SEMrush Backlink Analyzer - Referring Domains, Anchor Text & Toxic Score

Analyze any domain's backlink profile with SEMrush API data. Get referring domains, anchor text distribution, follow/nofollow ratio, Authority Score, toxic score analysis, and new/lost backlinks. Perfect for link building research, backlink auditing, outreach prospecting, and competitive link analysis. BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) - use your SEMrush API key.

Features

• Referring Domain Analysis - Count, authority distribution, top referring domains
• Anchor Text Analysis - Distribution, over-optimization detection, branded vs non-branded
• Backlink Attributes - Follow/nofollow ratio, text/image links, sponsored detection
• Toxic Score Analysis - Identify potentially harmful backlinks
• Authority Score Distribution - Segment referring domains by authority
• New & Lost Backlinks - Track recently gained and lost links
• Link Type Analysis - Text, image, form, frame link breakdown
• Country Distribution - Geographic origin of referring domains
• 45+ Country Databases - US, UK, DE, FR, and more
• Batch Domain Analysis - Analyze multiple domains in one run
• Webhook Support - Async delivery for automation pipelines
• Demo Mode - Test with sample data before going live

Who Should Use This Actor?

Link Building Teams

Research competitor backlink profiles to find link opportunities. Identify high-authority sites linking to competitors that might link to you.

SEO Agencies

Audit client backlink profiles for toxic links and opportunities. Generate comprehensive backlink reports for client presentations.

In-House SEO Teams

Monitor your backlink profile health over time. Track new and lost links to understand link building impact.

Outreach Specialists

Build prospecting lists from competitor backlinks. Find sites most likely to link based on existing link patterns.

Competitive Intelligence Teams

Understand competitor link building strategies. Identify where competitors are investing in link building.

M&A Due Diligence Teams

Assess organic SEO value of acquisition targets. Identify potential Google penalty risks from toxic backlinks.

Quick Start

Demo Mode (Free Test)

{
  "demoMode": true
}

Basic Backlink Analysis

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_semrush_api_key",
  "domains": ["competitor.com"],
  "database": "us",
  "includeBacklinks": true,
  "backlinkLimit": 100,
  "includeReferringDomains": true,
  "referringDomainLimit": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

Anchor Text Deep Dive

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_semrush_api_key",
  "domains": ["example.com"],
  "database": "us",
  "includeAnchors": true,
  "includeBacklinks": false,
  "includeReferringDomains": false,
  "demoMode": false
}

Multi-Domain Comparison

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_semrush_api_key",
  "domains": [
    "yoursite.com",
    "competitor1.com",
    "competitor2.com"
  ],
  "database": "us",
  "includeBacklinks": true,
  "backlinkLimit": 50,
  "includeReferringDomains": true,
  "referringDomainLimit": 30,
  "demoMode": false
}

Filter by Link Type

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_semrush_api_key",
  "domains": ["example.com"],
  "database": "us",
  "filterByLinkType": "follow",
  "backlinkLimit": 200,
  "demoMode": false
}

How to Get Your SEMrush API Key

1. Log in to SEMrush
2. Go to your profile (top right) → Subscription Info
3. Find your API key in the API section
4. Copy the key and paste it in the semrushApiKey field

Note: API access requires a SEMrush Business plan or higher. Free and Pro plans do not include API access.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
semrushApiKey	string	-	Your SEMrush API key (required for real data)
domains	array	-	Domains to analyze (e.g., ["example.com"])
database	string	"us"	Country database (us, uk, de, fr, etc.)
includeBacklinks	boolean	true	Get individual backlink list
backlinkLimit	number	100	Max backlinks per domain (max 1000)
includeReferringDomains	boolean	true	Get referring domain list
referringDomainLimit	number	50	Max referring domains (max 500)
includeAnchors	boolean	true	Get anchor text analysis
filterByLinkType	string	"all"	Filter: all, follow, nofollow, text, image
demoMode	boolean	true	Return sample data for testing
webhookUrl	string	-	Webhook URL for results delivery
webhookPlatform	string	"custom"	Platform: zapier, make, n8n, custom

Common Database Codes

Code	Country
us	United States
uk	United Kingdom
de	Germany
fr	France
es	Spain
it	Italy
ca	Canada
au	Australia
br	Brazil
in	India

