Rel=”sponsored”
Rel=”sponsored” is a link attribute that marks a link as paid, sponsored or part of an ad deal. It tells Google not to count the link for rankings and keeps paid links within guidelines.
Purpose of Rel=”sponsored”
Links normally act as votes. When one page links to another, search engines read that as a signal of trust or relevance. A paid link breaks that logic, because the link exists due to payment rather than editorial judgment. Rel=”sponsored” exists to tell search engines which links fall into that category.
Google introduced the attribute in September 2019, alongside rel=”ugc.” Before that, nofollow was the only option for marking links that should not pass ranking credit, whether they were paid, untrusted or user-submitted. The new attributes let site owners describe the reason more precisely.
Google also changed how it treats these values. Since March 2020, nofollow, sponsored and ugc have all been treated as hints rather than strict instructions. Google may use them to understand links better, but a sponsored link is still not meant to count as an endorsement for ranking purposes.
The attribute protects both sides of a paid deal. For the publisher, it shows that the site does not sell ranking credit, which keeps its outbound links trusted. For the advertiser, it means the paid placement stays within Google’s guidelines, so the link cannot trigger a manual action for unnatural links.
It also supports transparency. Google’s spam policies list buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam. Marking paid links clearly is the step that turns a policy violation into a normal advertising arrangement.
Required Use Cases
Google asks site owners to use rel=”sponsored” for links created as part of an advertisement, sponsorship or other compensation agreement. In practice, that covers a wide range of situations.
Sponsored posts and advertorials. If a brand pays for an article, every link to that brand inside it should carry the attribute.
Paid link insertions. A link added to an existing article in exchange for a fee is a paid link, however it is described.
Affiliate links. Links that earn a commission when readers buy something are a form of compensation. Google recommends marking them as sponsored.
Product reviews in exchange for free items. When a company sends a free product and the review links back, the link reflects an exchange of value. Google’s policy specifically mentions this case.
Banner and display ads. Ad links sold directly by a site, rather than through ad networks that handle this already, should be qualified.
Paid directory listings and sponsorship pages. Links from listings that require payment, or from “our sponsors” sections, fall under the same rule.
Press releases distributed through paid wire services are a related case. Google advises that links in press releases should be nofollow or sponsored, since the publisher has not editorially chosen them. A guide to press releases explains how they fit into link building.
If money, goods, services or any other exchange of value led to the link, rel=”sponsored” or nofollow is the safe choice.
How to Implement Rel=”sponsored”
Adding the attribute is straightforward. In HTML, it sits inside the anchor tag:
<a href="https://example.com/" rel="sponsored">Example product</a>
Most content management systems make this easy. Many editors and SEO plugins let you tick a box to mark a link as sponsored or nofollow, without touching the code. On larger sites, developers can add the attribute automatically to links in specific templates, such as ad blocks or affiliate widgets.
Apply it to every relevant link. In a sponsored article, mark all links to the sponsor, not only the main one. Leaving one followed link in a paid post defeats the purpose.
Combine values when more than one applies. A paid link inside a user review could carry rel=”sponsored ugc.” Google accepts space-separated combinations.
Keep a disclosure for readers. The attribute speaks to search engines, but readers need a visible label such as “Sponsored” or “Paid partnership.” In many countries, disclosure of paid content is a legal requirement as well.
Audit your outbound links regularly. Old sponsored posts and affiliate links can lose their attributes during site migrations, template changes or editor updates. A crawler such as Screaming Frog can list outbound links and their rel values. Understanding why some backlinks have nofollow helps when you review these reports.
Existing nofollow tags on paid links do not need changing. Google has said nofollow remains acceptable for paid links.
Set clear rules for your team. Writers, editors and sales staff should all know which links need the attribute. A short internal policy, such as “every link in a paid post or affiliate box gets rel=sponsored,” prevents mistakes when several people publish content. Add a check to your editorial process so sponsored content is reviewed before it goes live.
Relation to Other Attributes
Rel=”sponsored” is one of three link attributes Google recognizes for qualifying outbound links.
Nofollow is the original. Introduced in 2005, it tells search engines not to treat a link as an endorsement. It remains the general-purpose option and still works for paid links. Many sites use “nofollow sponsored” together for compatibility with search engines that may not support the newer value.
Ugc marks links inside user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts. It says the site owner did not create or vouch for the link. It is about who placed the link, while sponsored is about why it exists.
A followed link, with no rel value, is the default. It signals a normal editorial link, the kind that a follow link represents, which can pass ranking value.
Choosing between them is simple. If a link is paid or involves compensation, use sponsored. If it was added by users, use ugc. If you do not want to vouch for a link for any other reason, use nofollow. If you chose the link editorially and stand behind it, leave it followed.
Rel=”sponsored” separates advertising from editorial endorsement. Use it on every paid, affiliate or compensated link, pair it with a clear label for readers and check your outbound links regularly so the attribute stays in place.