How to Check If a Link Is Dofollow or Nofollow (Free and Paid Methods)

Every time I earn a backlink, the first thing I do is check whether it’s dofollow or nofollow.

A link that looks good on the surface can still pass zero SEO value. And if I’m spending time on outreach, guest posts, or link placements, I want to know exactly what I’m getting.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to check if a link is dofollow or nofollow using five different methods, from a free 30-second browser trick to full-scale backlink audits using SEO platforms.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

• How to check a single link with no tools
• Browser extensions that highlight link attributes visually
• Free online checkers for quick URL scans
• SEO platforms for auditing your full backlink profile
• What to do after you check

Let’s get into it.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow — What You’re Actually Looking For

Before I show you how to check, you need to know what you’re looking for in the code.

Dofollow links are standard links with no special attribute. They pass link equity to the page they point to. This is the default behavior — no extra code needed.

Nofollow links carry a rel=”nofollow” attribute. This tells Google not to pass equity through the link.

Here’s how each looks in HTML:

html

<!– Dofollow (no rel attribute) –>

<a href=“https://example.com”>Anchor Text</a>

<!– Nofollow –>

<a href=“https://example.com” rel=“nofollow”>Anchor Text</a>

Google also introduced two additional attributes in 2019:

• rel=”sponsored” — used for paid, affiliate, or ad links
• rel=”ugc” — used for user-generated content like comments and forum posts

Both work similarly to nofollow in terms of equity passing.

One thing I want to clear up before we go further: rel=”dofollow” is not a real HTML attribute. A link without any rel attribute is already followed by default. Adding “dofollow” to your code does nothing.

Now let’s check for these attributes in practice.

Method 1: Browser Inspect (Free, No Tools Needed)

Best for: Checking one specific link in under 30 seconds.

This is the method I use most when I need a quick answer on a single link. No extensions, no tools, no account needed — just your browser.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the page that contains the link you want to check
2. Right-click directly on the link
3. Select Inspect (or press Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows / Cmd+Option+I on Mac)
4. Your browser opens DevTools with the element highlighted in the code
5. Look inside the <a> tag for a rel= attribute

Here’s how to read the result:

• No rel= attribute → the link is dofollow
• rel=”nofollow” → not passing equity
• rel=”sponsored” → paid or affiliate link
• rel=”ugc” → user-generated content

If the code looks dense and hard to scan, press Ctrl+F inside DevTools and search for “nofollow”. It jumps straight to the relevant part.

Method 2: View Page Source (Free, No Tools Needed)

Best for: Scanning multiple links on one page without installing anything.

When I want to check more than one link on a page, I skip DevTools and go straight to the page source. It’s faster for a bulk scan.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the page in your browser
2. Press Ctrl+U on Windows or Cmd+Option+U on Mac
3. The full raw HTML of the page opens in a new tab
4. Press Ctrl+F to open the search bar
5. Type nofollow and hit Enter
6. Every instance of the attribute gets highlighted across the entire page

Each highlighted result shows you exactly which link carries the nofollow attribute and where it sits in the code.

I also search for rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc” separately if I want a complete picture of all non-equity links on the page.

Method 3: Browser Extensions (Free)

Best for: Visual on-page audits while browsing — no code reading required.

This is my go-to method when I’m reviewing a placement page before outreach or auditing a competitor’s link profile. Extensions highlight link attributes directly on the page, so I can see everything at a glance without touching the source code.

Here are the three I use and recommend:

a) NoFollow Extension (Chrome and Firefox)

This is the simplest option. Once installed, it places a red border around every nofollow link directly on the page. Dofollow links stay unmarked.

I use this when I want a fast visual pass on a page without pulling up any reports. Install it, refresh the page, and the answer is right in front of you.

b) Ahrefs SEO Toolbar (Free)

This extension does more than just highlight links. It generates an on-page link report that shows the follow status, anchor text, and linked URL for every link on the page — all in one table.

I use this when I’m vetting a site for a guest post or link placement. It gives me the full picture in one view without opening a separate tool.

c) SEOquake

SEOquake builds a filterable link table for the page. I can sort links by follow or nofollow status, filter by internal or external, and export the data if needed.

I use this when I’m doing a more detailed on-page link audit and want to work through the data systematically.

Method 4: Free Online Link Checker Tools

Best for: Getting a full dofollow/nofollow breakdown for any URL without installing anything.

