FireFox ~ using the userContent.css

to help spot those "nofollow" links

[SuzyUK]

a[rel~="nofollow"] {  
border: 1px dashed #f00!important;  
background: #f66!important;  
} 

You can use this CSS selector (choose your own colors ;)) with Firefox inside a user stylesheet while surfing to enable you to spot those links (or if you are checking up on your link exchange partners)

the [rel~="nofollow"] will enable the links to be selected even if "nofollow" is not the only definition
e.g. <a rel="home nofollow"....>.
Whereas [rel="nofollow"] (no ~) will not match that, that will only match if nofollow is the only attribute definition.

There are 2 ways to use it though and it will depend how permanent you want it to be.

If you have the Web Dev toolbar:
Create a css file, just put that CSS at the start in it, Save it (nofollow.css) to the desktop (or anywhere you can find it quickly).

When you're on the page you want to check, right click,
Web Developer >> CSS >> Add User Style Sheet
select the CSS file you just saved and you should instantly see if there are any..

That method is not persistent though, if you would like a more persistent method (regular link checkers perhaps) you can use your userContent.css located in your Firefox profile > default > chrome directory
(Firefox\Profiles\default.#*$!\chrome)

You just add that bit of CSS to this userContent.css file and save. You will then need to restart FF in order for any userContent.css changes to take place.

HTH
Suzy

[coopster]

This is a sweet tip, SuzyUK. Thanks ;)

[valder]

Didn't know about the rel="nofollow" attribute for links until this thread and I did a google on it, and it really is interesting. Thanks. And thanks for the Firefox-tip as well. :)

[tictoc]

I have tried this all night long and still cannot figure it out for some reason and do not see the profiles directory listed under the main firefox one..

maybe I am missing something...

[Macro]

>> I have tried this all night long and still cannot figure it out for some reason

You are not alone.

Is it something like message 31 and 36 here [webmasterworld.com]? I couldn't understand that either. :(

[SuzyUK]

profiles directory listed under the main firefox

Not sure I understand correctly, but they're not in the "main" Firefox Directory, it should be in your personal settings:

e.g.C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.?!x\chrome

..try running a system search for "userContent.css" to help find it.

If it's still not there it's possible that there isn't one so you can just create it as long as you create it in your chrome directory in the default profile.

OR: there is an extension which allows you to edit your userContent.css without knowing where it is. (It should also tell you if you don't have one yet ;)) ChromEdit [cdn.mozdev.org] ~
Note: you will still have to restart FF, to see the changes after editing using this extension.

Macro, that's a javascript favelet you refer to, it does the same thing and would be useful if you prefer working with js It's the equivalent of the non-persistent method of applying a custom user stylesheet as described in post one..

Suzy

[Macro]

Thanks Suzy, I'll try that now. (And get rid of the example_usercontent.css that I seem to have)

[doortodoororganics]

Great Tip!, thanks.

[tictoc]

Thank you very much SuzeUK for that ChromEdit program that worked instantly. I can say I have tried for two days now by going into the Documents and settings and manually putting the .css file and then by trying to put it in the example file in the actual firefox directory.

Thanks again!

Does anyone know a way to do this in IE6 to edit a .css file or something to make it find nofollow link attributes?

[gmiller]

Just keep in mind that this only helps with nofollow links. You still need to look at the source of the page to see whether the link will count for search engine purposes.