Apply "rel=nofollow" attribute to all parsed URLs

In the first cooperative move for nearly ten years, the major search engines have unveiled a new indexing command for web authors that they all recognize, one that they hope will help reduce the link and comment spam that plagues many web sites....due to removing the point of doing it in the first place.

The new "nofollow" attribute that can be associated with links was originated as an idea by Google in late 2004 and MSN and Yahoo, as well as major blogging vendors have jumped onboard.

The Nofollow Attribute

The new attribute is called "nofollow" with rel="nofollow" being the format inserted within an anchor tag.
When added to any link, it will effectively serve as a flag to tell the search engines that the link has not been explictly approved by the site owner, and therefore "not follow" it, or not use the referring page's (on your site) Page Rank in any way.

For example, this is how the HTML markup for an ordinary link might look:

<a href="http://www.somedomain.com/page.html">My forums are the best lol lol lol click here!!</a>

This is how the link would look after the nofollow attribute has been added, with the attribute portion shown in bold

<a href="http://www.somedomain.com/page.html" rel="nofollow">My forums are the best lol lol lol click here!!</a>

Once added, the search engines supporting the attribute will understand that the link has not been approved by the site owner.

Think of it as a way to flag to them, "I didn't post this link -- someone else did, don't associate me with it."

Originally Posted by Alkatraz

If Google sees nofollow as part of a link, it will:

1. NOT follow through to that page.
2. NOT count the link in calculating PageRank link popularity scores.
3. NOT count the anchor text in determining what terms the page being linked to is relevant for.

The site that is being linked to will gain nothing from the link, so the whole point of doing it in the first place is removed.

This will affect URLs in posts, as well as signatures...anything that goes through the bbcodeparse function as far as I can tell/guess, and will work recursively, or whatever the word is that means 'it will affect all existing posts and signatures'...or it did for me anyway.

To change the conditional number of posts, alter

PHP Code:

OR $post['posts'] > 50) 


to whatever you like.

I can't see how this could be done as a plugin, but if anyone wants to point out how, that would be nicer....YAY Kirby!

Now all you need to do is unzip the attached file, upload the plugin using your Admin CP - Plugin System - Plugin Manager!

Relax, safe in the knowledge that spammers linking from your site are doing so for no reason whatsoever.

To remove the old version:

File to modify: 1

1/ Open your includes/class_bbcode.php file

Find:

PHP Code:

        // standard URL hyperlink
        //return "<a href=\"$rightlink\" target=\"_blank\">$text</a>";

        global $post;

if (is_member_of($post, 6) //Admins are exempt
OR is_member_of($post, 5) //Mods are exempt
OR is_member_of($post, 7) //SuperMods are exempt
OR $post['posts'] > 50) // People with over 50 posts are exempt
    {
    // standard URL hyperlink
    return "<a href=\"$rightlink\" target=\"_blank\">$text</a>";
    }
    else
    {
     return "<a href=\"$rightlink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">$text</a>";
    }
    } 


Replace with:

PHP Code:

// standard URL hyperlink
        return "<a href=\"$rightlink\" target=\"_blank\">$text</a>";
    } 


2/ Save and Upload.

[seo guy]

I prefer to have it retroactively change the links - will the file base hack help me?

- it doesn't seem to work retroactively or at all with the pluggin..

what could I be doing wrong? - my templates are from 3.0.3 - I fear this is the problem..

Thank you,

[navjotjsingh]

Excellent Mod! Thanks ... working wonderfully on 3.6.4 forum!

[kafi]

Thanks for this nice one.

I found few questions same as I have, but didnt see the answer.

Could there be a white list or at least to omit nofollow for internal forum_own links?
I have removed post condition so there is too many links now with nofollow for my board...

Thank you!!!

[verbs]

Originally Posted by kafi

Thanks for this nice one.

I found few questions same as I have, but didnt see the answer.

Could there be a white list or at least to omit nofollow for internal forum_own links?
I have removed post condition so there is too many links now with nofollow for my board...

Thank you!!!

That's a big sticking point for me too....if this is adding internal no-follow links then that's tough.

Another great add on would be the ability to control which forums the no-follow tags are added too.....certain forums that I control I am OK with outgoing no-follow links.

[projectego]

Awesome plugin, kall; works flawless with 3.6.3.

[hugh_]

This mod doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm using VB 3.5.7 but none of my users' links in posts appear to be inheriting rel=nofollow except for their signatures and vbshout posts where all links are inheriting it. Anyway I'm assuming it's conflicting with something obviously. Has anyone else seen this and what can I do about it?

Thanks...

$this->tag_list['no_option']['url']['callback'] = 'handle_external';
$this->tag_list['no_option']['url']['external_callback'] = 'handle_bbcode_url_relnofollow';
$this->tag_list['option']['url']['callback'] = 'handle_external';
$this->tag_list['option']['url']['external_callback'] = 'handle_bbcode_url_relnofollow';

if (!function_exists('handle_bbcode_url_relnofollow') )
{
function handle_bbcode_url_relnofollow(&$parser, $text, $link)
{
global $post;
// Excempt Mods+ and Users with mor then 50 Posts
$parsedurl = $parser->handle_bbcode_url($text, $link);
if (is_member_of($post, 6, 7) OR $post['posts'] > 50)
{
return $parsedurl;
}
else
{
return str_replace('href="', 'rel="nofollow" href="', $parsedurl);
}
}
}

[ThorstenA]

How can I exclude my own domain from rel=nofollow?

[moveforward]

Thanks for this plugin. Works great for me on 3.6.5.
Only one issue is that Sig links are not NoFollow.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by ThorstenA

How can I exclude my own domain from rel=nofollow?

I am trying this out. Looking at it, if someone has more than 50 posts or is a mod, super-mod or admin the tag is not applied. That said, unless one has a very small forum, it shouldn't be attaching the tag to many internal url's. I see this as useful to keep the hit and run people at bay, so to speak. Actually, My installing it is more of an attempt to better SEO the forums to keep me high in the ratings.

On the other hand I have a very active moderator group so 'spam' posts are usually caught quickly and the links removed or the post (or posts) are deleted and the poster banned (I use Spam Decimator for 2 click convenience - the moderators love it) usually within minutes (there's almost always a mod or me on 24/7).

Well, now I'm off to check some page source to see if it's working as intended or not.

BTW - Running vB 3.5.6

[Alfa1]

I want rel="nofollow" only applied to all outbound links. No matter who posts them. How can this be done?