rel=sponsored and rel=ugc: Google’s New Link Attributes

Quick answer: In September 2019 Google introduced two new link attributes: rel="sponsored" for paid or affiliate links, and rel="ugc" for links created by users (comments, forums, guest posts). rel="nofollow" still works and now acts as a hint rather than a hard directive. You can combine attributes (for example rel="sponsored nofollow"). For most sites the practical change is to mark paid links as sponsored and user-generated links as ugc, and to keep using nofollow where you simply do not want to endorse a destination.

Why Google added new attributes

For years, nofollow was the catch-all. Site owners used it on ads, affiliate links, comments and anywhere else they did not want to pass ranking signals. That mixed several different intents into one tag, which made it harder for Google to understand why a link existed.

On 10 September 2019 Google announced two more specific attributes so publishers can describe links more clearly:

• sponsored for advertising, sponsorships, affiliate and other compensated links
• ugc for user-generated content such as comments and forum posts

At the same time, Google said it would treat nofollow as a hint for ranking and crawling purposes, not as a strict command. That does not mean you should drop nofollow overnight. It means Google may still use some nofollowed links for discovery or other signals when it makes sense.

What each attribute means

rel=”sponsored”

Use this when you receive money, products, free services or other compensation for the link. That includes:

• Display ads and native ads that link out
• Affiliate product links
• Sponsored posts and paid placements
• Partnership links where payment or value is exchanged

Google’s earlier paid-links guidance already expected you to mark compensated links so they do not pass PageRank. Sponsored is the clearer label for that job. You can still add nofollow as well if you prefer (rel="sponsored nofollow").

rel=”ugc”

Use this on links that visitors create, not your editorial team. Typical places:

• Blog comment links
• Forum thread links
• User profiles and visitor-submitted content
• Community Q&A answers

If you have a trusted contributor program and you stand behind the links those people add, you can leave ugc off for those specific cases. For open comments and forums, ugc (or nofollow, or both) remains the safe default.

rel=”nofollow”

Nofollow still means “I do not want to vouch for this link.” Use it when the link is not paid and not from a user, but you still do not want to endorse the destination: for example a link in a press quote you disagree with, or a required outbound link you cannot vouch for.

Because nofollow is now a hint, Google may occasionally crawl or use such links. For most business sites that change is small. Keep marking links you do not endorse.

How this fits with older advice

If you already marked paid and comment links with nofollow, you are not behind. Google said existing nofollow markup remains valid. The new attributes simply let you be more precise.

A sensible migration path:

1. Identify paid, affiliate and sponsored links. Change them to rel="sponsored" (optionally keep nofollow too).
2. Identify comment, forum and other user links. Change them to rel="ugc" (again, nofollow is fine alongside).
3. Leave ordinary editorial links alone. Do not add sponsored or ugc to links you wrote and stand behind.
4. Keep a backlink audit habit for links pointing to you, separate from how you mark outbound links.

Practical examples

Affiliate product mention in a review: <a href="https://example.com/product?ref=you" rel="sponsored">Product name</a>

Sponsored article with a brand link: <a href="https://brand.example/" rel="sponsored nofollow">Brand</a>

Comment author website: <a href="https://commenter.example/" rel="ugc nofollow">commenter.example</a>

Normal resource you recommend: <a href="https://useful-resource.example/">Useful resource</a> (no special rel needed)

Untrusted outbound mention: <a href="https://unclear.example/" rel="nofollow">source</a>

Does this change link building?

For honest publishers, mostly in labeling. You should already have been marking paid links. The new names make that expectation clearer and give Google cleaner data.

What has not changed:

• Buying links that pass ranking value still violates Google’s guidelines
• Guest posts written mainly to place keyword-rich links are still a risk
• Comment spam and mass directory links are still worthless or harmful
• Earning links with useful content remains the durable approach

If you run affiliate content, make the commercial relationship obvious on the page and in the markup. Clarity for readers and clarity for crawlers go together. That fits the same quality mindset behind E-A-T for sites that publish advice people act on.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Marking every outbound link as sponsored. That dilutes the signal and can look like you are trying to game the system.
• Leaving paid links unmarked. Whether you use sponsored or nofollow, compensated links need a qualifying attribute.
• Forgetting themes and plugins. Comment systems, affiliate plugin shortcodes and ad managers often output their own rel values. Check the rendered HTML.
• Mixing up inbound and outbound. These attributes control how your pages describe links you publish. They do not rewrite how other sites link to you.
• Expecting an overnight ranking swing. Google described this as a long-term improvement to how it understands the web, not a sudden ranking reshuffle.

Implementation checklist for site owners

1. List pages with affiliate or sponsored links (product reviews, partner pages, resource lists).
2. Update templates or plugins so those anchors output rel="sponsored".
3. Confirm your comment and forum software outputs rel="ugc" or nofollow on user URLs.
4. Spot-check a few live pages in View Source after caching clears.
5. Document the rule for writers and developers so new content follows the same pattern.
6. Revisit your broader technical SEO checklist so link attributes sit alongside other crawl and index hygiene.

WordPress users often handle this through SEO plugins, affiliate plugins or a small theme filter on the_content and comment callbacks. Whatever you choose, test the HTML that visitors and crawlers actually see.

FAQ

Do I have to switch from nofollow to sponsored right away?

No. Google said nofollow remains supported. Switching paid links to sponsored (or sponsored nofollow) is clearer, but there is no hard deadline announced for that change.

Can I use more than one rel value?

Yes. Space-separate them inside one attribute, for example rel="ugc nofollow".

Will sponsored links still get crawled?

Google may use these attributes as hints for crawling and ranking. Do not rely on them as a way to hide URLs you never want discovered. Use authentication or robots rules when a URL must stay private.

Does this help my rankings?

Not directly. Correct markup reduces risk from unpaid-looking paid links and helps Google understand your page. Rankings still come from relevance, quality and links you earn.

Mark links the way you mean them

The new attributes are a clearer vocabulary for something careful sites already did: separate endorsement, payment and user content. Update paid and user-generated links, keep editorial links clean, and move on. If you want help reviewing outbound link markup as part of a wider search engagement, see Get found.