Why Do Links in Podcast Descriptions Use “noopener nofollow” Attributes?

At RSS.com, links included in podcast and episode descriptions automatically include the noopener and nofollow attributes.

This article explains the rationale behind this decision and how they help maintain a secure and high-quality platform.

What are the “noopener” and “nofollow” attributes?

• noopener: This attribute enhances security and performance by preventing linked pages from accessing the original page through the window.opener property.
• nofollow: This attribute tells search engines not to use the link to influence the ranking of the linked page.

Why We Use the noopener Attribute

The noopener attribute provides important security and performance benefits:

• Prevents Phishing Attacks: Without noopener, a linked page could manipulate or redirect the original page to a malicious website. This is a common technique used in phishing attacks.
• Improves Performance: It frees up memory and ensures your original page doesn’t unnecessarily maintain a connection to the linked page, which is especially helpful on devices with limited resources.

Why We Use the nofollow Attribute

The nofollow attribute is part of SEO best practices and helps protect our platform’s integrity:

• Spam Prevention: By adding nofollow, we deter spammers and bad actors who may try to exploit our platform for link-building schemes or malicious activity.
• Maintaining Link Quality: It ensures that only high-quality and relevant links affect SEO rankings. This protects our website’s overall SEO health and prevents abuse.

While we understand that some podcasters would like to benefit from SEO backlinks, we have to take precautions to protect all users. Unfortunately, the internet has its share of bad actors, and these attributes act as safeguards to prevent malicious behavior or spam.

By using noopener and nofollow, we keep the platform secure for everyone, maintain high-quality content and links across the site, and follow SEO best practices to ensure fair and transparent rankings.

This approach strikes a balance between security, performance, and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all podcasters and listeners.

Can I Remove These Attributes?

At this time, these attributes are automatically applied to all links in podcast and episode descriptions and cannot be removed. This decision is driven by our commitment to platform security and quality for all users.