Dofollow

Dofollow is a term used in web publishing and search engine optimization to describe a hyperlink that search engines are allowed to follow and to pass ranking signals to the linked page. It contrasts with nofollow, where the link is marked to indicate that search engines should not pass such signals. In practice, dofollow is the default behavior of hyperlinks; the HTML standard does not require a specific "dofollow" value, and most engines treat links without a nofollow directive as dofollow.

When a search engine follows a dofollow link, it may pass a portion of its ranking signals, often described as link equity or PageRank, to the target page. The extent of this influence depends on factors such as the linking site's authority, relevance, and the overall link profile of the destination. The exact effect on rankings is not guaranteed and can vary with changes in search algorithms.

In content management systems and editorial workflows, editors may encounter options to mark links as dofollow or nofollow. Historically, many sites used nofollow for user-generated content to deter spam; modern practice also uses rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content, with nofollow as a fallback. The dofollow/non-dofollow distinction remains a practical shorthand for whether a link is expected to contribute to a target page's ranking.

SEO impact: Dozens of high-quality dofollow backlinks from authoritative sites can contribute to improved visibility, but links from low-quality or spammy sites can harm rankings. Ethical practices emphasize relevance, trust, and avoiding manipulative link schemes.

See also: Nofollow, rel attribute, sponsored links, link equity.