In September 2019, Google added two link attributes to sit alongside nofollow. They let site owners tell Google more precisely why a link shouldn’t be treated as a normal editorial endorsement.
<!-- A paid placement, sponsorship or affiliate link -->
<a href="https://www.example.com/" rel="sponsored">Bean & Barrel Coffee</a>
<!-- A link posted by a user in a comment or forum -->
<a href="https://www.example.com/" rel="ugc">my favorite roaster</a>
<!-- Values can be combined -->
<a href="https://www.example.com/" rel="ugc nofollow">example</a>What each one means
| Attribute | Use it for |
|---|---|
rel="sponsored" | Any link that exists because of payment or another exchange: ads, sponsored posts, paid listings, affiliate links, free products given for a review |
rel="ugc" | Links in content created by users: blog comments, forum posts, reviews, community Q&A |
rel="nofollow" | Any other link you don’t want to vouch for. Also still acceptable for paid links |
Like nofollow, sponsored and ugc are treated as hints. Google uses them to understand links better.
Why it matters
Paid links must be labeled. Google’s spam policies say links that pass ranking value in exchange for money, goods or services are link schemes. Labeling them sponsored (or nofollow) keeps them within the rules. The US Federal Trade Commission separately requires sponsored content and affiliate relationships to be clearly disclosed to readers, so the label in the code doesn’t replace a visible disclosure.
Imagine Bean & Barrel Coffee sends free bags to a dozen food bloggers who then review them with links. Those links should be sponsored, and the posts should say the coffee was provided free. If Bean & Barrel instead paid for followed links on dozens of unrelated blogs, that’s exactly the pattern Google’s link spam systems target, a form of black hat SEO.
User links attract spam. If Brightside Dental’s blog allows comments, spammers will post links. Many content systems apply ugc or nofollow to comment links by default, which removes most of the incentive.
Common mistakes
- Selling “dofollow guest posts” or buying them as part of link building
- Forgetting affiliate links inside old blog posts
- Adding
sponsoredto your own internal links by mistake through a plugin setting - Assuming the attribute alone satisfies disclosure rules
How to check
Inspect links in sponsored posts and comment sections to confirm the rel value. Review your backlink profile in RankThat’s Backlinks feature for paid placements you may have forgotten about.