In short. Use General Settings > Links for automatic external-link rules, with domain exclusions active only when NoFollow External Links is enabled and NoFollow Domains is empty.
Definition: Rank Math controls external link attributes through General Settings > Links and individual link controls in the WordPress editor. Its domain lists determine where automatic
nofollowapplies;nofollowis a link relationship value that qualifies a link for search engines.
Key facts
- As of October 2026, Rank Math's General Settings documentation places automatic nofollow, domain exclusions and external-link new-tab controls in the Links section.
- Rank Math's link controls documentation states that global nofollow rules apply dynamically when their conditions are met, regardless of individual link controls.
- Google's outbound-link documentation prefers
sponsoredfor advertisements and paid placements, while acceptingnofollowfor those links.
Where are the settings?
Rank Math's General Settings guide gives the WordPress menu route: Rank Math > General Settings, then Links. If a setting is missing, the guide directs readers to check Advanced Mode because some settings are available only there.
NoFollow External Links enables automatic nofollow for external URLs in posts. NoFollow Image File Links separately handles external links to image files. Open External Links in New Tab adds target="_blank" dynamically on the frontend, without changing stored content.
These controls concern different attributes: rel describes the link relationship, while target controls where the linked page opens. Google's HTML examples show the link-level syntax:
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://cheese.example.com/Appenzeller_cheese">Appenzeller</a>
How do domain inclusions and exclusions interact?
Rank Math's documented scenarios define the following combinations. The domain fields depend on NoFollow External Links being enabled.
| Configuration | Documented result |
|---|---|
| NoFollow External Links disabled | Both domain lists have no effect. |
| Enabled, NoFollow Domains empty | Automatic nofollow applies to external links except domains in NoFollow Exclude Domains. |
| Enabled, NoFollow Domains populated | Automatic nofollow applies only to listed domains; NoFollow Exclude Domains has no effect. |
For broad automatic nofollow with selected exceptions, NoFollow Domains stays empty and the exceptions belong in NoFollow Exclude Domains. For automatic nofollow limited to selected domains, those domains belong in NoFollow Domains. The same documentation explicitly says the inclusion and exclusion approaches cannot operate together.
Domain matching uses the domain present in the content link. In Rank Math's shortened-link example, a link to https://example.com/product redirects to https://final-destination.com/product-page/. The configured domain is example.com, because that is the domain Rank Math detects in the content.
How do individual controls and paid links fit in?
Rank Math's editor instructions explain how to open a link's Edit control and then Advanced in the Block Editor. Set to nofollow adds nofollow to that individual link; Set to sponsored adds the sponsored relationship. After changing an option, the link is saved and the post or page is updated. Global nofollow rules still apply dynamically when their conditions match, even if the individual link control is disabled.
Google's link qualification guidance says ordinary links need no rel attribute. It recommends sponsored for paid placements and allows multiple relationship values separated by spaces or commas.
Rank Math's general settings guide also documents the PRO Affiliate Link Prefix setting. For cloaked links using domain.com/go/, its example prefix is:
/go/
The prefix lets Rank Math count those links as outgoing links in content analysis and add rel="sponsored" if absent.
Related terms
FAQ
Why does my exclusion list have no effect?
Check whether you have enabled NoFollow External Links and populated NoFollow Domains. Rank Math's combination rules say exclusions have no effect when the global switch is disabled or when NoFollow Domains contains entries.
Can I keep an individual external link in the same tab?
Rank Math's link controls guide says the global new-tab setting applies to all external links regardless of individual controls. To control links individually, you need to disable that global setting.
Sources
- Rank Math, "Rank Math General Settings", undated
- Rank Math, "Using Link Controls in Rank Math", undated
- Google Search Central, "Qualify your outbound links to Google", updated 10 December 2025
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