Rel=”ugc”

Rel=”ugc” is a link attribute that marks links inside user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts. It tells Google the site owner is not vouching for those links.

Meaning of Rel=”ugc”

UGC stands for user-generated content. That is anything on a website created by visitors rather than the site owner: blog comments, forum threads, community answers, reviews, user profiles and guestbook entries. When those contributions include links, the site owner did not choose them and often cannot check them all.

Rel=”ugc” tells search engines exactly that. It marks a link as placed by a user, so the site’s owner is not endorsing the destination. Search engines can then treat the link with appropriate caution.

Google introduced the attribute in September 2019, along with rel=”sponsored.” Until then, sites used nofollow for user links. The new value gave site owners a more precise way to describe them. Since March 2020, Google treats ugc, sponsored and nofollow as hints, meaning it may consider them when deciding how to handle a link rather than following them as strict rules.

The attribute exists largely because of spam. User-submitted links have always attracted abuse. Spammers post comments packed with keyword links, create forum accounts just to add signature links and flood open platforms with automated posts. Marking these links tells search engines the site is not part of the scheme and removes much of the incentive to spam.

For site owners, rel=”ugc” also protects reputation. A site whose outbound links point to spammy destinations can lose trust with search engines. Qualifying user links keeps the site’s own editorial links separate from what visitors post.

Application Cases

Rel=”ugc” belongs on any link that a visitor, rather than the site owner, adds to the page.

Blog comments are the most common case. Both the link in the commenter’s name and links inside the comment text are user-generated. WordPress, for example, adds nofollow and ugc to comment links by default. The rules around blog comment SEO follow from this treatment.

Forum posts and signatures are another. Links members add to threads, replies and signatures are user content, which is why most forum backlinks carry ugc or nofollow.

Community Q&A sites use it for links in answers and questions.

User profiles qualify too. Website fields on member profile pages are filled in by users.

Reviews and testimonials submitted by customers on a site’s own pages are user content when they include links.

Wikis and collaborative platforms that let anyone edit content use similar protections.

Social and community features inside websites, such as user galleries or submission boards, follow the same rule.

Links in guest posts are a different matter. A guest post is reviewed and published by the site’s editors, so its links are editorial choices. They should be followed if earned, or marked sponsored if paid. Rel=”ugc” is for content the site publishes without editorial selection of each link.

Comparison with Nofollow

Nofollow and ugc do similar jobs, which causes some confusion.

Nofollow is the general signal. Introduced in 2005, it tells search engines the site does not vouch for a link, for any reason. It was originally created to fight comment spam, so it has always applied to user links.

Ugc is the specific signal. It adds the reason: a user placed this link. That extra detail helps search engines understand the link and the site’s content better.

In practice, both values have a similar effect on rankings. Neither passes ranking credit by default, and both are treated as hints. Google has said there is no need to change existing nofollow tags on user links, since nofollow remains acceptable.

Many platforms use both together, as rel=”nofollow ugc.” This works with search engines that support the newer value and those that may only recognize nofollow. Google accepts multiple space-separated values.

Sponsored is the third option and answers a different question. It marks links that exist because of payment. A paid link placed inside user content could carry both, as rel=”sponsored ugc.”

The table below summarizes the three values.

Best Practices

Apply rel=”ugc” by default to all user-submitted links. Most forum software, comment systems and community platforms have settings for this. Check that they are turned on.

Consider rewarding trusted contributors. Google’s guidance allows site owners to remove the attribute from links added by members who have contributed high-quality content consistently over time. Some forums do this for long-standing, trusted members.

Moderate content. The attribute reduces the incentive for spam but does not stop it. Use spam filters, manual approval for new users and limits on links in first posts.

Watch your outbound links. A crawl of your site shows which user links are followed and which are qualified. Fix templates that leave user links followed by mistake.

If you are the one posting, focus on value. Comments, forum answers and community posts with links rarely pass ranking value, but helpful contributions can bring visitors, build reputation and earn genuine editorial links later. Communities such as those covered in this list of link building communities reward participation more than links.

Avoid automated posting. Mass-produced comments and forum posts are link spam, whatever attribute the links carry.

Review your platform’s defaults after updates. Forum software, comment plugins and community tools sometimes change how they handle links between versions, and a theme or plugin change can strip attributes without warning. A quick crawl after each major update confirms that user links still carry ugc or nofollow. On large community sites, it also helps to log which user groups have followed links, so moderators can review that list and remove the privilege from accounts that start posting spam.

Rel=”ugc” tells search engines which links come from users rather than the site owner. Apply it to comments, forums, profiles and other user content, combine it with nofollow for wider support and keep moderating, because the attribute reduces spam but does not remove it.

Frequently Asked Questions