UGC Attribute

The UGC attribute is an HTML attribute that you add to links posted by users, such as in comments, forum posts or reviews. You write it as rel="ugc" in the anchor tag. The signal tells Google and other search engines that you, as the site owner, did not create this link yourself and therefore do not vouch for it. This protects you from negative SEO effects of spam links that users might post. For SMEs with a blog, forum or review system, this is a practical way to keep your link profile clean without having to manually check all user-generated content.

How the UGC attribute works technically

Het UGC attribute is onderdeel van de link attribute-standaarden die Google in 2019 heeft geïntroduceerd. Je plaatst het in de <a>-tag van een link, bijvoorbeeld: <a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">Linktext</a>. Je kunt het combineren met andere attributen zoals nofollow door ze te scheiden met een spatie: rel="ugc nofollow". De meeste moderne CMS-systemen zoals WordPress voegen het UGC attribute automatisch toe aan links in reacties. Als je een custom oplossing hebt, moet je het zelf implementeren in de template die user-generated content rendert. Het attribuut heeft geen invloed op de gebruikerservaring, alleen op hoe zoekmachines de link interpreteren.

Why Google introduced the UGC attribute

Before 2019, webmasters used the nofollow attribute for all links they did not trust, including ads, paid links and user-generated content. Google wanted more nuance to better understand the nature of links. The UGC attribute provides context: this link is from a user, not an editor. That helps Google distinguish legitimate discussions and reviews from spam. For you as a site owner, it means you won't be penalized for links that spammers post in your comments section. At the same time, Google can factor valuable user-generated content such as authentic reviews into rankings because the signal is clearer than a generic nofollow.

What the UGC attribute brings to your website

If you run a blog, knowledge base or ecommerce store with reviews, the UGC attribute protects your link profile from spam without having to disable all comments. You can let users comment and link to resources while signaling to Google that you do not endorse these links. This is especially relevant if you get a lot of comments or have an active community. In practice, we see with SME clients that a thoughtful SEO strategy includes technical details such as link attributes. It prevents you from having to manually moderate every forum post for malicious links. For ecommerce stores with product reviews, it ensures that customers can freely link to their own photos or experiences without you running SEO risk.

The UGC attribute is especially valuable in places where visitors post content themselves. Think comments under blog articles, forum posts, product reviews or guestbook entries. By applying the attribute consistently, you keep a grip on your link profile while giving users the freedom to link. Below are the key situations where you deploy the UGC attribute.

Comments and comments on blog articles

If you have a blog where readers can comment, some post links to their own site, additional resources or spam. By automatically adding rel="ugc" to all links in comments, you prevent Google from associating your site with the quality of those external links. WordPress has been doing this by default since version 5.3. For custom builds, you can implement it in the comment template. A web design agency with 15 employees that publishes weekly blog articles saw a 30% decrease in manual moderation time after implementing the UGC attribute, because they had to be less afraid of spam links. The attribute acts as a safety net: legitimate discussions remain possible, but your SEO risk drops.

Product reviews and customer reviews in ecommerce stores

Ecommerce stores with a review system sometimes get links from customers pointing to their own Instagram, blog or even competitors. With the UGC attribute, you signal to Google that these links are not editorially approved. This is especially relevant if you use structured data for reviews, because then Google pays extra attention to the reliability of your content. An ecommerce store with 800 products and an average of 5 reviews per product cannot check every post manually. By adding the UGC attribute to all review links, the review function remains open without jeopardizing your link profile. Customers can freely share their experience, including links to photos or use cases.

Forums and community platforms

If you have a forum or community section, users regularly post links to external resources, tutorials or tools. Without a UGC attribute, Google would see all those links as your endorsement. With the attribute, you make it clear that the community itself posts these links. This is crucial for platforms where dozens of posts appear daily. A B2B service provider with a closed customer forum saw an improvement in its technical SEO score after implementing the UGC attribute because Google rated the link profile as cleaner. The attribute allows valuable discussions to continue without having to moderate every post for link spam.

When the UGC attribute is the right choice and when it is not

Use the UGC attribute for all content that users post themselves: comments, reviews, forum posts, guestbook entries. Don't use it for editorial content you write or have written yourself, including links in your navigation or footer. When in doubt about whether a link is user-generated: ask yourself whether you can guarantee the quality and destination of that link. If not, add rel="ugc". Note that the UGC attribute does not replace the need to moderate spam. It is a technical signal, not an anti-spam tool. Therefore, always combine it with a good moderation strategy or anti-spam plugin.