Glossaire · SEO

Dofollow link

A dofollow link is a hyperlink that passes authority (link juice) and PageRank from the source page to the destination page, thereby contributing to its ranking. It is the default behavior of an HTML link: unless an attribute states otherwise, every link is treated as dofollow by search engines. Unlike a nofollow link, a dofollow link explicitly allows Googlebot to follow the target and assign it a trust signal. In SEO, these links sit at the heart of link building: a profile of dofollow links from trusted sites strengthens domain authority and improves rankings in the SERPs. The term "dofollow" does not exist as a real HTML attribute; it simply denotes the absence of rel="nofollow". An editorial, contextual and topically relevant dofollow backlink remains one of the most powerful ranking factors in 2026.

A dofollow link is the most valuable type of hyperlink in SEO: it tells search engines they may follow the destination and pass along a share of authority. This is the standard behavior of any web link.

How it works

In HTML, a link is written <a href="https://example.com">anchor</a>. By default, this link is dofollow: no attribute is required. When Googlebot crawls the page, it follows the link, discovers the target page and assigns it a fraction of PageRank, sometimes called "link juice". Conversely, adding rel="nofollow" (or sponsored, ugc) asks the engine not to pass that trust signal.

The word "dofollow" is therefore not a real attribute: it simply describes the absence of a nofollow directive. It is a language convention among SEOs.

Why it matters

Dofollow links from trusted sites are one of the historic pillars of Google ranking. They strengthen domain authority, speed up indexing and improve positions. In a link building strategy, the goal is to earn editorial, contextual and topically relevant dofollow links — far more powerful than an isolated footer link.

Key takeaway

A link is dofollow by default. It is the rel="nofollow" attribute that changes this behavior, not the other way around.

A concrete example

An industry outlet publishes an article and cites your study with a dofollow link to your pillar page. Google follows the link, transfers authority and associates your domain with the topic: your credibility and rankings rise. If that same outlet added rel="nofollow", the link would still drive referral traffic but pass no direct ranking signal.

At LUWIZ, we favor natural dofollow link acquisition, with no link schemes, to build lasting authority free from penalty risk.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Inspect the page source and look at the <a> tag. If it contains no rel="nofollow", "sponsored" or "ugc", the link is dofollow by default. Browser extensions can also highlight them quickly.

For passing authority, yes. But a link profile that is 100% dofollow looks artificial to Google. A natural mix of dofollow and nofollow links is more credible and more durable.

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