To stay compliant with Google’s guidelines and protect your site’s search visibility, you must to qualify affiliate links with the rel="sponsored" attribute.
This article explains:
- What link attributes are
- Why and when to use rel="sponsored"
- How Awin tools automatically apply this attribute to your affiliate links
- What steps you can take to keep your site optimised
Why link attributes matter
Link attributes tell search engines like Google how to interpret the links on your site. This helps them evaluate your content and the nature of your outbound links.
Without the correct attributes, your site and the advertisers you promote may risk lower search rankings.
Important: Google specifically requires affiliate or monetised links to include the rel="sponsored" attribute.
View Google’s official guidelines on link attributes.
Link attributes
Link attributes are values added to the <a> HTML tag to define the behaviour or purpose of a link.
Common examples include:
- href – defines the link’s target URL
- target – controls whether the link opens in the same tab or a new one
- rel – defines the relationship between your site and the linked content
The rel attribute is key for affiliate marketers. For example:
- rel="nofollow" tells search engines not to follow or endorse a link
- rel="sponsored" flags the link as part of a paid partnership or affiliate promotion
When to use rel="sponsored"
Use rel="sponsored" for any paid links where there is a commercial relationship with the linked brand. This includes most affiliate links.
Adding this attribute helps Google distinguish paid promotions from organic content. It’s the appropriate choice whenever you’re earning commission from clicks, sales, or other actions linked to the content.
Most affiliate links should include rel="sponsored", and some advertisers may require it as part of their programme terms.
Google also recognises two other link attributes:
- rel="ugc" – for links that appear in user-generated content such as comments, reviews, or forum posts.
- rel="nofollow" – when you don’t want to endorse the linked page and neither of the other attributes applies.
If you’re unsure, rel="sponsored" is usually the correct option for affiliate activity.
How Awin tools apply the attribute automatically
Awin simplifies compliance by automatically adding rel="sponsored" to your affiliate links when you use the following tools:
Link Builder
Generates deep links to specific advertiser pages with rel="sponsored" included by default.
My Creative
Provides banners and HTML links ready to copy and paste into your site. All links include the rel="sponsored" attribute. To learn more about banners and creative, see How do I get banner ads?
adMission
A disclosure tool that adds messaging to affiliate links on your site. When you enable the “SEO disclosure” option, it automatically applies rel="sponsored" to your existing and future links. To learn more about ad disclosure, see Does Awin offer an ad disclosure tool?
Next steps: Keep your links up to date
To help maintain your site’s SEO performance:
- Review existing links and update them to include rel="sponsored" where appropriate
- Use Awin’s tools to ensure all new links are correctly qualified
- Consider activating the Publisher MasterTag to manage tools like adMission and streamline site optimisation
By following these steps, you help protect your site and your advertisers from SEO penalties while ensuring transparency for your users.
