Should Affiliate Links Use rel=”sponsored” or nofollow?

For affiliate links, Google prefers rel="sponsored". nofollow is still acceptable, but sponsored communicates the commercial relationship more precisely.

Quick answer

• Affiliate or paid link: use rel="sponsored".
• nofollow: still acceptable when used for paid links, but sponsored is preferred.
• Normal editorial link: usually does not need a special rel value.
• Disclosure: this is a separate issue. A sponsored attribute does not replace a visible affiliate disclosure.

What rel=”sponsored” actually does

The attribute tells Google that the link is associated with advertising, sponsorship or another compensated placement. It is machine-readable information about the relationship between your page and the destination.

That makes it different from the human-facing disclosure. Readers need plain-language disclosure; search engines need appropriate link qualification. One does not substitute for the other.

What about rel=”nofollow”?

Google previously recommended nofollow for paid links and still accepts it for that use. For a new affiliate implementation, however, sponsored is the clearer choice because it was designed for commercial links.

Can you use both?

Yes. Multiple rel values can be used when there is a real reason to do so. But do not add attributes mechanically. The goal is to describe the relationship correctly.

A practical WordPress QA checklist

1. Find every external link generated by an affiliate component.
2. Confirm whether the destination is monetized.
3. Check the rendered <a> element, not only the editor setting.
4. Verify that monetized links carry sponsored or another acceptable qualification.
5. Check that the visible disclosure is close to the recommendation.
6. Make sure internal links and normal editorial citations have not been incorrectly marked sponsored.

Common mistakes

Adding sponsored to every external link

This destroys the distinction between commercial and editorial linking. Classify the link by relationship, not simply by destination domain.

Using disclosure instead of rel

A visible disclosure is for the reader. The rel attribute is link metadata. You generally need both concerns handled correctly when the link is monetized.

Checking only the WordPress editor

Plugins, widgets and page builders can transform markup. Verify the final rendered HTML.

Bottom line

For modern affiliate links, use rel="sponsored" as the default commercial-link qualification. Keep disclosure as a separate reader-facing requirement, and verify the final frontend markup before treating the page as complete.

How this guide was checked

This draft was checked against current Google Search Central guidance on outbound-link qualification on October 6, 2026.