How to get a backlink from Tumblr?
The most defensible route is an original post with a contextual external link, checked on the public yourblog.tumblr.com version of the post. Do not rely on a redirecting blog page or a link dropped into an unrelated reblog.
Steps
- Create a Tumblr account, or sign in to an existing account with a public blog.
- Open Tumblr’s new text-post editor.
- Write an original post that gives the destination context. Highlight descriptive anchor text and use the Hyperlink control, or add a link block with the chain icon. Tumblr documents both options in its writing guide.
- Add relevant tags and publish the post. Avoid a thin paragraph whose only purpose is carrying a keyword-rich link.
- Open the published post on your blog’s public web URL and check that the destination works without requiring a Tumblr login.
The WordPress Tumblr example places a direct make.wordpress.org URL in the opening paragraph and repeats it in a link-preview block:
What kind of link is it?
In the inspected public custom-theme page, both external anchors point straight to https://make.wordpress.org/.... They have no nofollow, ugc, or sponsored token and do not pass through a Tumblr redirect, so this method is classified as dofollow.
Treat that as surface-specific rather than universal. Tumblr’s dashboard, other themes, notes, and reblogged versions can use different markup. Verify your own public post after publishing instead of assuming every Tumblr rendering preserves the same attributes.
The catch
A new post lives on a user blog and starts with little authority of its own; Tumblr’s strong root domain does not make the fresh page authoritative. The link is more credible when the post stands on its own, fits the blog’s topic, and earns genuine discovery through tags or reblogs. Publishing batches of near-empty posts is not a useful shortcut.
Backlink signals
Editorial estimates for comparing this provider.
- Dofollow linksCan pass equityWe set this after checking whether the recommended backlink method on this provider typically outputs a dofollow link in the page HTML. If attributes vary by page type, we use the realistic default for that path and explain the nuance in the guide.
- Yes. We set this after checking whether the recommended backlink method on this provider typically outputs a dofollow link in the page HTML. If attributes vary by page type, we use the realistic default for that path and explain the nuance in the guide.
- Backlink valueEditorial estimateBacklink value is our 0-100 editorial estimate of how much authority a page you create here would actually carry. We score the page you would end up with - not the provider homepage - from how strongly the platform links to and indexes that page type, how much editorial review stands behind it, and what comparable pages are worth in practice. Most new pages anywhere are worth little; a few platforms hand a fresh page real strength straight away. It is a comparison estimate, not a measurement, and it will not match any third-party tool.
- 2/100. Backlink value is our 0-100 editorial estimate of how much authority a page you create here would actually carry. We score the page you would end up with - not the provider homepage - from how strongly the platform links to and indexes that page type, how much editorial review stands behind it, and what comparable pages are worth in practice. Most new pages anywhere are worth little; a few platforms hand a fresh page real strength straight away. It is a comparison estimate, not a measurement, and it will not match any third-party tool.
- Spam ratingLower is betterWe use spam score when we have a defensible value for the relevant domain or surface, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate from platform quality and spam patterns. Treat it as an approximate comparison guide, not a guarantee of how search engines evaluate the site.
- 1/100. We use spam score when we have a defensible value for the relevant domain or surface, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate from platform quality and spam patterns. Treat it as an approximate comparison guide, not a guarantee of how search engines evaluate the site.
- Acquisition difficultyLower is easierBacklink Badger assigns this 0–100 score from editorial review of signup friction, content requirements, approval gates, and account trust for the recommended path. It is an approximate comparison estimate, not a measured difficulty metric.
- 30/100. Backlink Badger assigns this 0–100 score from editorial review of signup friction, content requirements, approval gates, and account trust for the recommended path. It is an approximate comparison estimate, not a measured difficulty metric.
- Time estimateTypical setupWe estimate the minimum minutes a prepared user needs to sign up, set up, and publish or submit the backlink, including obvious waiting steps we can reasonably predict. This Backlink Badger estimate is approximate - your first attempt or extra verification may take longer.
- ~15 min. We estimate the minimum minutes a prepared user needs to sign up, set up, and publish or submit the backlink, including obvious waiting steps we can reasonably predict. This Backlink Badger estimate is approximate - your first attempt or extra verification may take longer.
- Free optionNo required spendWe mark Yes when the recommended backlink path can be completed without paying the provider for access, placement, or a required plan. If only paid tiers unlock the link, or payment is commonly required in practice, we mark No.
- Yes. We mark Yes when the recommended backlink path can be completed without paying the provider for access, placement, or a required plan. If only paid tiers unlock the link, or payment is commonly required in practice, we mark No.
Provider overview
Tumblr is a social blogging platform where an account can publish a public blog and posts containing external links. The practical backlink is a relevant link inside an original post viewed on the blog's public web URL.
Minimum requirements to get a backlink from Tumblr
- Tumblr account
- Original post
- Public blog
Key challenges to get a backlink from Tumblr
- Low starting authority: A new Tumblr post on a fresh user blog has little page-level authority until it earns discovery or reblogs.
- Surface differences: Link markup can vary between a blog's public theme, Tumblr's dashboard, and reblogged copies.
- Spam risk: Thin posts created only to hold a link may be ignored, reported, or removed.