How to Find Dofollow Backlinks?

Many people want dofollow backlinks because they have heard that these are the links that pass ranking value. The picture is a bit more nuanced, but it is still useful to know how to check a link’s attribute and how to find opportunities that are likely to be dofollow. This guide shows you how.

What dofollow means

A dofollow link is a link with no rel attribute that tells search engines not to pass credit. There is no actual “dofollow” tag. The term just describes a normal link. Links marked rel=”nofollow”, rel=”sponsored” or rel=”ugc” are treated differently. For context, see our explainer on dofollow backlinks, and Wikipedia has a short history of the nofollow attribute.

Google now treats nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints, so a link with one of these attributes can still be used for discovery. A plain link is more likely to count as a stronger ranking signal.

How to check if a link is dofollow

Method 1: View the page source

1. Open the page that contains the link.
2. Right-click the link and choose Inspect, or view the page source.
3. Find the anchor tag, which starts with an a and an href.
4. Look for a rel attribute. If it contains nofollow, sponsored or ugc, the link is not a plain link. If there is no rel attribute, it is a normal link.

Method 2: Use a browser extension

Several free extensions highlight nofollow links on a page, which makes it easy to scan a whole article quickly. This is useful when reviewing a prospect’s site.

Method 3: Use a backlink tool

Backlinks analysis tools show the attribute for each link they have found, and you can filter by dofollow or nofollow. This is the fastest way to review a long list. Remember that the data reflects what the tool saw at crawl time.

How to find dofollow backlinks to your own site

Open your backlinks report in a tool and filter by dofollow. You will see which sites give you plain links, which pages attract them and which anchor text they use. Search Console does not break links down by attribute, so for this you need a third-party tool. For step-by-step help, read how to check if your website has backlinks.

How to find dofollow opportunities

Once you know what you want, look for places where links are typically plain.

• Editorial articles and guest posts on independent blogs. Many sites give contextual links without special attributes, though policies vary.
• Resource pages. Curated lists of helpful links often use plain links.
• Industry and partner pages. Associations and partners may link to members.
• Mentions that can be converted. Unlinked brand mentions can be turned into links with a polite request.

Keep in mind that paid or sponsored content should be marked according to Google’s guidance. Google’s page on qualifying outbound links says paid links should use sponsored or nofollow. Publishers that follow this guidance are doing the right thing, even though it means some links will not be plain. We discuss the issue honestly on our guest posting services page, where each publisher sets its own link attributes and we tell you before you approve.

Why chasing only dofollow links is a mistake

• A natural profile has both. If every link to your site is dofollow, it may look unnatural.
• Nofollow links still help. They send visitors, raise awareness and can lead to further links.
• Relevance beats attribute. A nofollow link from a major publication in your field may be worth more than a dofollow link from a weak blog.
• Attributes can change. A publisher may update its policy, and a link can switch from plain to nofollow.

High quality dofollow backlinks are valuable, but only when the site is relevant and trusted. If someone offers dofollow links from high DR backlinks or high DA backlinks sites without showing you the exact pages, be careful. Scores can be inflated, and a high number on a site with no traffic is not much use.

How to ask for the right attribute

If you are working with a publisher, say what you would like, but accept their policy. Do not pressure a site into giving a plain link if it normally marks sponsored content. Pushing for hidden paid links can put both of you at risk. A better approach is to ask what attribute they use and to decide whether the placement is worth it for relevance, audience and brand exposure.

Checking links after publication

After a link goes live, check:

1. The link is present and visible.
2. The anchor text and destination URL are correct.
3. The rel attribute is what you expected.
4. The page is indexed and not blocked.

Record the results in a spreadsheet. See how to monitor backlinks for a simple tracking approach.

Where dofollow links usually come from

In practice, you are most likely to find plain links in three kinds of places. The first is editorial articles on independent blogs and niche publications that link out generously to useful resources. The second is partner, supplier and customer pages where a company links to the businesses it works with. The third is resource lists and roundups created by people who want to point readers to good tools or guides. In each case the link is plain because the publisher chose to link without commercial arrangement or because the policy is simple.

By contrast, large news sites, forums, social platforms and many paid placements often apply nofollow, sponsored or ugc. That does not make them useless. They can send visitors and raise the profile of your brand.

A short checklist for a prospect

Before you invest time in a link opportunity, open one existing outbound link on the page and check its rel attribute. If every outbound link carries nofollow, a plain link is unlikely. If the publisher marks sponsored posts clearly and links to other sites normally in editorial pieces, you have a better picture of how the site works. Spending a few minutes on this check saves a lot of wasted outreach.

If you prefer to learn by video, the Google Search Central YouTube channel publishes practical explainers on how Google Search handles links, crawling and indexing.

Where to see link attributes before you order

When you are weighing a placement, ask the publisher or provider what attribute will be used. Our buy backlinks page lists the sites you can choose from, and each publisher’s policy is explained before you approve.

Key takeaways

• A dofollow link is simply a link without a nofollow, sponsored or ugc attribute.
• You can check attributes in the page source, with a browser extension or in a backlink tool.
• A natural profile contains a mix of link types.
• Relevance and real traffic matter more than the attribute alone.
• Follow Google’s guidance on paid links and be transparent with publishers.