The UGC (User Generated Content) link attribute is in the rel attribute category, and it was introduced by Google to specify the identification of links found in user-generated content. User-generated content generally relates to comments posted in comments sections, forum articles, blogs, and any kind of document where a user can contribute input. Adding rel=”ugc” to such links tells search engines that these links were made by a user, not necessarily endorsed by the website. That further helps search engines understand the contextual and avoid misconstruing the link as an endorsement. This UGC link attribute scheme is one of Google’s initiatives to stamp out spam and raise the bar on search results. It encourages website owners to properly moderate these links and helps distinguish between editorial links and user-generated links. UGC links might have some slight weight in the search engines, but search engines are more aware of how they interpret these links compared to editorial links. By using this UGC link attribute, a website which hosts user-generated content is observing a best practice that promotes transparency and help maintain a healthy link profile.