Types of backlinks, with examples

There are two main types of backlinks. Dofollow links can pass ranking signal to your site. Nofollow links carry a rel="nofollow" (or sponsored or ugc) attribute that tells Google not to count them as an endorsement. To check which one a link is, right-click it, choose Inspect, and read its rel attribute in the HTML.

That covers the beginner question on r/SEO, what are dofollow and nofollow links and where can they be found. The rest of this guide groups backlink types the other common way, by where the link comes from, with an example of each and what it is worth.

Backlink types by HTML attribute

These are the technical types. The attribute sits inside the link tag, so you only see it in the page source.

There is no dofollow attribute. One reply in that thread said it plainly:

"If there is no explicit no follow tag, it's a do follow link" (u/kathars1s-, r/SEO)

Dofollow links

A dofollow link is a normal link with no qualifying attribute. These are the backlinks that can lift your rankings, which is why most link building effort goes after them. Examples: a blog post that cites your research, a "best tools" roundup that lists your product, or a directory that links your listing without nofollow.

Nofollow links

A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow". Since 2019 Google has treated nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule, per its guidance on qualifying outbound links. It may use the link for discovery, but it generally won't count it as a vote. Common examples are Wikipedia's external links, most social media links, and comment sections.

Nofollow links still send visitors, and a natural link profile has plenty of them. A commenter in another r/SEO thread about what counts as a backlink took the strict view:

"If the link is set to nofollow, you will not get any SEO benefits from that backlink!" (u/Chaipo, r/SEO)

That works as a rule of thumb for planning, though it overstates things now that Google treats nofollow as a hint. Plan your ranking work around dofollow links, and don't turn down a nofollow link from a page your customers read.

Sponsored and UGC links

Google added rel="sponsored" for paid placements, advertising and affiliate links, and rel="ugc" for links people post themselves in comments and forums. If you pay for a placement, Google expects it to be marked sponsored. A paid link without that label is what its spam policies call link spam.

Backlink types by source, with examples

The other common way to sort backlinks is by where the link comes from. Any of these sources can give a dofollow or a nofollow link, so check the attribute on a live example before you spend time on one.

1. Editorial links

A writer links to you because your page helped their article. Example: a news story that cites your survey, or a blog post that links your free tool as a source. These are the hardest links to get and the most valuable, because nobody was asked for them. You earn them by publishing something worth citing, such as original data.

2. Directory links

A listing on a directory or launch platform that links to your site. Example: a product page on a SaaS directory or Product Hunt. For a new site these are the easiest first links, since directories exist to accept new products.

Whether the link is dofollow depends heavily on the kind of directory. Across the 1,289 directories in our database, checked on 30 October 2026, 681 give a dofollow link, 352 give a nofollow link and 256 are not yet confirmed. By category:

Last checked: 30 October 2026. The full counts, including DR spread and price, are in how many directories give dofollow links. If you only want the ones that count, start with dofollow directories.

3. Guest post links

You write an article for another site and it links back to you, usually in the author bio or the body. Example: a guide you write for an industry blog with a link to your product page. Guest posts work when your customers read the site. They fail when the site exists to sell guest slots. Our guest post pitch examples show how to ask.

4. Resource page links

A curated list of tools or reading on a topic. Example: a "tools for indie hackers" page on a newsletter's site. You pitch a one-line addition, which costs the curator very little, so these convert faster than guest posts.

5. Roundup and listicle links

A "best X tools" article that includes your product. Example: a "best email finder tools in 2026" post that adds you as entry seven. These pages already rank and buyers already read them, so they are some of the most useful links a SaaS company can get.

6. Broken link replacements

A site links to a page that no longer exists, and you suggest your page as the replacement. The link keeps whatever type the original had, usually a dofollow editorial link.

7. Profile and citation links

Links from your profiles on GitHub, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, review sites and local business listings. Example: the website field on your company's Crunchbase page. Many are nofollow, but they help Google connect your brand to your site, and they send some visitors.

8. Partner and testimonial links

Links from businesses you already work with. Example: an integration partner's "works with" page, or a customer who links to you next to the testimonial they wrote. These are easy because the other side already knows you.

9. Forum, comment and community links

Links you or others post in Reddit threads, forums, Q&A sites and blog comments. Example: a reply in a subreddit that mentions your tool. These are almost always nofollow or ugc, so their value comes from the people who click rather than from any ranking signal.

10. Unlinked brand mentions

A page names your product without linking to it. Strictly speaking this is not a backlink, but it is one of the easiest to turn into one: email the author and ask them to add the link.

Backlink examples: what each type looks like in practice

One commenter in the backlinks thread gave a concrete answer to "is this a backlink?":

"Yes, any website linking to yours is a backlink." (u/jontyboshoff, r/SEO)

By that test, all of these count:

• A SaaS directory listing with your logo, a one-line description and a "Visit website" button that links to your homepage.
• A sentence in a news article: "according to a 2026 survey by [your company]", with your company name linked to the survey page.
• An entry in a resource page list: "[Your tool]: finds broken links on any page."
• Your author bio at the bottom of a guest post, linking to your site.
• The website field on your GitHub organization profile.

Whether any one of them helps rankings depends on the attribute and the page. Is the link dofollow, and is the page it sits on indexed and visited?

Types of backlinks to avoid

• Paid links without rel="sponsored". Google lists buying links for ranking as link spam. We don't sell paid links, and our page on buying backlinks explains the safer route.
• Private blog networks and link farms, which are sites built only to sell links. They're cheap, they get devalued, and sometimes they get penalized.
• Spammy comment and profile links with exact-match anchors. "Best cheap SEO software" pointing at your homepage from a hundred unrelated forums looks manipulative, because it is.
• Links from off-topic or hacked sites. A link from a site with malware warnings, or one with nothing to do with your field, adds risk and no value.

If you already have links like these, don't panic and disavow everything. Read how to remove bad backlinks first, then check your current anchors with our free anchor text checker.

How to check which type a link is

1. Open the page that links to you.
2. Right-click your link and choose Inspect.
3. Read the <a> tag. If there's no rel, or a rel without nofollow, sponsored or ugc, the link is dofollow.

The Links report in Google Search Console shows every link Google has recorded to your site. Our guide on finding your backlinks in Search Console walks through it, including its limits (it does not show which links are nofollow).

FAQ

What is a dofollow link?

A dofollow link is a standard link with no nofollow, sponsored or ugc attribute, so it can pass ranking signal to the page it points at. "Dofollow" is only a name for the default. HTML has no such attribute.

Do nofollow links help SEO?

In most cases, not directly. Google treats nofollow as a hint: it may use the link for discovery, but it usually doesn't count it as an endorsement. Nofollow links still bring visitors and help a link profile look natural.

What type of backlink is best?

An editorial dofollow link from a relevant page that gets real traffic. Roundups and resource pages that already rank for your topic come close, and they're easier to pitch.

How many types of backlinks are there?

By HTML attribute there are four: dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and ugc. By source there's no fixed number. The common ones are editorial, directory, guest post, resource page, roundup, broken link replacement, profile, partner and community links.

Build the right mix

Most new sites get their first dofollow links from directories, then move to outreach for editorial and roundup links. Our guide on how to build backlinks covers the order. If you'd rather skip the forms, our directory submission service submits your product by hand to 100+ directories for $99 one-time and reports every listing that goes live.