# Ahrefs Backlink Checker & API: Bulk Backlinks & Anchors (`s_actors/ahrefs-backlink-checker`) Actor

Check backlinks of many domains or pages with Ahrefs data: total backlinks, referring domains, DR, dofollow share and the top backlinks with anchor text, linking page and its DR. Exact page, prefix or whole domain. Tracks new backlinks between runs. Works on the free Apify plan.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/s_actors/ahrefs-backlink-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Superior Actors](https://apify.com/s_actors) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Marketing, AI
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.99 / 1,000 target 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

### Ahrefs Backlink Checker & API: Bulk Backlinks & Anchors

Check **backlinks for a list of domains or pages** with **Ahrefs data**: total **backlinks**, **referring domains**, **Domain Rating (DR)**, **dofollow share** and the **top backlinks** of each target with the **linking page, its DR, anchor text and the linked URL**. Check a **whole domain, a domain without subdomains, a folder (URL prefix) or one exact page**. Turn on the **tracker** to see **new backlinks since the last run**.

```json
{ "targets": ["competitor.com", "https://ahrefs.com/blog/", "https://example.com/pricing"] }
```

No Ahrefs account, no API key, no captcha tokens, no browser setup on your side. **Works on the free Apify plan.** Use it as a bulk **Ahrefs backlink checker**, an **Ahrefs backlinks API** alternative for competitor backlink research, link prospecting, outreach lists and SEO reports.

#### What you get

One row per backlink. Real example, 17 October 2026:

| target | # | linking page | linking DR | anchor | links to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| backlinko.com | 3 | seoreviewtools.com/rank-checker/ | 75 | 25 AMAZING Free SEO Tools \[2022 Reviews] | backlinko.com/best-free-seo-tools |
| backlinko.com | 4 | de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplexity.ai | 97 | Perplexity AI User and Revenue Statistics. | backlinko.com/perplexity-statistics |
| css-tricks.com/snippets/css/a-guide-to-flexbox/ | 1 | getbootstrap.com/docs/4.0/layout/grid/ | 91 | Read this CSS Tricks flexbox guide | (the page) |
| css-tricks.com/snippets/css/a-guide-to-flexbox/ | 3 | web.dev/learn/css/flexbox | 92 | CSS Tricks Guide to Flexbox | (the page) |

Every row also carries the target's totals:

| target | mode | DR | backlinks | referring domains | dofollow backlinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| backlinko.com | domain + subdomains | 90 | 390,962 | 59,100 | 78% |
| moz.com | domain + subdomains | 91 | 18,017,059 | 101,523 | 33% |
| css-tricks.com/snippets/css/a-guide-to-flexbox/ | exact page | 90 | 29,153 | 5,462 | 69% |
| ahrefs.com/blog/ | exact page | 91 | 32,988 | 4,723 | 58% |
| nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html | exact page | 94 | 91 | 38 | 87% |

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `target`, `mode`, `input` | Checked domain or page, the target mode (`subdomains`, `domain`, `prefix`, `exact`) and what you entered |
| `position` | Place in Ahrefs' top backlinks list (one backlink per linking domain, up to 20) |
| `sourceUrl`, `sourceDomain`, `sourceTitle` | The page that links to the target, its domain and title |
| `sourceDomainRating` | DR of the linking site |
| `anchor`, `textBefore`, `textAfter` | Anchor text and the words around the link |
| `targetUrl` | The exact URL the link points to |
| `redirectChain` | Redirects between the link and the final page (URL and HTTP code) |
| `inRawHtml`, `inRenderedHtml` | Whether the link is in the page's HTML or appears only after JavaScript runs |
| `targetDomainRating`, `targetBacklinks`, `targetReferringDomains` | The target's DR, total backlinks and referring domains |
| `targetDofollowBacklinksPercent`, `targetDofollowReferringDomainsPercent` | Dofollow share of backlinks and of referring domains |
| `isNew` | Tracker on: the backlink was not in the target's top on the previous run |
| `note`, `error`, `checkedAt` | "No backlinks" note, failed check message, time of the run |

The **TARGETS** record (Storage → Key-value store) has one summary per target: DR, backlinks, referring domains, dofollow shares and, with the tracker, new and dropped top backlinks and the change in backlinks and referring domains since the last run.

#### What to check: target modes

| Mode | What counts | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Auto (default) | A domain = domain with subdomains; a URL with a path = that exact page | `apify.com`, `https://apify.com/store` |
| Domain with subdomains | All pages of the domain and its subdomains | `blog.example.com` links count for `example.com` |
| Domain only | The domain without subdomains | |
| URL prefix | The page and everything under it | `https://example.com/blog/` = the whole blog |
| Exact URL | Only this page | your pricing page, a competitor's top article |

Ahrefs' free Backlink Checker always checks a typed domain with its subdomains. This Actor lets you pick any of Ahrefs' four modes, so you can check **backlinks to a specific page** or a **blog folder**.

