Dofollow

Quick Definition

A dofollow link is any regular link without a nofollow, sponsored, or ugc attribute. Dofollow links pass SEO authority ("link juice") to the destination page, helping it rank higher.

Ahrefs glossary — dofollow links

What Is a Dofollow Link?

Any link WITHOUT rel="nofollow". Not an actual HTML attribute — just the absence of nofollow. All links are dofollow by default. Passes link equity ("link juice") — a top Google ranking factor.

Dofollow = search engines follow + pass authority. Nofollow = don't follow, no authority passed.

In WordPress: all links dofollow by default. Only add nofollow for affiliate/sponsored/untrusted links.

Why It Matters

Dofollow backlinks from reputable sites = foundation of off-page SEO. See our SEO tips and SEO checklist.

Sources: Google Search Central: Qualify Outbound Links, Google Search Central: Evolving "nofollow"

Related Terms

BacklinkA backlink is a link from another website that points to your site. Search engines treat backlinks as votes of confidence — the more high-quality sites that link to you, the higher your WordPress site can rank in Google.External LinkAn external link (outbound link) is a hyperlink from your website to a page on a different website. Linking to authoritative sources builds trust with both users and search engines.NofollowNofollow is a link attribute (rel="nofollow") that tells search engines not to pass SEO authority through that link. Use it for affiliate links, sponsored content, and untrusted user-generated links.

Related Articles

How to Improve WordPress SEO: 15 Tips That Actually WorkYour WordPress site is live but traffic is flat. After 20 years of building and optimizing WordPress sites, here are the 15 things I do on every single project to get Google traffic flowing.WordPress SEO Checklist — 20 Steps to Rank Higher on Google in 2026A concise, actionable WordPress SEO checklist covering setup, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and content strategy. Follow these 20 steps to give your WordPress site the best possible chance of ranking on Google.Best WordPress SEO Plugins in 2026 — Yoast vs Rank Math vs All in One SEOI've used every major WordPress SEO plugin over the past decade. Here's my honest comparison of Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO — with real features, pricing, and my recommendation.

← Back to WordPress Glossary