Dofollow backlink lists: what the attribute really is and the target list worth building instead

There is no dofollow attribute in HTML. A link is followed by default, and "dofollow" is just shorthand for a link that carries no nofollow, sponsored or ugc value. That matters because a published list of dofollow backlink sites is, by definition, a list of places that will publish a link for anyone who asks or pays, and Google's spam policies, read on 10 October 2026, name exactly that pattern: links with optimised anchor text in articles, guest posts or press releases distributed on other sites, text links that do not block ranking credit, and low quality directory links. The version of this exercise that pays is a target list you build yourself, of sites where a followed link is earned, and this page shows how to build one in an afternoon.

The attribute values, and what each one does

Google's documentation on qualifying outbound links gives three values, and states that links marked with them will generally not be followed.

Markup	Google's stated use	Where you meet it
No rel value	An ordinary link, followed	Editorial links inside articles, resource pages, citations
rel="sponsored"	Advertisements or paid placements, which Google calls paid links	Wire releases, sponsored articles, affiliate placements
rel="ugc"	User generated content such as comments and forum posts	Comment threads, forums, profile fields
rel="nofollow"	Used when the other values do not apply and you would rather Google not associate your site with the destination	Many directories, most large publishers' outbound policies, user submitted fields

Check any link in ten seconds

curl -s https://example.com/the-page/ | grep -o '<a [^>]*yoursite\.com[^>]*>'

Read the rel value in the output. In a browser, right click the link, choose Inspect, and read the anchor tag. Do this before you pay for any placement, and do it again a month after a link goes live, because a publisher's policy change can add a nofollow across an archive.

Why the published lists do not work

• Everyone has the same list. A link available to anyone who downloads a spreadsheet carries no information about you, and the sites on it accumulate thousands of unrelated outbound links.
• The pages are built to host links. Sites that exist to publish submissions are the low quality directory category in Google's own examples of link spam.
• Payment changes the obligation. If money, goods or a free product changed hands for the link, Google's policies expect the link to block ranking credit, so a paid followed link is a policy problem rather than a bargain.
• Anchor text patterns are visible. The example Google publishes of what not to do is a paragraph with commercial phrases linked out of it. A list based campaign produces that pattern across hundreds of sites at once.
• Opportunity cost. The hours spent submitting to two hundred sites would produce two or three real citations, and those keep working.

Treat any seller promising a number of followed links per month the same way you would treat a ranking guarantee: ask which specific sites, ask to see three live examples from last month, and ask what happens when a publisher removes the page.

The list worth building, in six categories

Each of these produces editorial links that are followed because somebody chose to cite you.

1. Your own commercial network. Suppliers, distributors, partners, integration directories, franchisees and customers who publish case studies. Make a spreadsheet of every company you have invoiced or paid in two years, and check which ones have a partner or customer page.
2. Associations and trade bodies. Membership directories, standards pages, committee listings and regional chapters. These are often followed, always relevant, and usually already paid for through your membership.
3. Events and sponsorship. Speaker pages, exhibitor lists, award shortlists and sponsor pages. If you are already spending on an event, ask for the listing with a link as part of the package.
4. Local and trade press. Reporters who cover your sector and your city. One accurate data point they cannot get elsewhere is worth more than fifty submissions.
5. Resource and citation targets. Pages that link out to tools, templates, datasets and definitions. Find them with searches such as a topic plus the words resources, useful links or recommended reading, then give them something genuinely worth adding.
6. Real contributions with a byline. Writing one substantial piece for a publication your buyers read, under your own name, with a link in the author biography. This is different from buying placements at scale, and the difference is whether an editor would have commissioned it.

Qualifying a site in sixty seconds

• Is the most recent article dated this quarter, and written by a named person.
• Does the site have a page offering paid posts, link insertions or a price list. If so, any link is a paid placement.
• Are the outbound links in articles relevant to the articles, or scattered across unrelated industries.
• Does the specific page you would appear on show up in Google when you search its exact title.
• Would you send a customer to this page. If the answer is no, the link is not worth having.

Two of those five failing is enough to pass on the opportunity.

If you already bought from a list

Do three things in order. Export every referring domain you have and sort by how the link was acquired, so you know the size of the pattern. Ask for removal on the clearest cases, politely and in writing, since most such sites will take a page down on request. Then disavow only a clear pattern of paid or submitted links you could not get removed, and leave the rest alone. For most sites the better use of the next hour is earning one real citation rather than chasing twenty bad ones.

What a followed link is actually worth

Link type	Usually followed	Worth pursuing
Editorial citation in an article	Yes	The highest value link available, and the hardest to get
Association or membership directory	Often	Yes, and usually already within reach
Supplier, partner or customer page	Often	Yes, and the fastest wins are here
Major review platform or business profile	Usually not	Yes, for referrals, accuracy and visibility rather than for ranking credit
Forum or comment link	No, marked ugc	Only where the audience is genuinely yours
Bulk submission site from a public list	Sometimes, briefly	No

This page covers the dofollow and nofollow distinction and how to build a real target list. For directories and business listings specifically, read backlink submission sites. For the full set of tactics and how to vet a supplier, read backlink strategy. For the basics of how links pass value, read what is a backlink.

Asked and answered: dofollow backlink lists

What is a dofollow backlink?

An ordinary link with no rel value restricting it. Links are followed by default, so dofollow is a description rather than markup you add.

Are dofollow backlink lists safe to use?

Lists of sites that publish links on request describe the behaviour Google's spam policies call out, including low quality directories and placed articles with optimised anchor text. Build your own target list from associations, partners, events and publications instead.

Do nofollow links have any value?

Yes, for the things that are not ranking credit: referral clicks, accurate information about your business in sources people and systems read, and presence inside the platform itself.

How do I tell whether a link is followed?

Inspect the anchor tag on the live page and read the rel value, or fetch the page and search for your domain in the HTML. Recheck important links periodically.

Is paying for a link ever acceptable?

Paying for advertising is ordinary business, and the placement should carry rel="sponsored". Paying specifically for ranking credit is what the policies prohibit, so read what the invoice is for.

How many links should I aim for?

Aim for sources rather than a count. Ten relevant citations from sites your buyers already read will do more than a thousand submissions, and they stay live.

Where links now show up a second time

Links have acquired a second job. When somebody asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Claude who to use in a category, or reads Google's AI Overview, the answer is assembled from the pages those systems read: review platforms, comparison articles, directory profiles and trade coverage. Being cited on those pages puts your name inside the answer, whatever rel value the link carries, which is a good reason to keep pursuing the editorial and association links above and to stop buying list placements.

It is worth checking which sources are doing that work for your category today. Ask the buying question a customer would ask, keep your own name out of the prompt so the answer comes back clean, and read the citations. AI Knows Us measures those answers and the sources behind them.