🔗 Backlink Checker
By Shihab Mia · Updated 2026-06-29
Enter a value and click the button. 2 free lookups per day.
This backlink checker shows the link profile of any website in one click: enter a domain and you get total backlinks, referring domains, referring IPs, a Domain Authority score and a broken backlinks count. The numbers come from a crawled link index (DataForSEO), so they are a sound estimate of how many other sites point to the address you check. Use it to size up your own backlink profile or to scope out a competitor before you plan outreach. To keep the service free, there is a limit of 2 lookups per day.
What is the Backlink Checker?
A backlink is a link from one website to another. Search engines treat each backlink as a small vote of confidence: when many trustworthy sites link to a page, engines infer the page is useful and are more willing to rank it. A backlink checker is the tool that counts and summarises those votes for any domain so you do not have to crawl the whole web yourself. Instead of guessing, you get a snapshot of how many links and how many unique referring domains point at a site, plus a few quality signals around them.
Not all backlinks carry the same weight, which is why this backlink checker reports several numbers rather than one. Total backlinks is the raw count of individual links, and a single popular page can produce thousands of them from one template or sidebar. Referring domains is usually the more honest figure, because it counts how many distinct websites link to you at all; one link each from 500 different sites is far stronger than 5,000 links from a single site. Referring IPs goes one level deeper, counting the distinct server addresses behind those domains, which helps reveal whether a link profile is genuinely diverse or quietly comes from one network.
The Domain Authority (DA) in this tool is an estimate on the familiar 0 to 100 scale, derived from DataForSEO's backlink authority data, that grows with the size and quality of a site's backlink profile. It tracks closely with Moz Domain Authority but is computed independently, so it can differ by a few points. It is not a Google ranking factor you can plug into a formula. Different providers calculate authority from different link indexes with different maths, so the same domain can score 47 in one tool and 61 here. Treat the score as a relative gauge, not as a universal grade.
Broken backlinks are links that point to a page that no longer exists, usually returning a 404 error. They matter for two reasons. First, broken backlinks pointing at your own site are wasted link value you could recover by restoring the page or adding a redirect. Second, broken backlinks on other people's pages are an outreach opportunity: if a relevant page links to a dead resource, you can suggest your live page as a replacement. A backlink checker that surfaces this count turns a vague hunch into a concrete to-do list.
Because every backlink checker reads from its own crawl of the web, no two tools will ever agree to the last link. A crawler can only count links on pages it has discovered and recently revisited, so a brand new link may take days or weeks to appear, and a link removed yesterday may still show until the next crawl. This is normal and expected across the whole industry. The right way to read any backlink checker, including this one, is for scale and direction (thousands versus dozens, growing versus shrinking) rather than as an exact, audited ledger.
This backlink checker runs the lookup through our own rate-limited service so no API keys are exposed and the underlying index is queried responsibly. Each paid lookup costs real money, so the tool never runs automatically when the page loads and is capped at 2 free checks per day. That is plenty for spot-checking your site or a handful of competitors, and it keeps the tool genuinely free for everyone.
When to use it
- Checking how many backlinks and referring domains point to your own website before and after a link building campaign.
- Sizing up a competitor backlink profile to estimate how much link authority you need to compete for a keyword.
- Finding broken backlinks so you can reclaim lost link value with a redirect or a restored page.
- Vetting a guest post or link partner by checking whether their domain has a real, diverse backlink profile.
- Comparing two domains on the same Domain Authority scale when deciding which one to acquire or partner with.
- Monitoring a new site over time to confirm its referring domains count is trending up rather than flat.
How to use the Backlink Checker
- Type the domain you want to analyse into the input box, for example example.com (you can leave off https:// and www).
- Click the Check backlinks button. The tool will not run on its own, so nothing is spent until you click.
- Wait a few seconds while the lookup runs against the crawled link index.
