Definition
These are HTML link attributes that tell search engines something about a link's nature. rel="nofollow" broadly means "do not pass ranking credit through this link and do not necessarily count it as an endorsement". rel="sponsored" marks links that are paid or part of an advertising or affiliate arrangement. rel="ugc" marks links in user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. Google treats all three as hints and says a link should carry the attribute that describes it (multiple can be combined).
Ordinary editorial links that genuinely vouch for the destination carry no rel attribute ("followed").
The purpose is disclosure: paid and affiliate links should not pass ranking signals as if they were editorial endorsements, and marking them correctly is how a site stays within Google's link policy while still using affiliate and sponsored links openly.
In context
For an iGaming affiliate, correct link-attribute use is a core compliance-with-Google matter, because affiliate sites are, by definition, full of monetised outbound links. Google's guidance is that affiliate links should be marked rel="sponsored" (rel="nofollow" is also accepted); failing to mark them, on a whole site of affiliate links, is exactly the pattern that can attract scrutiny or a link-related manual action.
The practical rule: every outbound link to an operator that is part of the affiliate arrangement gets rel="sponsored", any user-comment links get rel="ugc", and genuine editorial references to non-commercial resources (a regulator, a research paper, a support service) are followed.
Marking affiliate links correctly does not reduce their commercial value — tracking and commissions work the same regardless of the rel attribute — and it does not harm the site; it is simply honest disclosure to the search engine, mirroring the visible affiliate disclosure to readers. Sites sometimes worry that nofollowing/sponsoring outbound links "leaks" less equity, but attempting to pass ranking signals through paid links is the thing that carries risk, not the disclosure.
For a glossary, internal cross-links between terms are normal followed links (they are editorial), while any outbound link to a commercial operator from a glossary page still needs rel="sponsored" if it is part of the affiliate programme. Getting this consistently right across a large site is a basic technical-SEO and compliance requirement.
Worked example
An affiliate audits its templates and sets every operator link that is part of its affiliate programme to rel="sponsored", tags comment links rel="ugc", and leaves genuine references to regulators and research as followed. Internal glossary cross-links stay followed as editorial.
Tracking and commissions are unaffected, and the site's link profile now matches Google's policy.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
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