SEO Glossary

UGC Link: Marking Links From User Content

UGC is a link attribute for links inside user-generated content, telling search engines the link came from a comment, forum, or review.

5 min read

Quick Definition

A UGC link carries the rel="ugc" attribute, marking it as part of user-generated content like comments, forums, or reviews.

What UGC Stands For

UGC means user-generated content, anything a visitor creates on your site, a comment, a forum post, a review, or a wiki edit.

A UGC link is a link that sits inside that content, and it is tagged so search engines know exactly where it came from.

User content is where spam thrives. Forums and comment sections used to leak authority to anyone who pasted a link.

The rel="ugc" attribute tells search engines this is a community link, not an editorial recommendation, so it carries no editorial vote.

The two do similar work. Nofollow says the linker does not endorse the target, and UGC says the linker did not even write the content.

For links inside user content, UGC is the more precise label, and search engines read it that way.

Example in Practice

The site: a community forum lets members share links in their posts and signatures.

The rule: the platform automatically adds rel="ugc" to every link inside a member's post.

The result: spammers get nothing from the forum, while real members keep sharing useful links freely.

Why it works: the attribute separates community links from editorial ones, keeping the site's authority honest.

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Add rel="ugc" automatically for links in any user-submitted content. Manual review is slower and far less reliable.

What does UGC mean for links?

UGC means user-generated content, and a UGC link is one inside comments, forums, reviews, or other visitor-created content.

How is a UGC link different from a nofollow link?

Nofollow says the site does not endorse the target. UGC says the site did not even write the content around the link.

Should you use UGC on comments?

Yes. Tagging comment and forum links with rel="ugc" is the recommended way to handle visitor-submitted content.

Do UGC links pass authority?

No. Search engines treat UGC links like nofollow links, so they pass no authority to the target.

UGC marks the links your visitors create, separating community content from editorial recommendations.

Tag user links automatically, and the rest of the site's authority stays clean.