The core difference
A dofollow link passes PageRank and influences rankings. A nofollow link carries a rel attribute telling search engines not to pass authority — useful for paid, untrusted or user-generated links.
| Attribute | Passes authority? | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| dofollow | Yes | Editorial links |
| nofollow | Usually no | Untrusted/paid |
| sponsored | No | Ads/affiliates |
| ugc | No | Comments/forums |
Why you need both
An all-dofollow profile looks engineered. Real sites earn a blend across all four attributes. Target dofollow exchanges for authority while letting nofollow links occur naturally.