Links are one of the biggest reasons guest posts get delayed. Not because links are “bad,” but because many drafts use too many links, irrelevant links, or unnatural anchor text. This 2026 guide explains how to handle links the safe way: dofollow vs nofollow, how many links to include, and what anchor text looks natural. If you’re new to the process, start from UploadArticle Guest Posting.
Before you submit, it also helps to run the guidelines checklist and understand typical approval time. If your draft got rejected, read rejection reasons + fixes.
Quick answer: what links are allowed?
In general, links are allowed when they are relevant, contextual, and helpful. A guest post should still be valuable even if every link is removed. That’s the simplest quality test.
A safe link profile usually looks like:
- 1–3 relevant outbound links (depending on topic length)
- Natural anchor text that fits the sentence
- No unrelated promotional links
- No link dumps (a paragraph full of links)
Official rules are always on: Guest Posting Guidelines.
Dofollow vs nofollow (simple explanation)
A dofollow link passes ranking signals, while a nofollow link tells search engines not to pass those signals. In practice, most editorial teams focus less on the label and more on relevance and quality.
If your goal is long-term SEO, the safest strategy is to earn links naturally: write helpful content, keep anchors natural, and avoid treating the post like a link placement. That approach usually gets approved faster and builds trust.
How many links should you include?
More links don’t equal more value. Most strong guest posts use a small number of links and rely on the content itself.
As a practical rule of thumb:
- 800–1,200 words → 1–2 outbound links
- 1,200–2,000 words → 2–3 outbound links
- Longer posts → add links only if they support the reader
If you’re adding more than this, ask yourself: is each link truly necessary? If not, remove it.
Safe anchor text (what looks natural)
Anchor text is where most drafts look spammy. Exact-match anchors repeated multiple times can trigger revisions.
Natural anchor text examples:
- Brand name (e.g., “CompanyName”)
- A neutral phrase (e.g., “this guide”, “official documentation”)
- A descriptive but natural phrase (e.g., “local SEO checklist for service businesses”)
Anchor patterns that often cause problems:
- Exact-match anchors repeated across the post
- Anchors that feel forced (doesn’t match the sentence)
- Anchors that promise something the page doesn’t deliver
Link placement (where to put links in the article)
Place links where they make sense: in a section explaining a tool, a definition, a source, or a next step. Avoid placing multiple links in the intro or conclusion just to “get them in.”
Best placements:
- In a ‘Tools’ section (with 1–2 options)
- After a specific claim (with a source)
- In a ‘Next step’ section (one clear link)
Link mistakes that slow down approval
These mistakes are responsible for most delays:
- Too many links (especially early in the article)
- Links that don’t match the topic
- Overly commercial or affiliate-style linking
- Aggressive exact-match anchors
- Multiple links to the same page using different anchors
How to submit a link-safe draft (simple checklist)
Before submitting, do this quick check:
- Remove any link that doesn’t help the reader
- Rewrite anchors to sound natural
- Keep links minimal (1–3 is usually enough)
- Ensure each link matches the sentence context
- Make sure the post is useful even without links
Then submit your draft via Submit Article.
If you want faster approval: combine topic fit + link safety
Link safety is easier when the topic is a strong fit. If you pick a clean topic and structure it well, you naturally use fewer links and the draft feels editorial.
Need topic ideas? Read best topics for UploadArticle guest posting.
Ready to submit?
If your draft is ready, use Submit Article. If you want help editing your draft and keeping it link-safe, check Pricing. For official requirements, see Guest Posting Guidelines.
Quick summary
To avoid delays, keep links minimal and relevant, use natural anchor text, and place links only where they support the reader. A link-safe draft is one of the fastest ways to reduce revisions and get approved sooner.