Definition
A dofollow link is a hypertext link that does not carry any restrictive attribute (such as rel="nofollow") and therefore allows search engine bots to follow it and pass authority (link juice) to the target page. By default, all HTML links are dofollow, meaning no specific attribute needs to be added to make them followed. Dofollow links are the most sought-after in link building strategy because they directly contribute to strengthening domain authority and improving search result rankings. Obtaining dofollow links from high-authority sites is one of the primary goals of any effective link building strategy.
Key Points
- All links are dofollow by default unless a nofollow attribute is explicitly added
- Dofollow links pass page authority (PageRank) to the target
- A healthy link profile contains a natural mix of dofollow and nofollow links
Practical Examples
Editorial link in an article
A journalist mentions your tool in an article and inserts a standard link <a href="https://yoursite.com">your tool</a> without a nofollow attribute, thus passing SEO juice to your site.
Link in a premium directory
A paid professional directory includes a dofollow link to your site in your business listing, strengthening your authority in Google's eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inspect the page source code (right-click > Inspect) and check the <a> tag. If it does not contain a rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc" attribute, the link is dofollow. Browser extensions like NoFollow or Link Redirect Trace also let you quickly see link types on a page.
No, a 100% dofollow link profile looks suspicious to Google. A natural profile typically contains a mix of dofollow (60-80%) and nofollow (20-40%) links. The important thing is that the distribution looks organic and natural.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07