When I want to check all the links on a specific page but don’t want to install an extension or open DevTools, I use a free online link checker. These tools crawl the target URL and return a clean results table showing every link on the page with its follow status.

a) Dofollow – Nofollow Link Checker by GUESTPOSTLINKS

This is the tool I use first. It’s free, requires no account, and takes about five seconds to run.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to Dofollow – Nofollow Link Checker by GUESTPOSTLINKS
2. Paste the URL of the page you want to check into the input field
3. Click the Check button
4. The tool scans the page and returns a full table of every link
5. Each link is clearly labeled — dofollow links and nofollow links are separated so you can read the results at a glance

The results show each link’s URL, its follow status, and anchor text. I can see immediately which links on the page are passing equity and which are not.

No login, no setup, no limit on how many times I can use it.

b) Xamsor

Handles bulk inputs — up to 20 URLs at once. Useful when I’m checking multiple placement pages after a link building campaign.

c) SERPninja Bulk Checker

Generates a more detailed report with URL, follow status, and additional link data. Good when I need something to share with a client.

d) LinkPublishers

Quick single-URL scan that categorizes external links as dofollow or nofollow. Straightforward and fast.

Method 5: SEO Platforms with Backlink Filtering (Paid)

Best for: Auditing your full backlink profile or a competitor’s link profile at scale.

When I need to see every backlink pointing to my site — and filter by dofollow vs. nofollow — free tools won’t cover that. This is where dedicated SEO platforms come in. They give me the full picture across hundreds or thousands of links in one place.

Here are the three I use most:

a) Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free up to 500 URLs, Paid for full crawls)

I use Screaming Frog when I want to audit the outgoing links on my own site — not just a single page, but the whole domain.

Here’s how to check link attributes in Screaming Frog:

1. Open Screaming Frog and enter your domain in the search bar
2. Run a full crawl in Spider mode
3. Once complete, go to the Inlinks tab
4. Apply the filter: Follow = False to isolate all nofollow links
5. Check the Rel column to identify sponsored or ugc tags

This is the fastest way I know to find pages on my own site where links are being nofollowed by mistake.

b) Ahrefs Backlink Checker

This is my go-to for backlink profile analysis. Ahrefs has one of the largest link indexes available, and filtering by dofollow or nofollow takes two clicks.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to Ahrefs Site Explorer and enter your domain or a competitor’s domain
2. Click on the Backlinks report in the left sidebar
3. Use the Dofollow / Nofollow toggle at the top of the report
4. Review which referring domains are passing equity and which are not
5. Sort by Domain Rating to prioritize the strongest links first

I also use this when I’m doing competitor research. Seeing how much of a competitor’s backlink profile is dofollow vs. nofollow tells me a lot about their link building strategy.

c) SE Ranking Backlink Checker

SE Ranking is a solid option if I want backlink filtering at a lower price point than Ahrefs.

Here’s how to check link attributes:

1. Enter your domain into SE Ranking’s Backlink Checker
2. Open the Backlinks section
3. Look at the Type column — it shows follow status for every link
4. Filter by dofollow or nofollow using the dropdown at the top
5. Cross-reference with the Domain Trust score to spot any low-quality nofollow links worth monitoring

What to Do After You Check

Checking link attributes is only half the job. Here’s what I do with the results.

1. I earned a link but it’s nofollow

I only reach out to ask for a change if the link is editorial, the site is high authority, and a dofollow link would feel natural in context. For links from Reddit, Wikipedia, or major news sites, I leave them alone — the referral traffic is worth more than the equity.

2. I found nofollow on my own outgoing links by mistake

I check my WordPress settings first — some plugins add nofollow to external links by default. If it’s a specific link, I go into the HTML editor and remove the rel=”nofollow” attribute directly.

3. Spammy sites are linking to me with nofollow

I don’t act on these. Google’s position is clear — nofollow links from spammy sources don’t hurt your site. I save the disavow tool for toxic dofollow links only.

FAQs

Is rel=”dofollow” a real HTML attribute? 

No. There is no such thing as rel=”dofollow” in HTML. A link without any rel attribute is followed by default. Adding “dofollow” to your code does nothing and is technically incorrect.

Do nofollow links pass any SEO value? 

Not directly. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict directive. That means it may still crawl and consider nofollowed links in some cases — but link equity is generally not passed.

Can I ask a website to change a nofollow link to dofollow? 

Yes. I keep the outreach short — I mention I noticed the link is marked nofollow and ask if they’d be open to removing the attribute. Many site owners are happy to update it.

How long does it take Google to recognize a new dofollow backlink? 

Usually a few days to a few weeks, depending on how often Google crawls the referring domain.

Does nofollow mean Google will never follow the link? 

Not guaranteed. Since Google now treats nofollow as a hint, it reserves the right to crawl and factor in nofollowed links when it finds them relevant or high quality.