Anchor text are used in website for linking words or group of words to specific website that helps user to go to that website for more relevant information. However webmasters can make use of rel attribute for determining whether the link juice to be passed and make that link help rank keywords for target url of the site or not. Most commonly used rel attributes are:-
- noopener
- nofollow
- sponsored
What is rel="noopener"?
The rel="noopener" attribute is a browser security feature used with links that open in a new tab (target="_blank"). It prevents the newly opened page from accessing the originating page through the window.opener object.
This protects users against reverse tabnabbing, an attack where the newly opened page attempts to redirect the original tab to a fake login page or phishing website.
Unlike SEO-related attributes, noopener has nothing to do with Google rankings or link juice. Its sole purpose is browser security.
❌ Vulnerable Example
<a href="https://example-news.com"
target="_blank">
Read News
</a>
If the destination website becomes malicious, it could execute:
window.opener.location = "https://fake-bank-login.com";
Instead of remaining on your website, the visitor's original browser tab is silently redirected to a fake banking or Gmail login page.
The visitor may unknowingly enter sensitive credentials.
✅ Secure Example
<a href="https://example-news.com"
target="_blank"
rel="noopener">
Read News
</a>
Now window.opener becomes null.
Even if the destination page attempts to execute:
window.opener.location="https://fake-bank-login.com";
The attack fails because the newly opened page cannot access or manipulate your original website.
🌍 Real-world Scenario
Imagine your company blog links to a third-party news website.
❌ Without noopener
- User clicks the link.
- A new browser tab opens.
- The destination website becomes compromised.
- It silently redirects the original tab to a fake Gmail login page.
- The visitor believes they are still on your website.
- The visitor enters their username and password.
✅ With noopener
- User clicks the link.
- A new browser tab opens normally.
- The destination page cannot access
window.opener. - Your original website cannot be redirected.
- The visitor stays safe on your website.
⭐ Best Practice
<a href="https://example.com"
target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer">
Visit Example
</a>
Using rel="noopener noreferrer" is the recommended approach when opening external links in a new tab. It prevents access to window.opener, protecting your site from Reverse Tabnabbing, and in many browsers it also prevents the destination website from receiving your page URL through the HTTP Referer header.
What is rel="nofollow"?
The rel="nofollow" attribute tells search engines that the linking website does not want to pass traditional ranking signals (often called "link equity" or "link juice") to the linked page.
Google introduced nofollow primarily to reduce spam and discourage paid links from manipulating search rankings.
Today, Google generally treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict directive.
rel="nofollow" – Common Uses
The nofollow attribute tells search engines that you do not want to pass editorial endorsement to the linked page.
📌 Common Uses
- Blog comments
- Forum posts
- User-generated content (UGC)
- Sponsored links (legacy implementation)
- Links the publisher does not want to endorse
💻 Example
<a href="https://example.com"
rel="nofollow">
Visit Website
</a>
⭐ Important Facts About rel="nofollow"
A nofollow link is still considered a backlink, even though it usually passes little or no ranking value.
Visitors can still click the link and reach the destination website.
Google may still crawl the linked page if it discovers it through other sources.
Google now treats nofollow as a ranking hint instead of a strict directive.
The main purpose of rel="nofollow" is not to build backlinks. Instead, it tells search engines that the linking website does not endorse or vouch for the destination page.
What is rel="sponsored"?
The rel="sponsored" attribute is specifically designed for paid promotions.
It tells search engines that the link exists because of advertising, sponsorship, affiliate marketing, or another commercial relationship.
Unlike nofollow, which is more general, sponsored clearly identifies the link as paid.
Google recommends using sponsored whenever compensation is involved.
rel="sponsored" – Common Uses
Use rel="sponsored" for links created as part of paid promotions, advertisements, sponsorships, or commercial partnerships.
📌 Common Uses
- Sponsored blog posts
- Paid product or service reviews
- Banner advertisements
- Affiliate links
- Brand collaborations
- Influencer marketing campaigns
💻 Example
<a href="https://example.com"
rel="sponsored">
Buy Product
</a>
⭐ Key Takeaway
The rel="sponsored" attribute should be used whenever a link exists because of payment, sponsorship, advertising, affiliate marketing, or another commercial agreement. It helps search engines clearly identify paid relationships, improving transparency and ensuring compliance with Google's link spam guidelines.
| Feature | rel="noopener" | rel="nofollow" | rel="sponsored" |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | 🛡 Browser Security | 🔍 SEO | 💰 Paid Link Disclosure |
| Protects Against Reverse Tabnabbing | ✔ Yes | ✘ No | ✘ No |
| Passes Traditional Link Equity | Not Applicable | Generally No | Generally No |
| Affects Google Rankings | ✘ No | SEO Hint | SEO Hint |
| Used with target="_blank" | ✔ Yes | Optional | Optional |
| Used for Paid Links | ✘ No | Sometimes | ✔ Yes |
| Improves Browser Security | ✔ Yes | ✘ No | ✘ No |
| Recommended by Google | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
🔗 Can Multiple rel Values Be Used Together?
Yes. The rel attribute accepts multiple values separated by spaces. This allows a single link to provide browser security, SEO guidance, and commercial disclosure at the same time.
Example 1
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored"> Sponsored Product </a>
Example 2
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow"> External Website </a>
Each Value Has a Different Purpose
- noopener → Protects browser security.
- nofollow → Provides SEO guidance to search engines.
- sponsored → Identifies paid advertisements and commercial relationships.
✅ Best Practices
❌ Common Mistakes
Mistake 1
Using only target="_blank" without noopener.
Result: Vulnerable to Reverse Tabnabbing.
Mistake 2
Adding nofollow to every external link.
Result: Prevents natural editorial endorsements where they are appropriate.
Mistake 3
Using nofollow instead of sponsored for affiliate links.
Result: Google recommends sponsored for commercial relationships.
Mistake 4
Thinking noopener improves SEO.
Reality: It only improves browser security.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is purely a browser security feature.
No. The backlink still exists and can send referral traffic. It simply tells search engines that the link generally should not pass traditional ranking signals.
Google recommends rel="sponsored" because affiliate links represent a commercial relationship.
rel="noopener sponsored"Use a single rel attribute containing multiple values separated by spaces.
🏁 Conclusion
Although rel="noopener", rel="nofollow", and rel="sponsored" all belong to the HTML rel attribute, each serves a distinct purpose. noopener protects users against Reverse Tabnabbing attacks and improves browser security when opening links in a new tab. nofollow provides search engines with guidance that a link is not intended as an editorial endorsement and generally should not pass traditional ranking signals. sponsored identifies advertisements, affiliate links, and other paid relationships, helping websites comply with Google's recommendations for commercial links. By choosing the correct attribute—or combining multiple values when appropriate—you can strengthen website security, follow SEO best practices, and maintain transparency with both users and search engines.
