Should you really disavow nofollow links in Google Search Console?

Why does Google consider disavowing nofollow links unnecessary?

Google's stance is clear: no links pass any PageRank. Since the introduction of this attribute in 2005, the goal was specifically to prevent the transfer of popularity to unverified or sponsored pages. A link marked with rel="nofollow" tells Google's bot not to follow this link for ranking calculations.

The disavow file is used to ask Google to ignore certain toxic backlinks that could harm your profile. But if a link is already neutralized by nofollow, disavowing it is like locking an already closed door. Google does not consider these links in its ranking algorithm, so they cannot theoretically penalize you.

How has the nofollow attribute evolved over time?

In 2019, Google transformed nofollow into a hint rather than an absolute directive. In practice, the engine can choose whether or not to follow these links at its discretion, especially for discovering new URLs. This does not change the PageRank transfer: a nofollow still does not pass any SEO juice, whether Google decides to crawl the target page or not.

This nuance has caused confusion for many practitioners. Some believed that Google could now use nofollow for ranking. This is false. Google can use them to discover content, but does not account for them in the link graph that serves to calculate relevance and authority.

When could a nofollow link be problematic?

Let's be honest: technical implementation is not always reliable. A nofollow may be absent from the final HTML due to a JS bug, poorly configured cache, or template error. If Google crawls the page before the nofollow is applied, it treats the link like a regular dofollow.

Moreover, if you monitor your backlink profile using third-party tools (Ahrefs, Majestic, SEMrush), these crawlers do not necessarily respect nofollow in the same way Google does. You may see nofollow links flagged as toxic in their reports, which can create a false alarm. But for Google, they remain neutral.

• Nofollow links do not pass any PageRank or ranking signal in Google's algorithm
• Disavowing these links is unnecessary since they are already neutralized by the rel="nofollow" attribute
• Google can use nofollow to discover URLs, but not to assess their authority
• Implementation bugs or technical errors can render a nofollow ineffective, at which point the link becomes dofollow
• Third-party SEO tools can report nofollow links as toxic, but this does not affect your Google ranking

Is this statement consistent with real-world observations?

Yes, it is. Correlation tests between backlink profiles and rankings show that sites with a high proportion of nofollow links do not suffer any penalties related to these links. There are no documented cases where a site was penalized after receiving thousands of spammy nofollow links in the SEO literature.

That said, confusion persists because some link-building tools aggregate all backlinks without clearly distinguishing between dofollow and nofollow in their toxicity metrics. A site can show a high spam score solely due to nofollow, while Google ignores them. The issue lies with the interpretation of the data, not with the algorithm itself.

What nuances should be added to this rule?

First point: the nofollow must be correctly implemented. A misplaced attribute (e.g., on an <a> tag generated in JS after the first render) may not be seen by Googlebot. If your CMS or CDN introduces a delay before applying the nofollow, Google may crawl the dofollow version.

Second nuance: nofollow backlinks have an indirect impact. They generate referral traffic, strengthen brand awareness, and can trigger natural dofollow links if the content is relevant. So even though Google does not count them for PageRank, their strategic value is not insignificant. [To be verified] remains the question of whether a massive volume of spammy nofollow could trigger a manual review, but no documented case proves it.

When does this rule not apply?

If you are using a private blog network (PBN) where some links are nofollow to mask the footprint, Google will not count them in your link-building strategy. But if the rest of the network is detected, the penalty will be imposed on the dofollow, not the nofollow. Nofollow does not protect against a manual penalty if the link schema is artificial.

Another case: UGC platforms (user-generated content) where nofollow is supposed to be automatic but is not always. If you manage a forum or a comment site, check that the nofollow is properly applied. A regular technical audit prevents a bug from turning all your UGC links into dofollow, which could then attract spammers and degrade your profile.

What practical steps should be taken with detected nofollow links?

The first action: remove them from your disavow list. If you have already uploaded a disavow file containing nofollow domains, clean it up. Keep only the suspicious dofollow backlinks: penalized sites, link farms, over-optimized anchors, expired domains converted into PBN.

The second step: audit the technical implementation of your own outgoing nofollow links. Use Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to check that rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc" attributes are present in the rendered HTML. A quick test involves inspecting the source code after the page has fully loaded, including JS.

What mistakes should be avoided in backlink management?

A classic mistake: panicking due to a third-party tool. If Ahrefs or Majestic alerts you about 500 toxic nofollow links, take a breath. These crawlers do not reflect how Google treats these links. Their spam score may include criteria (domain age, exotic TLD, absence of HTTPS) that have nothing to do with real impact on your ranking.

Another trap: disavowing in bulk without sorting. Some SEOs disavow everything that seems suspicious, nofollow included, out of caution. This is a waste of time and can even harm if you mistakenly disavow legitimate domains. The disavow file should be surgical, not a vacuum for backlinks.

How can you check if your link profile is healthy?

Use Google Search Console to export the complete list of your backlinks. Filter by dofollow only (GSC does not natively separate them, but you can cross-check with Screaming Frog on a sample). Identify domains with low thematic authority or those that show clear spam patterns: abnormally high exact anchor ratios, sudden spikes in links from the same IP network.

If you manage an e-commerce site or media with a lot of sponsored content, make sure all commercial links use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Google introduced rel="sponsored" specifically to better understand the nature of paid links. Failing to respect this can trigger a manual action, even if the links were nofollow.

• Export your backlink list from Google Search Console and cross-check it with a third-party tool to detect toxic dofollow links
• Remove all nofollow domains from your existing disavow file to avoid wasting resources
• Audit your outgoing nofollow links technically to ensure they are properly applied in the final HTML
• Prioritize cleaning up low-quality dofollow backlinks: penalized sites, over-optimized anchors, artificial link networks
• Verify that your sponsored or UGC content uses rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc" to comply with Google guidelines
• Regularly monitor new backlinks to detect any attempts of negative SEO targeting dofollow, not nofollow