- Read the stat cards: Total Backlinks, Referring Domains, Referring IPs, Domain Authority and Broken Backlinks, all formatted with commas.
- Review the detail rows below for referring pages, referring main domains and the Domain Authority band.
- Note the free lookups left today indicator so you can plan your remaining checks, since the limit is 2 per day.
Formula & method
Worked examples
A small business owner checks her own site, freshcoffee.example, after three months of guest posting.
- She enters freshcoffee.example and clicks Check backlinks.
- The tool returns 1,840 total backlinks from 96 referring domains across 88 referring IPs.
- Domain Authority shows 14 / 100 and Broken Backlinks shows 12.
Result: The 96 referring domains confirm her outreach is producing links from distinct sites, not one site repeating. The 12 broken backlinks become a recovery list: she restores two deleted pages and adds redirects to reclaim that link value.
An SEO consultant compares two competitors before pitching a content budget.
- He checks competitor-a.example: 540,000 backlinks, 4,200 referring domains, DA 49.
- He checks competitor-b.example: 612,000 backlinks, 910 referring domains, DA 31.
- He compares the referring domains figures rather than the raw backlink totals.
Result: Although competitor B has more total backlinks, competitor A has far more referring domains and a higher Domain Authority, so A has the stronger, more diverse profile. The consultant advises the client to target keywords where competitor B ranks, since its link profile is thinner.
A blogger vets a site that offered a paid link placement.
- She runs the offering site through the backlink checker.
- It returns 30 referring domains, DA 1 / 100, and almost all backlinks from a single IP range.
Result: The tiny referring domains count and very low Domain Authority suggest a weak or artificial profile, so she declines the placement to avoid a low-quality link.
Domain Authority bands used by this backlink checker (0 to 100 scale)
| DA range | Band | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 7 | Low | New, tiny or thin link profile; few referring domains. |
| 8 to 19 | Developing | A growing site building its first real backlinks. |
| 20 to 39 | Moderate | An established site with a solid spread of referring domains. |
| 40 to 59 | Strong | A well linked brand or publisher in its niche. |
| 60 to 100 | Very strong | Large authoritative domains with vast, diverse link profiles. |
What each backlink metric tells you, and which to trust most
| Metric | Counts | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Total Backlinks | Every individual link | Can be inflated by one site linking many times. |
| Referring Domains | Unique linking websites | The most reliable size signal for a profile. |
| Referring IPs | Unique server addresses | Low IPs versus domains can hint at one network. |
| Domain Authority | Estimated DA 0 to 100 | A relative gauge that tracks Moz DA, not a Google score. |
| Broken Backlinks | Links to dead pages | A recovery and outreach to-do list. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Judging a site by total backlinks alone. A huge total backlinks number is easy to inflate, because one sitewide footer or sidebar link can generate thousands of backlinks from a single domain. Always read referring domains alongside it; that is the figure that reflects how many distinct sites actually vouch for the page.
- Treating the Domain Authority as an exact Moz DA. The Domain Authority here is an estimate on the standard 0 to 100 scale, derived from DataForSEO data. It tracks closely with Moz Domain Authority but is computed independently, so it can differ by a few points. Use it as a relative gauge rather than an exact match to any single provider.
- Expecting every backlink checker to match. Each tool crawls the web independently, so counts will differ between providers and even between checks. New links take time to be discovered and removed links linger until the next crawl. Read the numbers for scale and trend, not as an exact audited figure.
- Ignoring broken backlinks. Broken backlinks pointing at your site are wasted authority. People skip the count, but restoring a deleted page or adding a 301 redirect often recovers real link value with very little effort.
- Running needless repeat lookups. Because each check calls a paid index, this tool is capped at 2 free lookups per day. Decide which domains matter before you start rather than re-checking the same site repeatedly, since backlink data does not change minute to minute.
- Entering a full path instead of a domain. For a site-wide picture, enter the bare domain (example.com) rather than a long URL with tracking parameters. A specific page returns far fewer backlinks than the whole domain and can look misleadingly weak.
