# Check the top backlinks of a website

**Use case:** 

Lists the top backlinks pointing to shopify.com from Ahrefs' free backlink checker: linking page, anchor text and the linking site's authority. Swap in any domain to audit your own links or study a competitor's.

## Input

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "shopify.com"
  ],
  "maxItems": 100
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "targetDomain": {
    "label": "Target Domain"
  },
  "sourceUrl": {
    "label": "Source Url"
  },
  "sourceDomainRating": {
    "label": "Source Domain Rating"
  },
  "anchor": {
    "label": "Anchor"
  },
  "targetUrl": {
    "label": "Target Url"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The Ahrefs Backlinks Scraper Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Check the top backlinks of a website". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/WGK4WapCARS1qzt7N) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Check the top backlinks of a website" task

The Ahrefs Backlinks Scraper Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like domains or urls and max results, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Check the top backlinks of a website" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as target domain, source url, source domain rating, and more.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "Check the top backlinks of a website" task via API](https://apify.com/piotrv1001/ahrefs-backlinks-scraper.md).

## FAQ

### What does the Shopify backlinks check task return?

The Shopify backlinks check task returns shopify.com's top backlinks: linking page URL and title, linking site Domain Rating, anchor and nearby text, target URL and redirects, plus Shopify's DR and totals.

### Why does a run return 20 backlinks when maxItems is 100?

The Shopify backlinks check task gets up to 20 top backlinks per domain or page. maxItems is a ceiling across all entries, so 100 only fills up when you list five or more domains.

### How do I check backlinks of my own site or competitors?

The Shopify backlinks check task takes any domains or page URLs in domains: replace shopify.com with your site and add competitors, one per line, to compare their top links in one run.

### Can I check one page instead of a whole domain?

The Shopify backlinks check task treats a domain as covering its subdomains, while a full page URL such as https://www.shopify.com/blog is checked as that exact page.

### How is the Shopify backlinks check task billed?

The Shopify backlinks check task is billed per backlink saved, plus a tiny start fee per run, so one domain costs at most 20 backlinks. Lower maxItems to cap it; current rates are on the Actor's Pricing tab.

### Can I track backlink changes every month?

The Shopify backlinks check task can be scheduled monthly in Apify. Compare linking page URLs between runs to see links entering or leaving the top list, and send results to Google Sheets.

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [Ahrefs Backlinks Scraper](https://apify.com/piotrv1001/ahrefs-backlinks-scraper.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/piotrv1001/ahrefs-backlinks-scraper.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

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 full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/piotrv1001/ahrefs-backlinks-scraper.md

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`).