One number. Full context.
The Ahrefs score, its rank, and what the band means for competing and link building.
Ahrefs Domain Rating
0 ptsThe 0 to 100 score from Ahrefs' own index, the most widely used measure of a backlink profile's strength.
- /pricing200
- /docs/old-guide404
- partner.com/page200
- /blog/2021/post410
Live from Ahrefs
0 ptsFetched from Ahrefs' public Domain Rating endpoint at check time and cached for a day, so the number matches what Ahrefs shows.
Band and meaning
0 ptsPlaces the score in one of six bands, from New to Authority, with what sites in that band typically look like.
Logarithmic context
0 ptsExplains why DR 20 to 30 is easy and DR 70 to 80 is hard, so you set realistic link-building goals.
Know who you are up against.
Before you write a word.
Before you compete for a keyword, you want to know who is already ranking and how hard they are to move. Domain Rating is the fastest honest answer.
Size up competitors in seconds
A page from a DR 75 domain outranks a better page from a DR 15 domain more often than not. Check the DR of the top results before you commit to a keyword.
Qualify link prospects
A backlink from a DR 60 site is worth more than a dozen from DR 5 sites. Check prospects before you pitch, and check guest-post sites before you write.
Track your own progress
DR moves slowly and logarithmically. Checking it monthly tells you whether your link building is working without paying for a full SEO suite.
Move up a band. With links that compound.
- 1
Check the top five ranking domains
Search your target keyword, note the domains ranking, and check each. If most are two bands above you, pick a longer-tail keyword.
- 2
Earn links from domains above your band
Links from domains with a higher DR than yours move your score most. Aim for relevant sites one or two bands up.
- 3
Prefer many referring domains over many links
DR rewards the number of unique linking domains more than the number of links. Ten links from ten sites beat fifty from one.
- 4
Publish content that earns links on its own
Original data, tools and definitive guides attract links without outreach. That is the compounding path to the next band.
- 5
Re-check monthly, not daily
Ahrefs recalculates DR continuously, but meaningful movement takes weeks. Log it once a month alongside your traffic.
Move up a band with links you do not have to chase
SiteLift publishes link-worthy content and distributes it across a curated network, so your Domain Rating grows while you run the business.
No credit card required
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the domain rating checker.
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