# Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API (`hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker`) Actor

Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API: domain rank (0 to 100), backlinks, dofollow and nofollow links, referring domains, broken backlinks and backlink spam score for thousands of domains. Schedule it to monitor 30-day new and lost backlinks. Licensed DataForSEO data.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [HH Online Ventures](https://apify.com/hhonlineventures) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.20 / 1,000 domain checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API

**Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API**: domain rank (0 to 100), backlinks, dofollow and nofollow links, referring domains, broken backlinks and backlink spam score for thousands of domains. Schedule it to monitor 30-day new and lost backlinks. Licensed DataForSEO data.

### What data does Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API return?

Each run returns one dataset item per result with these fields:

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `input` | string | Your entry exactly as given (trimmed), so you can match rows to your list. |
| `domain` | string or null | The domain that was checked, lower-case, without protocol, path or a leading www. Null when the entry is not a valid domain. |
| `domainRank` | integer or null | DataForSEO domain rank from 0 to 100, a PageRank-style score of the domain's backlink profile. It is not Moz DA or Ahrefs DR. |
| `backlinks` | integer or null | Live backlinks pointing to the domain. |
| `dofollowBacklinks` | integer or null | Backlinks without a nofollow attribute (backlinks minus nofollow backlinks). Null when the nofollow count is not available. |
| `nofollowBacklinks` | integer or null | Backlinks with a nofollow attribute. Null when the source does not report it for this domain. |
| `referringDomains` | integer or null | Distinct domains (including subdomains) linking to the domain. |
| `referringMainDomains` | integer or null | Distinct root domains linking to the domain. |
| `referringIps` | integer or null | Distinct IP addresses of the sites linking to the domain. |
| `referringSubnets` | integer or null | Distinct C-class subnets of the sites linking to the domain. |
| `referringPages` | integer or null | Distinct pages linking to the domain. |
| `brokenBacklinks` | integer or null | Backlinks pointing to pages of the domain that return an error. |
| `backlinksSpamScore` | integer or null | Average spam score (0 to 100) of the backlinks pointing to the domain, not a spam score of the domain itself; higher means more links come from spammy sites. |
| `firstSeen` | string or null | When the first backlink to the domain was found (ISO 8601), or null if none. |
| `newBacklinks30d` | integer or null | Backlinks found in the last 30 days. Null unless 30-day changes are on. |
| `lostBacklinks30d` | integer or null | Backlinks lost in the last 30 days. Null unless 30-day changes are on. |
| `newReferringDomains30d` | integer or null | Referring domains first seen in the last 30 days. Null unless 30-day changes are on. |
| `lostReferringDomains30d` | integer or null | Referring domains lost in the last 30 days. Null unless 30-day changes are on. |
| `checkedAt` | string | When this row was produced (ISO 8601). |
| `source` | string | Where the numbers come from: always DataForSEO Backlinks. |
| `error` | string or null | Why the entry could not be checked (for example not a valid domain). Rows with an error are free. Null on rows with data. |

### Sample output

Real output from the prefilled example input (first 1 of 1 results):

```json
[
  {
    "input": "apify.com",
    "domain": "apify.com",
    "domainRank": 78,
    "backlinks": 2174020,
    "dofollowBacklinks": 1202772,
    "nofollowBacklinks": 971248,
    "referringDomains": 12978,
    "referringMainDomains": 10394,
    "referringIps": 7801,
    "referringSubnets": 3644,
    "referringPages": 1939364,
    "brokenBacklinks": 24033,
    "backlinksSpamScore": 17,
    "firstSeen": "2019-01-16T11:42:42.000Z",
    "newBacklinks30d": null,
    "lostBacklinks30d": null,
    "newReferringDomains30d": null,
    "lostReferringDomains30d": null,
    "checkedAt": "2026-11-02T04:41:00.000Z",
    "source": "DataForSEO Backlinks",
    "error": null
  }
]
```

### Use cases

- **Link building and outreach:** rank a list of prospect sites by domain rank, referring domains and backlink spam score before you reach out.
- **Expired and aged domain research:** check thousands of domains at once for backlinks, referring domains, broken backlinks and first-seen date.
- **SEO audits and reporting:** track your own and competitors' backlink profiles, with 30-day new and lost backlinks and referring domains.
- **AI agents and automations:** a clean, typed dataset that an agent or a Make, Zapier or n8n flow can read directly.

