internal links, ordinary internal linking is the norm, and labeling them confuses matters.
Common mistakes
- Labeling every external link nofollow in the hope of “saving” value.
- Forgetting to label paid or affiliate links.
- Assuming a label guarantees how a search engine will behave.
- Using the label to hide a link, which does nothing to hide it from readers or crawlers.
Keep it simple
Most sites need only a small policy: leave editorial links alone, mark paid links as sponsored, mark visitor-submitted links as UGC, and use nofollow when you want to avoid implying endorsement. Document that policy so that anyone editing your site follows it.