Dofollow and nofollow checker
Enter a page and this tool lists its links, says which are internal and which go to other sites, and shows the rel value on each one: nofollow, sponsored, ugc or none. Links without those values are followed.
It’s for makers checking a backlink someone promised, a directory listing, or their own site’s outbound links. It reads the HTML your server sends, so links added later by scripts aren’t counted.
Free with a ShipScroll account.
How to use the Dofollow / Nofollow Checker
- Enter the page that holds the links, such as a directory listing with your product on it.
- Press Check links.
- Find your link in the list and look at its rel value.
- On your own site, review links marked nofollow that point to your own pages.
What the rel values mean
| rel value | Use it for |
|---|---|
| sponsored | Paid links, ads and affiliate links |
| ugc | Links in comments, forum posts and other user content |
| nofollow | Any link you don’t want to vouch for |
| (none) | An ordinary link you stand behind |
“Dofollow” isn’t a real attribute
There’s no rel="dofollow". A link is followed unless it carries nofollow, sponsored or ugc. Google treats all three as hints: it may still crawl a nofollow link, and may count a link it chooses to. Using sponsored for paid links keeps you within Google’s rules on link schemes.
Example: checking a promised backlink
A newsletter says it will link to your launch. Run its archive page here and find your address. If it says sponsored, the link was handled as a paid placement. That’s correct for an ad, but not the editorial link you might have expected.
Questions
Is a nofollow link worthless?
No. It can still send visitors, and Google may use it as a hint. It just doesn’t carry the same endorsement as a followed link.
Should I nofollow links to my own pages?
Usually not. It doesn’t hide those pages and can stop search engines discovering them. To keep a page out of results, use noindex.
Why is a link I can see missing?
It’s probably added by JavaScript after the page loads, or it isn’t an <a href> link. This tool reads the HTML before scripts run.
Why are only some links listed?
We list the first 200 links. The counts at the top always cover every link on the page.
Related tools
- Broken Link CheckerTest every link on a page and see which are broken, redirected or blocked.
- On-Page SEO AuditOne report on a page’s title, headings, images, links, schema and robots.txt.
- Image Alt Text CheckerFind images with no alt text, and check the ones marked decorative.