### Input examples

The prefilled example input. It runs in seconds and returns a handful of results:

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com"
  ]
}
```

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `domains` | array | yes |  | Domains, subdomains or full URLs to check, one per line (bulk paste works). URLs are reduced to their domain and a leading www. is dropped, so https://www.example.com/page is checked as example.com. Duplicates are checked once. Up to 100,000 per run. |
| `includeChanges` | boolean | no | `false` | Also return new and lost backlinks and referring domains over the last 30 days. This makes two extra data requests per batch of up to 100 domains, each charged as a batch event. |
| `includeSubdomains` | boolean | no | `true` | When on, backlinks to every subdomain of a domain are counted too (blog.example.com counts toward example.com). Turn off to count only the exact domain or subdomain you entered. |

### How much does Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API cost?

This actor uses pay-per-event pricing: you pay only for results you get, plus a small fee per run.
Higher Apify plans get a lower price per result.

| Event | Free plan | Bronze plan | Silver plan | Gold plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domain checked (per 1,000) | $4.00 | $4.00 | $3.60 | $3.20 |
| Data batch (per request) | $0.039 | $0.039 | $0.039 | $0.039 |
| Actor start (per run) | $0.00005 | $0.00005 | $0.00005 | $0.00005 |

**1,000 results cost $4.39005 on the Bronze plan.** In one run, 1,000 results cost $4.39005 on the Free plan, $4.39005 on the Bronze plan, $3.99005 on the Silver plan and $3.59005 on the Gold plan, including the data request and the actor start.

Domain checked: One domain row with data in your dataset. Rows for entries that are not valid domains are free. Data batch: One request to the DataForSEO Backlinks API for up to 100 domains, charged only when the request succeeds. With 30-day changes on, each batch makes two more requests. Actor start: Charged once when a run starts (Apify counts one start per GB of memory).
You can set a maximum cost per run in the run options; the actor stops cleanly when it is reached.

### Schedule and monitor

**Monitor backlink profiles:** put your own domains and your competitors' domains in one task, turn on `includeChanges`, and schedule it weekly. Each run reports domain rank, backlinks and referring domains for every domain, plus the backlinks and referring domains gained and lost in the last 30 days, with a `checkedAt` time on every row.

Run Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API on a schedule to keep your data fresh and to monitor what changed since the last run:

1. Run the actor once with your input, then save that input as a task in Apify Console.
2. Open **Schedules** in Apify Console, click **Create new**, choose the task and set how often it runs with a cron expression, for example `0 6 * * 1` for every Monday at 06:00. Schedules support time zones and daylight saving time.
3. Every scheduled run writes a new dataset. Compare it with the previous run, or send it onward with a webhook or one of the integrations below.

### Integrations and API

Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API runs on the Apify platform, so its results can go wherever Apify connects:

- **API:** start a run and read the results over HTTP from any language (examples below).
- **Make, Zapier and n8n:** Apify has official integrations for all three. Run the actor from a Make scenario, a Zap or an n8n workflow and pass each result to the next step, such as a spreadsheet, a CRM or a chat message.
- **Webhooks:** have Apify call your own URL when a run succeeds or fails, for example to load the new dataset into your system.
- **Schedules:** run it automatically at the times you choose (see Schedule and monitor above).
- **Downloads:** export any run's dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML table, RSS or JSONL.

#### Run it with the API

One request starts a run and returns its dataset items, for runs that finish within 300 seconds. For bigger runs, start the run, then read its dataset when it finishes.

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/hhonlineventures~domain-authority-checker/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domains": ["apify.com"]}'
```

JavaScript, with `npm install apify-client`:

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' });
const run = await client.actor('hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker').call({"domains": ["apify.com"]});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

Python, with `pip install apify-client`:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker").call(run_input={'domains': ['apify.com']})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

Your API token is in Apify Console under API & Integrations.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

AI agents can run Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API as a tool through the Apify MCP server (`https://mcp.apify.com`). The agent reads the input schema and the output fields above, fills in the input and gets the dataset back, with no glue code.

