Mark paid links rel=sponsored and user-submitted links rel=ugc
| Impact | Evidence | Applies to | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | Official guidance | Google, Bing | Oct 30, 2026 |
Why it matters
Google asks for rel=sponsored on ads and paid placements and rel=ugc on comments and forum posts, with nofollow for other untrusted links. These are treated as hints and the links are generally not followed. Unmarked paid links fall under the link spam policy.
How to do it
- Add rel="sponsored" to affiliate, partner and paid links
- Add rel="ugc" to links in comments and forums by default
- Don't nofollow every external link; citing trusted sources normally is fine
Sources
- Qualify your outbound links to Google · Google Search Central
- Link best practices for Google · Google Search Central, Dec 10, 2025
Change history
| Date | Change | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Added | Added to the rulebook. |
Checked against its sources every Monday. Only content changes are listed.