Yes, Quora links are nofollow. Quora applies the rel="nofollow" attribute to its external outbound links, which means they technically pass no PageRank (link equity) to the destination site. So if you are asking "are Quora links nofollow" because you want a raw ranking boost, the honest answer is that these links do not work the way a plain dofollow backlink would.
That does not make them worthless. It just means you need the right expectations before you spend time answering questions on the platform. Below is what the nofollow attribute actually does, why Quora uses it, and where the real value still comes from.
Are Quora links nofollow, and what does that mean?
Every external link inside a Quora answer carries the nofollow attribute. Google defines rel="nofollow" as a signal to not associate your site with, or crawl, the linked page. In plain terms, Quora is telling search engines that it does not vouch for the destination and does not want to hand over ranking credit.
This is standard practice for any large platform that hosts user-generated content. Anyone can post a link, so passing full link equity on every one of them would be an open invitation to spam. Nofollow is the platform's way of keeping that in check.
Nofollow is a hint now, not a hard rule
There is a wrinkle worth knowing. As of 2019, Google treats nofollow (along with the sponsored and ugc attributes) as a hint rather than a strict directive when deciding which links to consider for ranking. For crawling and indexing purposes, this shift took effect on March 1, 2020, which means Google may still crawl and index a nofollowed link.
Read that carefully. "May still crawl" is not the same as "will pass ranking value." The hint framing gives Google room to use a nofollow link as a weak signal if it wants to, but you should not plan a strategy around it. Treat every Quora link attribute as passing no equity, and anything beyond that is a bonus you did not count on.
Why Quora uses nofollow instead of dofollow links
Quora uses nofollow because its answers are user-generated content, and that is exactly the category Google's link attributes were built to handle. Google recommends the rel="ugc" attribute for user-generated content such as comments and forum posts, which is precisely what a Quora answer is.
Here is how the three main link attributes compare:
| Attribute | What it marks | Passes ranking equity? |
|---|---|---|
nofollow |
Links you would rather Google not associate with or crawl | No |
ugc |
User-generated content like comments and forum posts | No |
sponsored |
Advertisements or paid placements | No |
Links marked with any of these rel attributes will generally not be followed by Google. Whether Quora tags a link as nofollow or ugc, the practical outcome for link equity is the same: nothing is passed directly. So do not go hunting for a secret way to get Quora dofollow links out of the platform. They are not there by design, and that design is deliberate.
Do nofollow Quora links have any SEO value?
Yes, they still have value, just not the kind most people assume. Nofollow links like those on Quora drive referral traffic, not just SEO signals. A link is not only a ranking mechanism. When a reader clicks through from a strong answer to your site, that is a real visitor with real intent, and Quora has no shortage of high-intent readers searching for solutions.
The value shows up in a few concrete ways:
- Referral traffic. A well-placed answer on a popular question can send qualified clicks to your site for years.
- Brand visibility. Quora questions often rank in Google, so your answer can put your name in front of people searching the topic even if they never click.
- Authority and trust. Being the person who gives the clearest answer builds credibility that no single backlink metric captures.
None of this depends on the link being dofollow. It depends on the answer being genuinely useful and reaching the right readers. That is the part worth investing in.
How to make Quora work despite the nofollow attribute
Focus on answers people actually want to read, and let the traffic and visibility do the work the nofollow attribute will not. Pick questions that already get views, write something more complete than the existing answers, and link to a page that genuinely helps the reader rather than a generic homepage. The goal is the click and the trust behind it, not a ranking signal that Quora is never going to send.
If you would rather have a plan built around this reality instead of guessing at it, our Quora SEO service is built to turn Quora presence into referral traffic and brand authority, working with the nofollow attribute instead of pretending it is not there.
Quora links are nofollow, and that is not a problem to solve. It is a fact to plan around. Get the expectations right, put your effort into answers that earn the click, and Quora becomes a steady source of qualified visitors. If you want help making that happen, take a look at our Quora SEO service and let's map it out.