To give an agent exactly this actor, add the server to your MCP client with the actor in the `tools` parameter:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker"
    }
  }
}
```

On first connection your browser opens so you can sign in to Apify and approve access. A client that cannot do that can send an `Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>` header instead, and a client that runs only local servers can start `npx -y @apify/actors-mcp-server` with `APIFY_TOKEN` set.

Then ask in plain language, for example:

> Run Domain Authority Checker, Bulk Backlink Stats API with this input: `{"domains": ["apify.com"]}`. Show me the results as a table.

The server also has `search-actors`, `fetch-actor-details` and `call-actor` tools, which let an agent find this actor in Apify Store, read its details and run it. Agent runs are charged the same pay-per-event prices as any other run.

### Limits

- Data comes from the DataForSEO Backlinks index. Numbers differ from Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush or Majestic because every company crawls the web differently.
- `domainRank` is DataForSEO's 0 to 100 rank. It is not Moz Domain Authority (DA) or Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR), though it measures the same idea.
- `backlinksSpamScore` is the average DataForSEO spam score (0 to 100) of the backlinks pointing to the domain. It describes the links, not the domain itself, so it is not a spam rating of the domain.
- `nofollowBacklinks` may be null: DataForSEO reports link attributes as a list of the 10 most common ones, and the nofollow count is known only when nofollow appears in that list (or the list is shorter than 10). `dofollowBacklinks` (backlinks minus nofollow backlinks) is null whenever `nofollowBacklinks` is.
- The actor checks whole domains and subdomains. A URL is reduced to its domain, so page-level metrics are not returned.
- IP addresses and entries without a top-level domain (like `localhost`) are not checked; they get a free row with an error.
- Up to 100,000 domains per run, sent in batches of 100 (the data provider's limit per request).

### Search terms buyers use

- domain authority checker
- bulk domain authority checker
- bulk DA checker
- domain rating checker
- backlink checker API
- referring domains checker
- website authority checker
- Ahrefs alternative
- Moz DA alternative
- bulk backlink checker

### FAQ

#### Is this Moz DA or Ahrefs DR?

No. The Domain Authority Checker API returns DataForSEO's domain rank (0 to 100), computed from its own backlink index with a PageRank-style method. It answers the same question (how strong is this domain's link profile) and is consistent across domains, so it works for ranking and filtering lists. Nothing is scraped from Ahrefs, Moz or Semrush.

#### How many domains can I check in one run?

Up to 100,000. Paste them one per line, or send them as the `domains` array through the API. URLs, uppercase and a leading www. are cleaned up for you, and duplicates are checked once.

#### What do the two charges mean?

Each batch of up to 100 domains is one request to the data provider, charged as a data batch only when the request succeeds (a failed request is never charged). Each domain with data is then charged once. Entries that are not valid domains are free. With 30-day changes on, each batch makes two more requests (new and lost backlinks, new and lost referring domains).

#### What happens if I set a maximum cost per run?

The actor checks only as many domains as your limit pays for, never makes a data request it cannot pay for, and stops cleanly. Your dataset holds every domain that was checked.

#### Do I need a DataForSEO account or API key?

No. The data access is built in. You only need an Apify account.

# Actor input Schema

## `domains` (type: `array`):

Domains, subdomains or full URLs to check, one per line (bulk paste works). URLs are reduced to their domain and a leading www. is dropped, so https://www.example.com/page is checked as example.com. Duplicates are checked once. Up to 100,000 per run.

## `includeChanges` (type: `boolean`):

Also return new and lost backlinks and referring domains over the last 30 days. This makes two extra data requests per batch of up to 100 domains, each charged as a batch event.

## `includeSubdomains` (type: `boolean`):

When on, backlinks to every subdomain of a domain are counted too (blog.example.com counts toward example.com). Turn off to count only the exact domain or subdomain you entered.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com"
  ],
  "includeChanges": false,
  "includeSubdomains": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All domain rows returned by this run.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "domains": [
        "apify.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "domains": ["apify.com"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,hhonlineventures/domain-authority-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/BGT2Ecbu6MqrYUl4p/builds/MfpkNau9z4k9byrt8/openapi.json