How to Create Reddit Dofollow Backlinks for Free

Reddit is often an underappreciated platform for link building, particularly for acquiring high-quality dofollow backlinks.

If you know how to use it, Reddit can be a free and valuable source of traffic and link equity.

This guide walks you through exactly how Reddit backlinks work and how to get real dofollow links that help your rankings.

The Two Types of Reddit Links: Dofollow vs Nofollow

By default, most links on Reddit are nofollow. That means they include a rel="nofollow" tag, telling Google not to pass link juice.

But here’s the trick:

How to Check if a Reddit Link Is Dofollow

1. Open the Reddit thread where your link is posted.
2. Right-click the link and select Inspect (in Chrome or Firefox).
3. Look at the HTML in the Elements tab.
   • If it shows something like rel="nofollow ugc noopener", it’s nofollow.
   • If rel is missing or doesn’t include nofollow, it’s dofollow.

Method 1: Create Dofollow Links via Regular Reddit Posts

The most straightforward way to earn a dofollow backlink from Reddit is by posting your link inside a regular text or link post.

Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Find a relevant subreddit: Pick one where your content actually adds value. Niche subreddits work best, especially if your link answers common questions or solves a problem.
2. Make your post helpful, not spammy: Don’t just drop a link with no context. Write a useful post that includes your link naturally. Example: I struggled with XYZ for a while—this free tool finally helped me fix it: [link]
3. Get engagement: Reddit uses engagement (mostly upvotes and comments) as a trust signal. The more interaction your post gets, the more likely your link will become dofollow.
4. Use upvote tools (optional): If you need a boost, some marketers use services such as rupvote.com to send 20-30 upvotes within the first hour. This can trigger the dofollow conversion faster.
5. Wait and check: After a few hours, inspect your link to see if the nofollow tag is gone. Once removed, your link becomes a permanent dofollow backlink.

Method 2: Use Reddit Gallery to Add Dofollow Links with Anchors

Most people overlook Reddit’s image gallery feature, but it’s actually one of the easiest ways to get clean, natural dofollow links with anchor text.

Here’s how it works:

1. Start a new post in a visual-friendly subreddit: Choose the Image Post option when creating your thread. Upload 2 or more images to trigger the gallery layout.
2. Add links in the image captions: After uploading, Reddit lets you add individual captions for each image. You can use this space to insert links and anchor text like: “Check out the full case study here.”, etc.
3. Choose natural anchor text: Reddit doesn’t filter these links aggressively. You can use branded names, tool names, or descriptive anchors.
4. Get your post some traction: As long as the post doesn’t get removed and gains light engagement, the gallery links typically stay dofollow, even faster than regular posts.
5. Verify with the inspect tool: Right-click your caption link, click Inspect, and confirm that the rel="nofollow" tag is missing.

Reddit gallery captions are rendered differently in the backend HTML. They often skip the nofollow tag by default, especially when the post isn’t marked as spam or low quality.

This makes it one of the most underused link-building tricks on Reddit.

How to Keep Your Reddit Backlinks Alive

Obtaining a backlink from Reddit is one challenge, but maintaining its status as live and dofollow is another. Reddit moderators and automated filters promptly remove low-quality or suspicious posts.

Here’s how to keep your links from getting removed:

1. Post in the Right Subreddit

Don’t spam general subs like r/technology or r/marketing unless your content is a perfect fit. Niche communities are more forgiving and often hungry for helpful resources.

Tip: Use subranking.com for finding niche subreddits, or search site:reddit.com "your topic" on Google to find relevant communities.

2. Follow Subreddit Rules

Every subreddit has its own rules. Before posting, check the sidebar or pinned posts for:

• Link-posting policies
• Karma or account age requirements
• Banned domains

Breaking rules is the fastest way to get your backlink removed, or worse, banned.

3. Build Post Karma Before Posting Links

Accounts with zero karma that post links immediately get flagged. Even making just 10 to 20 meaningful comments across different threads can help.

You can:

• Comment on trending posts with thoughtful replies
• Post image memes or jokes in casual subs like r/memes or r/funny
• Share a personal story or tip in r/AskReddit

Once your account feels real, link posts are less likely to be auto-filtered.

4. Add Value First, Link Second

If your post appears to be only a link drop, users will likely downvote or report it. Instead, make the post helpful on its own.

Bad: “Check out my blog post on SEO tips: [link]”

Better: “After testing SEO tools for a few years, I found this workflow works best. I broke it down here if you want the full details: [link]”

5. Bonus Tips

• Use aged Reddit accounts: New accounts are more likely to get filtered. If possible, use accounts that are at least 6 months old with post and comment karma.
• Stick to text posts, not link posts: Reddit prefers context. A self-post with a natural link inside is far less likely to be flagged than a direct link post.
• Answer a common problem: Frame your post around a solution. “I had this issue, here’s how I solved it” performs better than promotional content.
• Avoid over-optimized anchor text: Don’t force exact-match keywords like “best SEO software.” Use natural phrases like “this SEO tool helped me grow traffic.”
• Don’t edit the post too soon: Making changes immediately after posting (especially adding links) can trigger spam filters. Wait at least 15–30 minutes if you plan to edit.

Why Reddit Dofollow Links Are Excellent

Reddit isn’t just another backlink source. It’s a high-authority, high-traffic platform with unique advantages most marketers ignore.

Here’s why Reddit dofollow links stand out:

1. They come with Real Traffic: Unlike most backlinks hidden on obscure directories or dead blog posts, Reddit links live in active threads. If your post gains attention, it can bring real users to your site, sometimes for months or even years. That traffic signals value to Google, which can amplify your rankings further.
2. They are hard to fake: Google is getting better at detecting spammy links. But Reddit’s natural upvote system and active moderation make it hard to game. That makes Reddit links more trustworthy in Google’s eyes, especially when they come from aged accounts in relevant subreddits.
3. Reddit has Domain Authority and Age: Reddit is nearly two decades old, with tens of millions of indexed pages and backlinks of its own. A dofollow link from Reddit carries serious authority, especially if the thread itself ranks in Google (which happens often).
4. You can create links for free: Unlike HARO or guest posting, you don’t need anyone’s permission. You control the content, the anchor text, and the timing. Once you understand Reddit’s rules, you can generate these links repeatedly, at no cost.
5. They blend naturally Into Discussions: Reddit users value authenticity. When a link is part of a real answer or useful discussion, it doesn’t look like SEO, it looks like help. That gives it staying power.
6. Threads can rank in Google on their own: Many Reddit posts show up on Google’s first page, especially for long-tail queries. If your link is in one of those threads, it gets organic exposure without you needing to rank your own site.
7. You can use any anchor text you want: Reddit gives you full control over anchor text formatting in text posts and gallery captions. This makes it easier to vary your anchor profile naturally across multiple links.
8. It builds trust with real users: Reddit readers often click on links when they come from experienced users with good karma. This not only builds backlinks, but also reputation and brand awareness within niche communities.
9. You can stack multiple links: Unlike most forums or blogs, Reddit doesn’t limit you to one link per post. If the content is valuable, you can include multiple contextual links in one submission, each with different anchors.
10. Great for local and niche SEO: Reddit has thousands of micro-communities (subreddits) on everything from regional topics to niche industries. You can build highly targeted backlinks that match your business location or niche perfectly.