How to Check If a Backlink Is Dofollow or Nofollow With a Free Tool

Not all backlinks pass value in the same way. Some links are set up to tell search engines “follow this and credit the target site”, while others carry instructions that change that relationship. If you are building links, auditing a site, or judging whether a guest post was worth the effort, knowing how to tell the difference is a basic but essential skill.

The good news is that checking a link takes less than a minute, and you do not need paid software. This guide shows the three main free methods, explains the special link attributes you will meet, and helps you judge what the results actually mean.

Quick Answer

To check if a backlink is dofollow or nofollow for free, inspect the link’s HTML and look at its rel attribute: no rel attribute, or rel without “nofollow”, usually means dofollow, while rel=”nofollow” means the link is marked nofollow. You can check this with your browser’s view-source or inspect tools, a free extension such as MozBar, or an online backlink checker.

What Dofollow and Nofollow Mean

First, a small but important detail: “dofollow” is not an official HTML term. There is no rel=”dofollow” attribute. A link is simply a normal link unless something in its code tells search engines to treat it differently.

• Dofollow (normal) links: a standard link with no restricting rel value. Search engines follow it and generally treat it as an endorsement that can help the target page.
• Nofollow links: a link with rel=”nofollow” in its code. This tells search engines the linking site does not fully endorse the target. Google treats it as a strong hint and may choose not to pass ranking value through it.
• Sponsored links: marked with rel=”sponsored” for paid placements, adverts, and sponsored posts.
• UGC links: marked with rel=”ugc”, short for user-generated content, and used for links inside comments and forum posts.

These attributes can also be combined. You might see rel=”nofollow sponsored” on a paid placement, or rel=”ugc nofollow” on a blog comment. When you check a link, read the whole rel value, not just the first word.

A mixed profile is normal and healthy. A real website naturally earns some dofollow links from editorial mentions and some nofollow links from comments, profiles, and social platforms. Panicking because one link is nofollow is a mistake; what matters is the overall balance and quality of the sites linking to you. For the wider picture, see our guide on checking your website’s backlinks with free tools, which shows how to review your whole profile rather than one link at a time.

Method 1: Check the rel Attribute in the Page Source

This is the most direct and reliable method, because you are reading the actual code behind the link.

Using Inspect in your browser

1. Open the page that contains the link to your site.
2. Right-click directly on the link and choose “Inspect” (the wording is similar in most browsers).
3. The developer panel opens and highlights the link’s HTML, which looks like an <a> tag with an href attribute.
4. Look for a rel attribute inside that tag.
5. If there is no rel attribute, or the rel value does not contain “nofollow”, the link is a normal dofollow link. If you see rel=”nofollow”, it is nofollow.

Using view-source search

1. Open the linking page and press the keyboard shortcut for viewing page source, or add view-source: before the URL in the address bar.
2. Use find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for your domain name.
3. Read the full link tag around your URL and check its rel value as described above.

Inspect is usually easier, because the link is highlighted in context. Source view is handy when a page has many links and you want to find yours quickly.

Method 2: Use a Free Browser Extension to Highlight Links

If you check links often, an extension saves a lot of time by colouring links directly on the page.

One well-known free option is the MozBar SEO toolbar from Moz, which highlights and labels links on any page. Once installed, you can turn on its link highlighting and browse a page while dofollow, nofollow, internal, and external links are shown in different colours or styles, depending on your settings.

How to check with an extension

1. Install the extension from your browser’s official web store.
2. Open the page containing your backlink.
3. Activate the extension’s link highlighting feature.
4. Find your link and check its colour or label against the extension’s legend.
5. Hover or click for extra detail where the extension offers it.

Extensions differ slightly in how they label things, so take ten seconds to read the legend before trusting the colours. Also remember that an extension shows you the link as your browser renders it, which is convenient, but for a disputed or very important link, confirming in the page source is still the safest final check.

Method 3: Use a Free Online Backlink Checker

Online checkers are useful when you want an overview of many links at once rather than examining one page by hand.

A typical free option is the Small SEO Tools backlink checker for a quick list of links pointing to a site. You paste in a domain or page URL, run the check, and receive a list of backlinks, which in many free tools includes a column or label showing the link type.

How to use an online checker

1. Open the backlink checker and enter your domain or the exact page you want to review.
2. Complete any verification step the tool shows, then run the report.
3. Look for the link you care about in the results.
4. Check the type column or open the detail view to see whether it is marked dofollow or nofollow.
5. Cross-check one or two results manually with the Inspect method, especially if a result looks surprising.

Free checkers use smaller link databases than the big paid platforms, so they may miss links or show slightly older data. Treat them as a helpful starting point. For a single important link, such as one you paid for or earned through a major guest post, always confirm with Method 1.

What to Do With What You Find

Checking the attribute is only step one. The useful part is deciding what the result means for you.

• A promised dofollow link is nofollow: if a site agreed to a normal editorial link and delivered a nofollow one, politely raise it with them. Mistakes in content systems happen often and are usually fixed when pointed out.
• Paid links should be labelled: sponsored placements are supposed to use sponsored or nofollow attributes. A paid dofollow link can put both sites at risk, so do not demand one.
• Comments and forums are almost always nofollow or ugc: that is expected and fine. Their value is traffic and visibility, not ranking power.
• One nofollow link from a great site still matters: a relevant mention on a trusted, high-traffic page can send real visitors and build your brand, even without passing traditional link value.

When you audit, note the linking page, target page, attribute found, and date. Attributes change when sites redesign, and a dated record makes re-checks faster.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming no rel attribute is an error: it is not. A plain link with no rel value is the normal, dofollow default.
• Reading only part of the rel value: attributes can be combined, such as “nofollow sponsored”. Read the whole value before judging the link.
• Trusting one free tool blindly: small databases and cached data can be wrong or stale. Verify important links in the page source.
• Treating all nofollow links as worthless: they can drive traffic, look natural, and come from excellent sites. Balance matters more than any single link.
• Confusing robots meta tags with link attributes: a page-level nofollow instruction is different from a rel attribute on one link. Check the specific link you care about.
• Demanding dofollow links from paid placements: paid links should be properly labelled. Asking for anything else risks penalties for both parties.

Conclusion

Checking whether a backlink is dofollow or nofollow is a quick skill with three free routes. Read the rel attribute in the page source for a definite answer, use an extension like MozBar when you check links regularly, and use an online checker when you want a fast overview of many links at once.

Remember that dofollow is simply the absence of a restricting attribute, and that sponsored and ugc labels tell their own useful story about where a link came from. Judge links as part of a whole profile, value relevance and real traffic alongside the attribute, and you will make far better decisions than someone who only counts one type of link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “dofollow” a real HTML attribute?

No. There is no rel=”dofollow” value. A link is treated as a normal, value-passing link when it has no rel attribute or when its rel value does not include nofollow, sponsored, or similar restrictions.

Do nofollow links help SEO at all?

They can still send referral traffic, build brand awareness, and make your link profile look natural. Google also treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict order, so the picture is less black and white than it once was.

Why did a site change my dofollow link to nofollow?

Common reasons include a site-wide policy change, a content management system update, or the site adopting stricter rules for external links. If the link was agreed as an editorial dofollow placement, a polite email to the editor often resolves it.

Can a link be both sponsored and nofollow?

Yes. Rel values can be combined, so a paid link might carry rel=”sponsored nofollow”. When you check a link, read the full attribute to understand exactly how the linking site has labelled it.

Which method is the most accurate for checking a link?

Inspecting the link’s HTML in your browser is the most accurate, because you are reading the live code of the exact link. Extensions and online checkers are faster for bulk work but can rely on cached or partial data.