What is domain authority?
Domain authority is a score that predicts how well a website can rank in search results, based mainly on the quantity and quality of the links pointing to it. The term was popularized by Moz (“DA”); Ahrefs calls its version Domain Rating (“DR”) and Semrush uses Authority Score. Google does not use any of these scores directly, but they track closely with the link signals Google does use.
Our score is calculated from DataForSEO’s Domain Rank, which measures the strength of a site’s backlink profile on a 0–1,000 scale. We show it on a 0–100 scale so it is easy to compare with DA and DR.
How to use the domain authority checker
- Enter a domain, for example
yourcompetitor.com. - Click “Check authority”.
- Read the score with the link data: referring domains matter more than raw backlink counts, and a high spam score is a warning sign.
- Compare your domain with the sites ranking above you for your main keywords.
What is a good domain authority score?
Authority is relative. A score is “good” if it is competitive with the sites ranking for the keywords you want. As a rough guide:
| Score | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 0–20 | New or small site with few quality links |
| 21–40 | Established local or niche business |
| 41–60 | Strong regional brand or respected niche publisher |
| 61–80 | Major brand or national publication |
| 81–100 | Global platforms and household names |
The scale is logarithmic: going from 20 to 30 is much easier than going from 60 to 70.
Understanding the link metrics
- Backlinks: total links pointing to the domain. Many can come from a few sites.
- Referring domains: how many unique websites link to it. This is usually the most important number.
- Dofollow domains: referring domains that pass ranking value.
- Referring IPs and subnets: diversity of the linking servers. Many links from one IP range can indicate a link network.
- Spam score: 0–100 likelihood that the domain has spammy characteristics. Under 30 is generally fine.
How to increase domain authority
- Publish link-worthy assets: original data, tools and in-depth guides.
- Earn coverage: digital PR, expert quotes and guest contributions on relevant sites.
- Reclaim links: fix broken pages that already have links and ask for unlinked brand mentions to be linked.
- Get listed in the industry directories, associations and partner pages your customers use.
- Avoid shortcuts: paid link schemes and private blog networks can lead to penalties.
Authority grows slowly. Track it monthly, not weekly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check domain authority?
Enter the domain in the checker above and click Check authority. You get an authority score from 0 to 100 plus the backlink data behind it.
Is this the same as Moz Domain Authority?
No. Moz DA is Moz’s own metric. Our score is based on DataForSEO’s Domain Rank, which also measures backlink strength, shown on the same 0–100 scale. Scores from different tools will not match exactly but usually move in the same direction.
Does Google use domain authority?
Google does not use third-party authority scores. They are estimates of the link signals Google does consider, which is why they correlate with rankings.
What is a good domain authority?
A good score is one in line with or above the sites ranking for your target keywords. For many local businesses 20 to 40 is competitive; national brands are often above 50.
Why did my authority score change?
Scores move when you gain or lose links, when the links pointing to you change in strength, and when the provider updates its index. Look at the trend over several months.
Is the domain authority checker free?
Yes. Enter your first name and email to see your results; we also email you a copy. There is a fair-use limit of a few lookups per hour per visitor.