Website Backlink Checker

Turn a domain or page URL into structured inbound backlinks: referring page, anchor text, dofollow, domain rank, spam score, and first seen. Returns one dataset row per backlink for SEO teams and agents that want a backlink export on Apify with API, schedule, and MCP access.

Best fit for this Actor

• Check which public pages currently link to a competitor domain or a specific landing page.
• Export referring root domains or grouped anchor text after the first backlink sample looks useful.
• Keep the first run small with maxResults 5, then raise the cap for a fuller export.

When you already have phrases and only need search volume plus CPC, start with Keyword Search Volume API. After you pick linking pages to inspect on the live SERP, continue with Google SERP All-in-One Scraper.

Practical scenario

An SEO lead pastes moz.com, keeps mode on backlinks, and runs the Actor. The dataset returns referring sourceUrl values with anchorText, isDofollow, domainRank, and firstSeen. They then switch mode to referring_domains with maxResults 5 to inspect the strongest linking hosts before outreach. A valid query with no matching rows finishes SUCCEEDED with VALID_EMPTY and skips the backlink-found event.

Quick start input

{
  "targets": ["moz.com"],
  "mode": "backlinks",
  "maxResults": 5
}

targets accepts a bare domain or a full URL. A path keeps page-level lookup. Up to 10 targets per run.

Input reference

Field	Type	What it controls
targets	array	Domains or page URLs to check. Example: ["moz.com"]. Required. Cap 10.
mode	enum	backlinks, referring_domains, anchors, or summary. Default backlinks.
maxResults	integer	Row cap per target, 1–100. Default 5. Summary still writes at most one row.
dofollowOnly	boolean	Keep only dofollow links. Default false.
excludeLost	boolean	Drop lost inbound links. Default true.
includeSubdomains	boolean	Include subdomain link data. Default true.
excludeInternalBacklinks	boolean	Drop internal subdomain links from summary and referring-domain reports. Default true.

Owner API credentials are already configured for Store runs. This Actor does not accept user API keys.

What data you receive

One dataset item is one backlink, referring domain, anchor, or summary row.

{
  "recordType": "backlink",
  "mode": "backlinks",
  "target": "moz.com",
  "sourceUrl": "https://example.com/seo-guide",
  "sourceDomain": "example.com",
  "targetUrl": "https://moz.com/",
  "anchorText": "moz",
  "isDofollow": true,
  "domainRank": 41,
  "firstSeen": "2025-12-19 00:23:13 +00:00",
  "source": "website_backlink_checker/backlinks",
  "status": "OK",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z"
}

Field	Meaning
sourceUrl / sourceDomain	Referring page and host
targetUrl	Destination URL on the checked site
anchorText / isDofollow	Visible anchor and follow type
domainRank / pageRank	Independent 0–100 index scores for the referring host or page
firstSeen	When the index first recorded the link
source	Mode provenance label for the row

OUTPUT and RUN_SUMMARY in the default key-value store hold outcome, itemsPushed, chargedEventCounts, and providerCostUsd. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML.

Use through the API

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/khadinakbar~website-backlink-checker/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"targets":["moz.com"],"mode":"backlinks","maxResults":5}'

Use with AI agents through Apify MCP

Check inbound backlinks for moz.com. Return sourceUrl, sourceDomain, targetUrl, anchorText, isDofollow, domainRank, firstSeen, source, and fetchedAt. Read OUTPUT.outcome and itemsPushed. Treat domainRank as an independent 0-100 index score.

Connect via https://mcp.apify.com. Cost signal: about $0.05 per successful SEO API request plus $0.01 per saved row.

Connect the workflow

• After you score a domain's inbound links, then use Google SERP All-in-One Scraper to inspect how a referring host appears in live search results.
• When a referring URL looks stale, continue with Broken Link Checker to verify the source page.
• For a Moz-style domain-authority overview after a backlink sample, continue with Moz Alternative.

Pricing

This Actor uses Pay per event plus Apify platform usage. The live Pricing tab is the current source of truth for billing details.

• apify-actor-start: $0.00005 per run
• backlink-api-request: $0.05 per successful upstream SEO API task
• backlink-found: $0.01 per persisted row

A five-row backlink prefill is one API task plus five rows. Empty matches skip the backlink-found charge. Provider cost is recorded in RUN_SUMMARY.providerCostUsd.

Best results

• Provide a real hostname such as moz.com rather than a keyword or a search-app URL.
• Keep maxResults at 5 while you confirm the output shape, then raise it for exports.
• Treat rank and spam as independent index scores.
• A valid query with no match finishes SUCCEEDED with VALID_EMPTY.

Builder's note

I found that Store backlink checkers often mix summary counts, referring domains, and raw link rows behind one vague export. This SKU keeps inbound-link rows as the primary job: one target, one API task, then one billed row per referring page (or referring domain / anchor / summary). That keeps a first agent call forecastable and leaves domain-authority suites on the sibling Actor.

Legal and responsible use

Use this Actor with public SEO research you are authorized to run. Follow applicable law and the upstream data provider terms, and keep the output in your own compliance workflow. Moz is a trademark of its owner. The sibling Moz Alternative Actor is independent and is not affiliated with, associated with, or endorsed by Moz, Inc.

Issues and feature requests: use the Actor Issues tab on Apify.