Output Format

{
  "domain": "competitor.com",
  "database": "us",
  "summary": {
    "totalBacklinks": 125847,
    "totalReferringDomains": 3421,
    "authorityScore": 72,
    "toxicScore": 8,
    "followLinks": 98234,
    "nofollowLinks": 27613,
    "textLinks": 115000,
    "imageLinks": 10847,
    "newBacklinksLast30Days": 1523,
    "lostBacklinksLast30Days": 412
  },
  "authorityDistribution": {
    "0-19": 845,
    "20-39": 1234,
    "40-59": 892,
    "60-79": 345,
    "80-100": 105
  },
  "topReferringDomains": [
    {
      "domain": "forbes.com",
      "authorityScore": 93,
      "backlinks": 47,
      "firstSeen": "2022-03-15",
      "lastSeen": "2026-01-27"
    },
    {
      "domain": "techcrunch.com",
      "authorityScore": 91,
      "backlinks": 23,
      "firstSeen": "2023-06-20",
      "lastSeen": "2026-01-26"
    }
  ],
  "anchorAnalysis": {
    "branded": 45,
    "exact": 12,
    "partial": 18,
    "generic": 15,
    "url": 10,
    "topAnchors": [
      {"anchor": "competitor", "count": 1523, "percentage": 12.1},
      {"anchor": "best software", "count": 892, "percentage": 7.1},
      {"anchor": "click here", "count": 654, "percentage": 5.2}
    ]
  },
  "backlinks": [
    {
      "sourceUrl": "https://forbes.com/article/best-tools-2026",
      "sourceDomain": "forbes.com",
      "targetUrl": "https://competitor.com/product",
      "anchor": "leading solution",
      "authorityScore": 93,
      "linkType": "follow",
      "firstSeen": "2026-01-15",
      "lastSeen": "2026-01-27",
      "linkAttribute": "text",
      "toxic": false
    }
  ],
  "countryDistribution": {
    "US": 2145,
    "UK": 523,
    "DE": 312,
    "FR": 198,
    "Other": 243
  },
  "analyzedAt": "2026-01-28T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Pricing (Pay-Per-Event)

Event	Description	Price
backlink_analysis	Per domain analyzed	$0.05
backlinks_fetched	Per 100 backlinks retrieved	$0.02
referring_domains_fetched	Per 50 referring domains	$0.02
anchors_fetched	Per anchor analysis	$0.01

Example costs:

• 1 domain with 100 backlinks + 50 referring domains: $0.05 + $0.02 + $0.02 + $0.01 = $0.10
• 5 domains with 50 backlinks each: 5 x ($0.05 + $0.02) = $0.35
• Demo mode: $0.00

Note: You also consume your SEMrush API units (billed separately by SEMrush).

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Link Building Research

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_key",
  "domains": ["topcompetitor.com"],
  "database": "us",
  "includeReferringDomains": true,
  "referringDomainLimit": 200,
  "filterByLinkType": "follow",
  "webhookUrl": "https://hooks.zapier.com/...",
  "demoMode": false
}

Find high-authority sites linking to competitors for outreach.

Scenario 2: Toxic Backlink Audit

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_key",
  "domains": ["yoursite.com"],
  "database": "us",
  "includeBacklinks": true,
  "backlinkLimit": 500,
  "demoMode": false
}

Identify potentially harmful links to disavow.

Scenario 3: Anchor Text Optimization

{
  "semrushApiKey": "your_key",
  "domains": ["yoursite.com", "competitor.com"],
  "database": "us",
  "includeAnchors": true,
  "includeBacklinks": false,
  "demoMode": false
}

Compare anchor text distribution to optimize link building strategy.

Webhook & Automation Integration

Zapier / Make.com / n8n

1. Create a webhook trigger in your automation platform
2. Copy the webhook URL to webhookUrl
3. Set webhookPlatform to your platform
4. Route backlink data to spreadsheets, databases, or alerts

Popular automations:

• New high-authority backlinks -> Slack notification
• Toxic backlinks detected -> Google Sheets (disavow list)
• Weekly backlink reports -> Email to client
• Competitor gained links -> Airtable (outreach database)

Apify Scheduled Runs

Schedule weekly backlink monitoring to track profile changes.

SEMrush Backlink Suite Comparison

Actor	Best For
Backlink Analyzer	Full backlink profile analysis
Domain Overview	Quick authority metrics
Competitor Analysis	Finding organic/paid competitors
Position Tracker	Keyword ranking monitoring

FAQ

Q: What's the difference between backlinks and referring domains?

A: Backlinks are individual links. Referring domains are unique domains linking to you. 10 backlinks from forbes.com = 1 referring domain.

Q: What is toxic score?

A: A SEMrush metric (0-100) indicating potentially harmful backlinks that could trigger Google penalties. Higher = more toxic.

Q: How often is backlink data updated?

A: SEMrush updates backlink data regularly, typically within days of discovery. Use firstSeen and lastSeen fields to track freshness.

Q: Can I export data for a disavow file?

A: Yes. Use webhook integration to send toxic backlinks to Google Sheets, then format for Google's disavow tool.

Q: What's considered a good Authority Score?

A: 0-19 (Low), 20-39 (Moderate), 40-59 (Good), 60-79 (Very Good), 80-100 (Excellent).

Common Problems & Solutions

"Invalid API key" error

• Verify your API key from SEMrush dashboard
• Ensure your plan includes API access (Business+)
• Check for extra spaces when copying the key

"Rate limit exceeded" error

• Wait a few minutes and retry
• Reduce backlinkLimit and referringDomainLimit
• Check your SEMrush API unit usage

"No backlinks found"

• Domain may be new with no indexed backlinks
• Check if the domain is spelled correctly
• Try a different country database

"Demo data showing"

• Set demoMode: false
• Provide a valid semrushApiKey

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📞 Support

• Actor Arsenal: Full Actor Catalog
• Developer: John Rippy

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Built by John Rippy | Actor Arsenal