# Dofollow vs Nofollow: What a Startup Actually Gets From a Directory Listing Source: https://faslaunch.com/blog/dofollow-vs-nofollow-backlinks-for-startups Author: Avinash, Founder @ FasLaunch (https://x.com/avi11x) Published: 2026-10-11 Updated: 2026-10-11 Category: Product Launch Tags: Dofollow, Nofollow, Backlinks, Startup Directories, SEO > Dofollow links are ordinary links without a nofollow, sponsored or ugc qualification. They can contribute to search signals, but ranking credit is never guaranteed. Nofollow links carry a qualification Google treats as a hint, and still work for visitors. For a startup directory listing, assess the actual link, relevant audience, page quality and measurable outcomes together. A directory promises a backlink. You submit your product, wait for approval and find a website button on the finished listing. Job done? Almost. That button can carry different instructions for search engines, and those instructions aren't visible to someone browsing the page. I check link types when maintaining the FasLaunch platform database. The useful question behind **dofollow vs nofollow backlinks for startups** is simple: what are you expecting this particular listing to do? If you want search visibility, the link's attributes matter. If you want customers, the people seeing your listing matter. A good submission decision considers both. ## Dofollow vs nofollow: the direct answer A dofollow link is an ordinary link that hasn't been qualified with `nofollow`, `sponsored` or `ugc`. It can contribute to search signals. A nofollow link includes `rel="nofollow"`, which gives Google additional information about how to treat it. Neither label promises a ranking outcome. Both can send a visitor to your website. | Link type | What it means | What a founder should expect | | --- | --- | --- | | Dofollow | Common name for an ordinary, unqualified link | Potential search value, subject to how Google evaluates it | | Nofollow | A link qualified with `rel="nofollow"` | Referral potential; don't budget for guaranteed ranking credit | | Sponsored | Identifies an advertisement or paid placement | Exposure that should justify its cost independently of rankings | | UGC | Identifies user-generated links | Context about how the link was contributed | Think of the attribute as one property of a listing. It doesn't tell you whether the directory has an audience or whether your description gives that audience a reason to click. ## There is no special dofollow HTML tag This trips people up because directory pricing pages make dofollow sound like an extra feature switched on with a special command. An ordinary link can look like this: ```html Visit the product website ``` A nofollow version looks like this: ```html Visit the product website ``` You don't need `rel="dofollow"`. Google's [outbound-link guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/qualify-outbound-links) says regular links need no qualification. As [MDN's link-attribute reference](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Attributes/rel) explains, `noopener` and `noreferrer` serve other purposes; they don't mean nofollow. Don't stop at finding a `rel` attribute. Read what's inside it. ## Does nofollow mean Google ignores the link? No. That is too absolute. Google's [announcement about nofollow](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2019/09/evolving-nofollow-new-ways-to-identify) explains that nofollow, sponsored and ugc are treated as hints about which links to consider or exclude. Nofollow became a hint for crawling and indexing on March 1, 2020. That doesn't mean every nofollow directory link passes ranking credit. It means the rule isn't as simple as a switch that makes the link disappear. My practical approach is conservative: choose nofollow listings for their audience and usefulness, rather than assigning them an assumed SEO return. If search benefits follow, that is additional value you haven't had to invent in a spreadsheet. For the broader question of whether these submissions deserve your time, read [are startup directories worth it?](/blog/are-startup-directories-worth-it). This article is about understanding the link you receive. ## What a nofollow listing can still do for your startup Imagine two listings. One has an ordinary link, but hardly anyone looking for your kind of product visits the page. The other is nofollow and puts you in front of people actively comparing tools in your category. I would consider the second listing. A customer doesn't inspect the link's attributes before deciding whether your product solves their problem. Useful outcomes include: - A visitor tries the product and signs up. - Someone saves your listing for a later comparison. - A writer discovers your product and contacts you. - A potential partner finds a relevant integration opportunity. These are possible outcomes, not promises. Measure the ones that happen. For AI products, our [AI tool directories guide](/blog/are-ai-tool-directories-worth-it) covers the same audience-fit question. A relevant buyer matters more than an impressive-looking listing count. ## What dofollow doesn't tell you It doesn't tell you that Google will reward the link, or by how much. It doesn't tell you the listing gets visitors. It doesn't even tell you the directory's description of your product is accurate. In our [launch-platform research](/blog/state-of-product-launch-platforms), the October 7 dataset covered 139 platforms, with 72.7% classified as dofollow. That is an observation about link attributes, not proof that 72.7% delivered ranking improvements. That distinction matters when someone sells a bundle of backlinks. Fifty published URLs are fifty published URLs. They aren't fifty customers or fifty demonstrated improvements in search. I use link type to understand the opportunity, then look at the page and the audience. Our article on [whether directory backlinks help SEO](/blog/do-directory-backlinks-still-help-seo) explores the wider selection process. Here, the important point is that an ordinary link creates a possibility, not a guaranteed result. ## How to check the link you actually received Check your published product page, rather than trusting a pricing card or another founder's listing. 1. **Open the listing.** Find the button or text that leads to your website. 2. **Right-click and choose Inspect.** Locate the `` element that contains the link. 3. **Read `href`.** Confirm the destination and whether it first passes through a redirect. 