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Compare your site, competitors, or prospects on the same 0-100 DR scale - no Ahrefs account required.
Domain Rating Checker
Check any domain's Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) for free. See backlink profile strength on a 0-100 scale.
Why check Domain Rating?
Quick authority snapshot
DR summarizes backlink profile strength in one number. Useful before outreach, link building, or acquisitions.
Free public data
Powered by Ahrefs' free Domain Rating API. Enter a domain and get results instantly.
What is Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating (DR) is an Ahrefs metric that shows how strong a website's backlink profile is compared to every other site in their database. It runs from 0 to 100 on a logarithmic scale - moving from 20 to 30 is easier than 70 to 80.
How is DR calculated?
Ahrefs looks at the quantity and quality of domains linking to your site. More links from high-DR sites push your score up. DR is a relative metric - it measures link profile strength, not traffic, content quality, or Google rankings.
DR vs. Domain Authority vs. Authority Score
Moz calls it Domain Authority (DA), Semrush uses Authority Score. All are proprietary link-based metrics on similar scales. They are useful for comparisons but are not official Google ranking factors.
What is a good DR?
Context matters. A DR 30 blog can dominate its niche. News sites and SaaS brands often sit at 70+. New domains start near 0. Track your own trend over time rather than chasing a universal target number.
How to improve DR
Earn links from relevant, authoritative sites: publish link-worthy content, digital PR, guest posts on quality publications, fix broken link opportunities. Avoid spammy link schemes - they rarely move DR sustainably and can trigger penalties.
Also audit your technical SEO with our Sitemap Check.
Domain Rating FAQ
Enter a domain above for a live DR score, or read the sections below for context on how DR works.
No. DR is a third-party metric by Ahrefs. Google does not use DR directly. It correlates with rankings because strong backlink profiles often rank better, but correlation is not causation.