UGC (User Generated Content)
UGC (User Generated Content) is content created and published by users rather than by the site owner or a brand. It includes, among other things, comments, forum posts, product reviews, photos and videos. In a 2007 report, the OECD identified three features of such content: publication, creative effort and creation outside professional routines. In SEO, Google recommends marking links in user content with the rel=ugc attribute. User content is also subject to regulations, including the Digital Services Act and the rules for publishing consumer reviews.
What is UGC?
UGC is content that was prepared and published by a user of a website, not by its owner. In Polish, it is called „treści generowane przez użytkowników” or „treści tworzone przez użytkowników”.
The OECD described this phenomenon in its 2007 report “Participative Web: User-Created Content”. The organization used the name User-Created Content (UCC) and gave three criteria for such content.
| Feature | Description according to the OECD |
|---|---|
| Publication | the content is made available online, publicly or to a selected group |
| Creative effort | the user adds something of their own rather than just copying someone else's content |
| Creation outside professional routines | the content is usually created without an institutional or commercial context |
According to the OECD, the publication criterion excludes, e.g., emails and private messages. Copying a clip of a TV show to a video site does not meet the creative effort requirement. Your own photos, a blog post or a new music video do meet it.
| Type of UGC according to the OECD | Examples of where it is published |
|---|---|
| Text | blogs, wikis, forums, comments, reviews |
| Photos and images | social networking sites, galleries |
| Music and audio | podcasts, audio file sites |
| Video and film | video sites |
| Citizen journalism | blogs, news sites |
| Educational content | wikis, collaboration sites |
| Virtual content | virtual worlds |
How should links in user content be marked?
Links in user content are marked with the rel=ugc attribute. Google recommends it for, among other things, links in comments and forum posts.
Google introduced the rel=ugc and rel=sponsored attributes on September 10, 2019. They were announced by Danny Sullivan and Gary Illyes on the Google Search Central blog. Since then, all these attributes have been hints for Google rather than strict commands.
| Attribute | Use according to Google |
|---|---|
| rel=ugc | links in user content, e.g. in comments and on forums |
| rel=sponsored | advertising and paid links |
| rel=nofollow | links the site does not want to be associated with, when other values do not fit |
Attributes can be combined in one link, e.g. ugc with nofollow. According to Google's documentation, the ugc attribute can be removed from links by trusted users who have long been publishing valuable content.
Since March 1, 2020, Google has treated nofollow as a hint for crawling and indexing as well. That is why marking a link does not guarantee that Google will ignore it.
How do you protect a site from user-generated spam?
Open comment forms and other fields for user content are a common target for spammers. Google recommends combining moderation, user verification and appropriate content marking.
| Google recommendation | Purpose |
|---|---|
| A clear abuse policy | users know what content is not allowed |
| Spam reporting by trusted users | faster detection of abuse |
| Manual moderation of selected actions | spam does not go straight onto the site |
| reCAPTCHA in sign-up forms | blocks automated account creation |
| noindex tag for posts by new users | content without a reputation does not get into the index |
| rel=nofollow or rel=ugc on links | the site signals that it does not vouch for links in uncertain content |
| Blocklists, e.g. of IP addresses | protection against repeated attacks |
Google also advises monitoring the site in Search Console and checking new URLs in search results. This helps detect pages created by spammers quickly.
What regulations apply to UGC?
In the EU, UGC is regulated by, among others, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the rules on consumer reviews. They apply both to platforms and to shops that publish reviews.
The Digital Services Act is Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of October 19, 2022. It has applied since February 17, 2024.
| Provision | What it means for user content |
|---|---|
| Art. 6 DSA | a service storing content is not liable for it if it does not know it is illegal or removes it quickly once it learns of it |
| Art. 16 DSA | the service must provide a simple, electronic way to report illegal content |
| Omnibus Directive | a shop must state whether and how it verifies customer reviews |
According to UOKiK, the Polish competition and consumer protection authority, the Omnibus Directive requires online shops to state whether they show all reviews, including negative ones. Without verification, they cannot claim that reviews come from real customers.
The President of UOKiK has fined companies that published fake reviews. In November 2023, he fined two such companies a total of PLN 85,000; the decisions were not final.
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Q.What is UGC?
UGC, or User Generated Content, is content created by the users of a website rather than by its owner. It includes, among other things, comments, forum posts, reviews, photos and videos. The OECD identified three features of such content: publication online, the user's creative effort and creation outside professional routines.
Q.How is rel=ugc different from rel=nofollow?
The rel=ugc attribute marks links in user content, e.g. in comments and on forums. The rel=nofollow attribute is used when other values do not fit and the site does not want to be associated with the link. Google treats both attributes as hints. They can also be combined in one link.
Q.Does UGC help SEO?
UGC can enrich a site with new content, but it needs control. Google warns that open comment forms are a common target for spammers. It recommends moderation, reCAPTCHA, a noindex tag for posts by new users and marking links with rel=ugc or rel=nofollow. Spam in user content can harm the site.
Q.Are customer reviews UGC?
Yes, customer reviews are one type of UGC. According to UOKiK, the Omnibus Directive requires a shop to state whether and how it verifies reviews. Without verification, the shop cannot claim that reviews come from real customers. Publishing fake reviews breaks consumer law and can lead to a fine.
Q.What sources is this description based on?
The definition and types of user content come from the 2007 OECD report “Participative Web: User-Created Content”. The rules for marking links are described in the Google Search Central documentation “Qualify outbound links” and the post “Evolving nofollow” of September 10, 2019. Spam protection is described in the Google documentation “Prevent user-generated spam on your site”. The regulations come from Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on digital services and UOKiK announcements on fake reviews from 2023.
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