Debug: DB lookup batches (click to expand)
| Domain | DA | DA Trend | Linking Domains |
Followed Linking Domains |
Total Backlinks |
Followed Backlinks |
Link Propensity |
Spam Score |
|---|
How it works
The Domain Authority Checker looks up each domain in our copy of Moz's link data, which we refresh every month. Nothing is crawled live, and you do not need an API key. For each domain we store the current Domain Authority (DA) and about 4 years of monthly DA history. We also keep its linking-domain and backlink counts, link propensity, Spam Score, and the date Moz last checked it.
Single mode checks one domain in under a second. Bulk mode checks up to 100 domains at a time on your plan. Bulk jobs run in the background against the local database.
Which version of your domain we check. Many domains appear twice in the link graph: example.com and www.example.com. Enter either form and we look up both. We show the one with the higher DA, which is usually the version most sites link to. A subdomain you type yourself, such as support.google.com, is looked up as written. We never swap in the root domain, because google.com data says nothing about support.google.com.
What each row shows:
- Domain Authority on a 0 to 100 scale.
- A 4-year DA trend as a small chart. Click it for a big chart with axis labels, a tooltip for every month, and the first, last, lowest and highest points marked.
- Linking Domains and Followed Linking Domains: how many different sites link in.
- Backlinks and Followed Backlinks: how many individual pages link in.
- Link Propensity as a percentage. An unusually high value can point to a site that links out far more than normal.
- Spam Score on a 0 to 100 scale.
Plan caps. On the Free plan you can submit up to 100 domains per bulk job. Each domain counts as one lookup toward a daily quota. That quota is shared with the other domain-lookup tools (Website Authority Checker, Spam Score Checker, Subdomain Finder, SEO Analyzer).
Known limitations.
- A monthly snapshot, not live data. Each row shows Moz's latest crawl, dated in the last checked column. Links you earned this month may not show for up to a month.
- Some domains have no data. Very new sites, sites with little traffic, and sites with no inbound links may not be in Moz's index yet. Those rows say no data.
- DA is Moz's estimate, not a Google score. Google does not use it. Use DA to compare yourself with competitors, not as a final SEO grade (see the FAQ below).
What the columns mean
- Domain
- The version of the domain we checked, with or without www. We show whichever has the higher DA. Click the link icon to open this domain in a related tool.
- Domain Authority (DA)
- Moz's 0 to 100 estimate of how well a domain can rank. The scale is logarithmic, which means each step up gets harder. Moving from 20 to 30 is a real gain. Moving from 80 to 90 takes far more work. New domains start near 0. Major brands score 80 or more.
- DA Trend
- A small chart of monthly DA values over the past 4 years. Click it to open a big chart with axis labels, a tooltip for every month, and the first, last, lowest and highest points marked.
- Linking Domains
- How many different domains have at least one link to this domain. More linking domains usually means a higher DA.
- Followed Linking Domains
- The linking domains where at least one link is followed. A followed link has no
rel="nofollow"tag, so it passes ranking signals. Nofollow links usually do not. - Total Backlinks
- How many individual pages link to this domain. Ten pages on one site count as ten backlinks but only one linking domain.
- Followed Backlinks
- The backlinks that are followed, not nofollow.
- Link Propensity
- How much the domain links out, shown as a percentage. A very high value can point to a scraper or low-quality site, though some good sites link out a lot too.
- Spam Score
- Moz's 0 to 100 count of spam signals. Higher means more signals. If many high-score domains link to you, the Spam Score Checker can review each one.
- Last Checked
- The date Moz last crawled this domain. An older date means recent link-building is not in the numbers yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is domain authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a score from Moz that predicts how well a domain can rank in Google. It runs from 0 to 100. New sites start near 0. The web's biggest sites, such as Wikipedia and Amazon, score 90 or more. Moz computes DA from its own crawl of the links between sites and refreshes it about once a month. Google does not use or publish DA.
What is a good domain authority score?
A good score is one that beats the competitors ranking for your keywords. DA is a comparison, so there is no single good number. As a rough guide:
- 0-20: very new sites, or sites with few inbound links.
- 20-40: small-business sites and growing blogs.
- 40-60: established sites that earn links steadily.
- 60-80: leaders in a competitive industry.
- 80+: major brands and high-traffic media.
If your top competitors sit at DA 35, reaching 45 is a real win. If they sit at 80, reaching 50 still leaves you behind. Compare against the sites that actually rank, not against a fixed target.
How do I find out my domain authority?
Type your domain, such as yourdomain.com, in the box above and click Check. You get your current DA, the linking-domain and backlink counts behind it, and a 4-year monthly trend. The trend shows whether your score is rising, falling or flat. No signup or API key is needed. Check competitor domains the same way, or use bulk mode to check dozens or hundreds at once.
How can I increase my domain authority?
Earn more good links from other domains over time. DA is driven mainly by the number and quality of sites linking to you. Practical steps:
- Publish content other sites want to cite: original data, research, useful tools and in-depth guides.
- Reach out for guest posts, partnerships and resource-page listings.
- Fix broken inbound links, so pages other sites still link to no longer return a 404.
- Disavow toxic links from spammy domains in Google Search Console.
Steady growth wins. One hundred good links earned over 18 months moves DA more than 500 poor links bought in a month.
Why is my domain authority not increasing?
Four common reasons:
- The monthly refresh. Moz updates DA about once a month, so new links may not be counted yet. Wait one or two refreshes before judging.
- Competitors are growing too. DA compares you with every other site. You have to grow your links faster than they do just to hold your position.
- Bad links drag you down. Toxic links can lower DA even while you earn good ones. Run the Spam Score Checker on your top linking domains now and then.
- The top is slow. Going from 70 to 75 takes far more work than going from 20 to 25.
How long does it take to improve domain authority?
Months, not weeks. A site starting near zero can gain 5 to 10 points in 6 months with focused, honest link-building. An established site may move 2 to 4 points a year. Shortcuts do not last. Paid link networks and private blog networks (PBNs) can lift DA for a while. Then Moz's next crawl removes the boost, and Google often penalizes the site. Review DA every quarter or twice a year rather than every week.
What is the difference between Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR)?
Both predict how well a domain will rank, but they come from different companies with different link data and different math. Moz's Domain Authority weighs the quality, variety and spam signals of the sites linking to you. Ahrefs' Domain Rating leans more on the number of unique linking domains and how strong they are. The two scores often move together but can differ by 10 to 20 points for the same domain. Do not convert one into the other. Treat each as its own benchmark. This tool shows DA. For DR you need an Ahrefs subscription.
Is Moz Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?
No. Google has said many times that it does not use Moz DA. Google relies on its own signals, including its own link analysis, content quality and user behavior. DA is still a useful yardstick for how strong a domain's link profile is. Raising DA does not raise rankings by itself. The two move together because the same work, earning good links and publishing useful content, improves both.