Glossary
- Backlink
- A link from one website to another. Search engines treat backlinks as signals of trust and relevance.
- Referring domain
- A unique website that links to the target at least once. Many backlinks from one referring domain still count as a single referring domain.
- Referring IP
- A unique server IP address behind the referring domains. A low referring IP count relative to domains can suggest links from one network.
- Domain Authority (DA)
- A 0 to 100 estimate reflecting the size and quality of a backlink profile, derived from DataForSEO data. It tracks closely with Moz Domain Authority but is computed independently.
- Broken backlink
- A backlink that points to a page that no longer exists, usually returning a 404 error. Recoverable with a redirect or a restored page.
- Referring page
- A specific page (URL) that contains a backlink to the target, as opposed to the whole domain it sits on.
- Backlink profile
- The overall set of backlinks pointing at a domain, including how many there are, how diverse the referring domains are and how authoritative the linking sites are.
- Link index
- The crawled database of links a backlink checker reads from. Different tools maintain different indexes, which is why their numbers differ.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the backlink data come from and how accurate is it?
The data comes from the DataForSEO Backlinks API, which maintains a large continuously updated crawl of the web. It is an accurate estimate rather than a perfect, complete ledger. No backlink checker can see every link instantly, because new links take time to be crawled and removed links linger until the next crawl. Read the figures for scale and trend, and expect them to differ from other tools that use their own separate index.
Is the Domain Authority the same as Moz Domain Authority?
Almost. The Domain Authority shown here is an estimate on the same 0 to 100 scale, derived from DataForSEO's backlink authority data. It tracks closely with Moz Domain Authority but is computed independently, so it can differ by a few points. Use it as a relative gauge to compare domains on this scale.
Why is there a limit of 2 lookups per day?
Each lookup calls a paid third-party API, so every check costs real money. To keep the backlink checker completely free, we cap usage at 2 lookups per day per visitor. The tool never runs automatically on page load, and after each check it tells you how many free lookups you have left today.
Is this backlink checker really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no payment. The only restriction is the 2 lookups per day limit, which exists purely to cover the cost of the underlying data and keep the service free for everyone.
What is the difference between total backlinks and referring domains?
Total backlinks counts every individual link pointing at the domain, so one site that links to you from a sitewide footer can contribute thousands. Referring domains counts the unique websites that link to you at all. Referring domains is usually the more meaningful measure of how strong and diverse a backlink profile is.
Can I check a competitor backlinks with this tool?
Yes. Enter any domain, including a competitor, and you will see its public backlink profile: total backlinks, referring domains, referring IPs, Domain Authority and broken backlinks. This is a common and legitimate use for sizing up the competition before planning your own link building.
Why do my numbers differ from Ahrefs, Moz or Semrush?
Every backlink checker builds its own crawl of the web, and each crawl discovers a slightly different set of pages and links at a slightly different time. As a result, no two tools report identical backlink counts or authority scores. This is normal across the entire industry. Use any single tool consistently for tracking trends rather than mixing absolute numbers from different tools.
What should I do about broken backlinks?
If broken backlinks point at your own site, restore the missing page or add a 301 redirect to the closest live page so you recover that link value. If you find broken backlinks on other relevant sites that point to a dead resource, you can reach out and suggest your live page as a replacement, which is a proven link building tactic.
Do I need to include https:// or www?
No. You can enter just the bare domain such as example.com. For a whole-site picture, prefer the bare domain over a long URL with a path or tracking parameters, because a single page naturally has far fewer backlinks than the entire domain.
Does a higher backlink count guarantee better Google rankings?
No. Backlinks are one important signal among many, but Google weighs relevance, content quality, user experience and the quality of each link, not just the raw count. A handful of strong, relevant backlinks can outperform thousands of low quality ones. Use this backlink checker to understand your profile, not as a single ranking guarantee.