# Backlinks & Domain Authority — Ahrefs Alternative (BYO key) (`lizaraco/domain-authority-backlinks`) Actor

Domain rank, backlinks, referring domains, spam score, and traffic estimates for any domain — the metrics people scrape Ahrefs/Semrush for, from official pay-as-you-go APIs. Bring your own DataForSEO key: you pay wholesale, nothing breaks.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/lizaraco/domain-authority-backlinks.md
- **Developed by:** [Shawn Downs](https://apify.com/lizaraco) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, AI, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $20.00 / 1,000 domain summaries

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

## Backlinks & Domain Authority — Ahrefs Alternative (bring your own key)

Domain rank, backlink counts, referring domains, spam score, and traffic estimates for
any domain — the numbers people normally scrape out of Ahrefs or Semrush dashboards.
Those scrapers are login-walled, ToS-hostile, and break constantly. This actor gets the
same class of data from **official pay-as-you-go APIs** with your own key, so it keeps
working.

### Modes

- **`summary`** (default) — one merged row per domain: domain rank, total backlinks,
  referring domains / main domains / pages / IPs, broken backlinks, spam score, first
  seen, plus **organic & paid traffic estimates**.
- **`backlinks`** — individual links: source domain/URL, target URL, anchor, dofollow,
  source ranks, first/last seen, broken flag.
- **`referring-domains`** — one row per linking site with its rank and link counts.
- **`anchors`** — anchor-text distribution.

### Bring your own key — you control the cost

You supply your own [DataForSEO](https://dataforseo.com) login; **you pay DataForSEO
directly** at pay-as-you-go rates (~$0.024 per domain summary, $0.000036 per row — no
subscription required) and this actor charges only a small fee for the normalization.
Flip on `useSandbox` to test the wiring for $0. Missing or invalid credentials never
crash the run — you get a clear note back and nothing is charged.

### The LizaraCo SEO suite

[Google Trends](https://apify.com/lizaraco/scrape-google-trends) (demand shape) →
[Keyword Volume & CPC](https://apify.com/lizaraco/keyword-metrics) (hard numbers) →
[SERP + AI Overview Monitor](https://apify.com/lizaraco/google-serp-ai-overview-monitor)
(who ranks & who the AI cites) → **this actor** (why they rank) →
[Site Audit](https://apify.com/lizaraco/site-audit) (fix your own site).

### Output (summary row)

`target, domain_rank, backlinks, referring_domains, referring_main_domains,
referring_pages, referring_ips, broken_backlinks, broken_pages, backlinks_spam_score,
first_seen, crawled_pages, organic_traffic_est, organic_serps_count, paid_traffic_est`

### Use with AI agents

MCP-friendly: an agent vets a prospect's SEO strength, sizes a competitor, or watches
your own link profile — clean JSON, one call per domain.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

summary: one merged row per domain (rank, backlink counts, spam score, traffic estimate). The row modes list the underlying link data.
## `targets` (type: `array`):

Domains (or subdomains) to analyze.
## `dataForSeoLogin` (type: `string`):

Your DataForSEO account login. You pay DataForSEO directly at pay-as-you-go rates (~$0.024/summary, $0.000036/row) — this actor never uses anyone else's key.
## `dataForSeoPassword` (type: `string`):

Your DataForSEO API password — OR the 'Base64 Format' token from DataForSEO's API Access page (the value with the copy button). Either works. Stored encrypted.
## `limit` (type: `integer`):

Max backlinks / referring domains / anchors returned per target in the row modes.
## `includeSubdomains` (type: `boolean`):

Count links to subdomains (blog.example.com) toward the target.
## `includeTraffic` (type: `boolean`):

Add organic/paid traffic estimates (etv) to summary rows via DataForSEO Labs — one extra cheap API call per run.
## `useSandbox` (type: `boolean`):

Route to DataForSEO's free sandbox (sample data, no charge to your balance) to test wiring before spending.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "summary",
  "targets": [
    "apify.com",
    "zapier.com"
  ],
  "limit": 100,
  "includeSubdomains": true,
  "includeTraffic": true,
  "useSandbox": false
}
````

# 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 = {
    "targets": [
        "apify.com",
        "zapier.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("lizaraco/domain-authority-backlinks").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 = { "targets": [
        "apify.com",
        "zapier.com",
    ] }

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

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

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

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "targets": [
    "apify.com",
    "zapier.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call lizaraco/domain-authority-backlinks --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lizaraco/domain-authority-backlinks",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "Backlinks & Domain Authority — Ahrefs Alternative (BYO key)",
        "description": "Domain rank, backlinks, referring domains, spam score, and traffic estimates for any domain — the metrics people scrape Ahrefs/Semrush for, from official pay-as-you-go APIs. Bring your own DataForSEO key: you pay wholesale, nothing breaks.",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "7eobEclmYtBDBjOo1"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/lizaraco~domain-authority-backlinks/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lizaraco-domain-authority-backlinks",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/lizaraco~domain-authority-backlinks/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-lizaraco-domain-authority-backlinks",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/lizaraco~domain-authority-backlinks/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-lizaraco-domain-authority-backlinks",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "mode": {
                        "title": "Mode",
                        "enum": [
                            "summary",
                            "backlinks",
                            "referring-domains",
                            "anchors"
                        ],
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "summary: one merged row per domain (rank, backlink counts, spam score, traffic estimate). The row modes list the underlying link data.",
                        "default": "summary"
                    },
                    "targets": {
                        "title": "Target domains",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "Domains (or subdomains) to analyze.",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        }
                    },
                    "dataForSeoLogin": {
                        "title": "DataForSEO login (email)",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Your DataForSEO account login. You pay DataForSEO directly at pay-as-you-go rates (~$0.024/summary, $0.000036/row) — this actor never uses anyone else's key."
                    },
                    "dataForSeoPassword": {
                        "title": "DataForSEO password / API key",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Your DataForSEO API password — OR the 'Base64 Format' token from DataForSEO's API Access page (the value with the copy button). Either works. Stored encrypted."
                    },
                    "limit": {
                        "title": "Rows per target (row modes)",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 1000,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Max backlinks / referring domains / anchors returned per target in the row modes.",
                        "default": 100
                    },
                    "includeSubdomains": {
                        "title": "Include subdomains",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Count links to subdomains (blog.example.com) toward the target.",
                        "default": true
                    },
                    "includeTraffic": {
                        "title": "Include traffic estimate (summary mode)",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Add organic/paid traffic estimates (etv) to summary rows via DataForSEO Labs — one extra cheap API call per run.",
                        "default": true
                    },
                    "useSandbox": {
                        "title": "Use DataForSEO sandbox",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Route to DataForSEO's free sandbox (sample data, no charge to your balance) to test wiring before spending.",
                        "default": false
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```