Can I combine rel values?

Yes. Separate them with spaces, for example rel="sponsored nofollow" or rel="ugc nofollow noopener". Search engines read each value independently.

Should links that open in a new tab use noopener?

Modern browsers apply noopener behavior to target="_blank" links by default, but adding rel="noopener" is still a harmless safeguard for older browsers. It has no effect on SEO.

Is there a dofollow attribute?

No. A link is followed by default; simply leave out nofollow, sponsored and ugc.

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HTML Link Generator: Create Nofollow, Sponsored & UGC Links

Generate clean HTML link code with the right rel attribute — nofollow, sponsored, ugc, noopener — plus target and title. Preview it and copy in one click.

Destination URLAnchor textTitle attribute (optional)

rel attribute

nofollowDon't endorse this linksponsoredPaid, affiliate or ad linkugcUser-generated contentnoopenerSecurity for new tabsnoreferrerHide the referring pagetarget="_blank"Open in a new tab

HTML

<a href="https://example.com/guide" rel="sponsored">our complete guide</a>

Preview

Read our complete guide for the details.

This link is qualified — search engines treat it as a hint, not an endorsement.

Which rel value should you use?

Link type	Use	Example
Editorial link you vouch for	No rel (followed)	Citing a source, recommending a tool
Paid, sponsored or affiliate	rel="sponsored"	Affiliate links, sponsored reviews, ads
User-generated	rel="ugc"	Comments, forum posts, community answers
Anything you don't endorse	rel="nofollow"	A source you're criticizing
Opens in a new tab	target="_blank" rel="noopener"	External references in docs

Google asks that links given in exchange for money or other value use sponsored (or nofollow). Since 2020 it treats nofollow, sponsored and ugc as hints rather than strict rules. For the full background, read our guide to dofollow vs nofollow links.

Check links that already exist

To see how a link on someone else's page is set up, use the backlink checker: it reads the live page and reports the rel value, anchor text and placement for every link to your site.

Frequently asked questions

Add rel="nofollow" to the anchor tag: <a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">anchor text</a>. Use rel="sponsored" instead for paid or affiliate links and rel="ugc" for links in user-generated content.

Related guides & tools

Guide · Link fundamentalsDofollow vs Nofollow Links: What's the Difference (and Which Do You Need)?How followed and nofollowed links differ, what sponsored and ugc mean, and why a natural profile needs both.11 min read Free toolFree Backlink Checker: Is Your Link Live and Dofollow?Paste a page URL and your domain. See if the link is live, followed, indexable and in the content.Guide · Link fundamentalsAnchor Text: Types, Ideal Ratios and How to Avoid Over-OptimizationEvery anchor type with examples, a starting-point anchor text ratio, and a step-by-step audit to find and fix over-optimization.15 min read

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