WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Tutorials» How to Remove NoFollow From WordPress Comments

How to Remove NoFollow From WordPress Comments

Last updated on September 11th, 2015 by Editorial Staff
87 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
How to Remove NoFollow From WordPress Comments

By default WordPress automatically adds a nofollow tag to all links in the comments. Recently one of our readers asked if it was possible to remove the nofollow from WordPress comments? In this article, we will show you how to remove nofollow from WordPress comment links and explain the pros and cons of doing so.

What is NoFollow?

In 2005, Google introduced rel=”nofollow” attribute for links. This attribute simply instructs search engines that you do not endorse the mentioned links.

<a href="http://www.example.com" rel="nofollow">Example Link</a>

nofollow tag in WordPress comment links

Why is NoFollow Automatically Added in WordPress Comments?

In the earlier days, one of the easiest ways to build backlinks and manipulate SEO was to comment on blogs for backlinks. This increased the number of spam comments.

The purpose of nofollow tag was to make blog comments less effective for SEO manipulation.

Since the main motivation for comment spam was to get backlinks, the nofollow would demotivate spammers.

That’s why WordPress implemented rel=nofollow to be automatically added to all links in the comments.

Good or Bad?

Adding nofollow to all outgoing links in comments provided blog owners some peace of mind. Now if a spam comment accidentally gets published, it will automatically be nofollow.

However, nofollow attribute did not get rid of comment spam altogether. Spammers simply didn’t care, and they assumed that even a nofollow link is worth something.

On the other hand, it discouraged some bloggers and readers from commenting because they felt they weren’t getting any value for contributing to your article.

Should You Disable NoFollow in WordPress Comments?

The reason why some site owners may want to disable nofollow is because they want to encourage more comments.

Making links dofollow may increase the number of comments, but it will also increase comment spam.

WordPress runs a PHP script when someone submits a comment. More comments means more instances of PHP script running on your server. This could also slow down your website, and your WordPress hosting provider may not be able to handle the load.

Most comment spam is submitted by spambots and can be easily caught with Akismet. However with nofollow disabled, you will get a lot more low quality comments submitted by actual human users.

You will be spending more time moderating comments than writing actual content on your site.

We recommend against turning off nofollow for blog comments. As a matter of fact, we recommend that you even add nofollow to external links from your blog posts that you do not endorse (see how to add title and nofollow to insert link popup in WordPress).

Should you still want to proceed and want to remove nofollow from WordPress comments, here is how you can do it.

Video Tutorial

Subscribe to WPBeginner

If you don’t like the video or need more instructions, then continue reading.

Disabling Nofollow in WordPress Comments

First thing you need to do is install and activate the Remove Nofollow plugin. Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » Remove Nofollow to configure plugin settings.

Nofollow plugin settings

Remove Nofollow plugin allows you to remove nofollow from entire comments or just from comment author link. You can also dofollow both options.

Once you have made your selection, click on the update options button to save your settings.

You can now test this by going to your website and using the inspect element tool on any comment.

A dofollow link in WordPress comments

We hope this article helped you learn how to remove nofollow from WordPress comments. You may also want to see our list of 12 vital tips and tools to combat comment spam in WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

87 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • Checklist

    Checklist: 15 Things You MUST DO Before Changing WordPress Themes

  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

  • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

16 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Adrian says:
    Jan 2, 2019 at 9:07 am

    Doesnt work…

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 2, 2019 at 3:01 pm

      While the plugin is older it is currently working on our testing, have you tried disabling your other plugins or a different theme to see if one of those is the reason it is not removing nofollow?

      Reply
  2. Jayford says:
    Jan 1, 2019 at 1:12 am

    How to remove nofollow attribute on post content

    Reply
  3. Faith Biete says:
    Jun 7, 2018 at 6:41 pm

    I came here to find how to remove no-follow from my internal links. Can you please help me out. All of my internal links are no-follow.

    Reply
  4. Paritosh Pandey says:
    Oct 17, 2017 at 11:52 am

    is it be possible to add do follow only at admin comments?

    Reply
  5. Joe says:
    Aug 5, 2017 at 1:52 am

    Hello,

    I would like to ask the same question as some other posters – would you happen to know the code to remove it manually from functions file?

    I am also trying to make some links nofollow selectively, but there doesn’t seem to be a solution for this anywhere :/ Thanks for the heads up on the plugin though.

    Reply
  6. Dexx says:
    Feb 27, 2017 at 12:15 am

    Thanks for the solution. If there any option to change the no follow setting without plugin?

    Reply
  7. Matt Maldre says:
    Jan 25, 2017 at 11:07 am

    Do you have an alternative to the “Remove Nofollow” plugin? It hasn’t been updated in two years.

    Reply
  8. Sumit Kumar Patial says:
    Jan 21, 2017 at 5:21 am

    Nice information to remove no follow links…… Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  9. tori says:
    Aug 15, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    Hi,
    I installed the plugin but Chrome no longer has Inspect Element, only Element, which doesn’t reveal the info you are showing–you can no longer scroll over an area and have it show. So how can I tell if the plugin is working or not? My intention is to have follow links IN the comments, but to leave the ones left by comment-leavers as no follow.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Aug 15, 2016 at 2:24 pm

      Inspect Element menu is now replaced with just ‘Inspect’, it is the same tool.

      Reply
      • Thomas says:
        Aug 28, 2018 at 4:18 am

        Oh, it helped me a lot :)

        Reply
  10. Nilesh Verma says:
    Jun 12, 2016 at 3:31 am

    Sir,This is not working on my website,I am using Eleven40 theme,I dont know how to fix them..??

    Reply
  11. prakash says:
    Apr 8, 2016 at 8:36 am

    Always provide great information for wp..so happy to read all tutorial..thanks.always follow this site.one request to u plz post more and more blog about wp.

    Reply
  12. chen says:
    Sep 16, 2015 at 2:18 am

    Hey Thank you for the wonderful information!!
    I really expecting this no follow option for a long time Thank you!!

    Reply
  13. Peter M Bailey says:
    Sep 11, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    A very good post, I’m just setting up shop and wondered what the nofollow was all about. Now I know. Thanks for a very well written explanation.
    The nofollow is just for the SE spiders, and does dicourage commenting for SEO purposes, but those who do comment will still get their link in front of real peoples eyes and the more the merrier.
    Thanks again PMB (WOA)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
RafflePress - WordPress Giveaway and Contest Plugin
RafflePress
Giveaway and Contest Plugin for WordPress. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2021 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2021)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2021)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4464 Users & Our Experts (2021)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2021)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2021 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
A2 Hosting Coupon Code
A2 Hosting Coupon
Get 66% off A2 Hosting 's premium WordPress hosting.
ChurchThemes.com Coupon
Get 20% OFF on ChurchThemes.com premium WordPress themes and plugin.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).

Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
  • Growth Fund
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon
  • AIOSEO

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress Security by Sucuri.