4. **Read `rel`.** Look for `nofollow`, `sponsored` or `ugc`, including combinations. 5. **Check the page's robots directives.** A page-level `nofollow` can qualify links even when the anchor has no such value, as Google's [robots-directive documentation](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots-meta-tag) explains. Google's [crawlable-link guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/links-crawlable) describes standard anchors with an `href` as the dependable format. A clickable script action alone isn't the same thing. If a directory uses a tracking redirect, follow it and record the final destination. A redirect doesn't automatically make the listing useless; it means the first URL isn't the whole journey. Keep a small record: listing URL, website destination, observed attributes, inspection date and referral results. That gives you something concrete to revisit. Check it again when the directory changes its launch options. ## Check discoverability without overreading a site search Searching `site:` plus your listing URL can provide a quick clue. Finding the page is useful. Finding nothing isn't conclusive. Google's [site-operator documentation](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/search-operators/all-search-site) says the results aren't exhaustive. URL Inspection is more useful when you have access to the relevant Search Console property. Usually, you won't own the directory's property. You can still examine the listing: does it load publicly, describe the product properly and have links from relevant category pages? A visible `noindex` directive is another reason to separate referral expectations from search expectations. Don't turn one search result into a complete verdict. Crawlability, indexing, ranking and clicks are different observations. ## Should you pay for a dofollow directory listing? Pay for a useful placement with clear deliverables. Don't buy a ranking guarantee. Google's [link-spam policy](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#link-spam) includes buying or selling links for ranking purposes and low-quality directory links among its examples. Advertising links should be qualified: `sponsored` is preferred, with `nofollow` also acceptable. A directory can offer real value through a category placement, a review or an audience. Ask what you'll receive, where it will appear and how long it will remain available. Those questions produce a better purchasing decision than asking only whether a link is dofollow. I would also avoid mass submissions to unrelated sites. The effort belongs in selecting places where your product makes sense. Our guide to [choosing product launch platforms](/blog/how-to-choose-product-launch-platforms) is the starting point for that shortlist. ## How I would judge the listing after launch Record its purpose before submitting. Was it meant to reach buyers, create a useful product profile or support discovery? That keeps you from changing the definition of success afterward. For referral results, use your analytics to compare visits and meaningful actions from each directory. Where tracking parameters are supported, keep them consistent. Otherwise, inspect referring sources and recognise that attribution won't capture every visit. Give yourself a review date. After a month, note what happened: qualified visits, trials, customer conversations or nothing measurable yet. An absence of tracked referrals doesn't establish zero search value, but it does tell you the traffic goal hasn't been demonstrated. That is the founder's decision I care about: where should the next hour or dollar go? Attribute labels help inform it. They don't make it for you. For example, suppose a nofollow listing brings eight relevant visits and one trial, while an ordinary-link listing brings none you can attribute. Those are hypothetical numbers, but the decision is useful: the first has demonstrated a customer acquisition outcome. Keep checking the second for other benefits rather than declaring it either a success or a failure from its attribute alone. Write down the evidence separately from your expectation. That small habit makes the next round of submissions easier to judge. ## Which link should a startup choose? Choose a relevant listing with a clear purpose. Prefer an ordinary link when everything else is genuinely equal, but don't discard a useful nofollow placement or pay for an irrelevant dofollow one. At FasLaunch, you can [browse launch platforms](/platforms) by link type and compare the options before submitting. When you're ready to publish your own product, [review the launch options](/submit) and choose the route that fits your needs. Inspect the finished listing, record what you received and measure what it does. That is more useful than counting every website button as the same kind of backlink. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks? Dofollow is the common name for an ordinary link without a nofollow, sponsored or ugc qualification. A nofollow link includes rel="nofollow". Google treats these qualifications as hints, while ordinary links can contribute to search signals without guaranteeing ranking credit. ### Are nofollow directory links worthless for startups? No. People can click them, visit your product and become customers. A relevant listing can also introduce your brand to potential reviewers or partners. Evaluate audience fit and outcomes rather than rejecting a listing solely because its link is nofollow. ### How do I check whether a directory backlink is dofollow? Open your published listing, right-click its website link and select Inspect. Read the anchor element's href and rel attributes. Look for nofollow, sponsored or ugc, and check whether the page applies a robots nofollow directive to all links. ### Does a paid dofollow directory link guarantee better SEO? No. Paying for a listing does not guarantee ranking credit. Google says advertising and paid-placement links should use sponsored, with nofollow also acceptable. Judge paid placements by relevant exposure and concrete deliverables, rather than promises of ranking improvements. ### Does a missing site search result prove my listing is not indexed? No. Google's site search operator is not exhaustive. Finding the page is a useful signal, but an empty result is inconclusive. URL Inspection provides better indexing information when you have access to the property that owns the listing.