#### How it works

| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Live check | Each target is checked live in **Ahrefs' own free Backlink Checker**. The Actor passes its human check itself, so you pay nothing extra for captcha solving |
| 2. Top backlinks | The same check returns the target's top backlinks: up to 20, one per linking domain, in Ahrefs' order |
| 3. Tracker | With **Track new backlinks** on, every target's top backlinks and counts are remembered under the tracker name and compared on the next run |

#### Why this Actor

| | This Actor |
|---|---|
| Page-level backlinks | Yes: exact URL, URL prefix, domain or domain with subdomains |
| Free Apify plan | Yes: captcha solving is built in, not a paid third-party service |
| Bulk | Up to 1,000 domains or URLs a run, duplicates checked once |
| Spreadsheet-ready | One row per backlink, with the target's totals on every row |
| New backlinks since the last run | Yes: `isNew` per backlink, "only new" mode, backlinks and referring domains change |
| Filter by linking DR | Keep only backlinks from sites with DR 50+, 70+... |
| Failed checks | Free: you pay only for targets with data |

#### Watch a competitor's new backlinks

1. Put your competitors' domains or their best pages into **Domains or page URLs**.
2. Turn on **Track new backlinks between runs** and give the list a **Tracker name** (e.g. `competitors`).
3. Schedule the Actor (Console → Schedules) daily or weekly. Turn on **Return only new backlinks** to get just the new strong links: ready-made outreach targets.

The first run only remembers the backlinks. From the second run on, the **New backlinks** view lists links that entered each target's top.

#### Pricing

Pay per event:

| Event | Free / Starter | Scale | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target checked (DR, backlinks, referring domains and up to 20 top backlinks) | $0.00999 | $0.00899 | $0.00799 |
| Run start (per GB of memory) | $0.003 | $0.003 | $0.003 |

Examples on the Free plan, default 2 GB memory:

| Run | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 competitor, 20 top backlinks | $0.006 + $0.00999 = ~$0.016 |
| 100 domains or pages, up to 2,000 backlink rows | $0.006 + 100 × $0.00999 = ~$1.00 |
| Weekly tracker of 10 competitors | ~$0.11 a run |

A target is charged once whatever the number of its backlinks; targets with no backlinks are charged as checked. Invalid entries and failed live checks are free. Set a maximum cost per run in Console and the Actor stops at it.

#### Speed and memory

Checks run in a browser: 1 at a time with the default 2 GB (about 2 targets a minute), 2 with 3 GB, 6 with 4 GB (about 20 targets in 5-6 minutes). The price per target is the same; more memory only adds the run start fee per GB. Each check takes 15-60 seconds because it passes Ahrefs' human check.

#### Other Ahrefs tools

| Actor | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| [Ahrefs DR Checker & API](https://apify.com/s_actors/ahrefs-dr-checker) | Bulk Domain Rating, referring domains, organic traffic and traffic value for thousands of domains, 12-month history, DR and traffic change tracker |
| [Ahrefs Keyword Generator & API](https://apify.com/s_actors/ahrefs-keyword-generator) | Keyword ideas and questions with volume and difficulty for many seeds, exact KD, search volume and SERP for keyword lists, new ideas tracker |
| [Ahrefs Traffic Checker & API](https://apify.com/s_actors/ahrefs-traffic-checker) | Organic traffic, traffic value, top pages, countries and keywords for websites, folders or single pages, by country, traffic change tracker |

#### FAQ

**How many backlinks per target?** Up to 20: Ahrefs' free tool shows the top backlinks, one per linking domain. For the full list of millions of links you need a paid Ahrefs plan. The totals (backlinks, referring domains, dofollow share) cover the whole profile.

**Is the top sorted by DR?** No, it is Ahrefs' own order of the strongest backlinks. Sort or filter by `sourceDomainRating` in the table, or set **Minimum DR of the linking site**.

**Are the numbers the same as on ahrefs.com?** Yes, they come from Ahrefs' free Backlink Checker at the time of the run.

**Is this the official Ahrefs API?** No. The official Ahrefs API needs a paid Ahrefs plan with API units. This Actor reads the same public data Ahrefs shows in its free tool, for any number of targets, without an Ahrefs account.

**What if a check fails?** The target comes back with an `error` and is not charged. Run it again later.

#### Use with the API and AI agents

Call the Actor from the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2), Python or JavaScript clients, Make, Zapier, n8n, or as a tool for AI agents through the [Apify MCP server](https://mcp.apify.com). Input is one JSON object, output is one JSON row per backlink.

# Actor input Schema

## `targets` (type: `array`):

One domain or page URL per line (competitor.com, https://example.com/blog/post). Duplicates are checked once. Up to 1,000 per run.

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

Which links count: Ahrefs' own target modes. "Auto" checks example.com with its subdomains and https://example.com/page as that exact page.

## `minSourceDomainRating` (type: `integer`):

Keep only backlinks from sites with at least this Domain Rating (0 = all). The target is charged the same: the filter only shortens the table.

## `trackChanges` (type: `boolean`):

Remember each target's top backlinks and counts, mark backlinks that are new since the previous run with the same tracker name (isNew), and save the backlinks and referring domains change to the TARGETS summary. Schedule the Actor (daily or weekly) to watch a competitor's strongest new links or your own link building.

## `onlyNew` (type: `boolean`):

With tracking on: the table lists only backlinks that were not in the target's top on the previous run. The first run only remembers.

## `monitorName` (type: `string`):

Separate trackers for separate lists, e.g. "my-sites" and "competitors".

## `debugLog` (type: `boolean`):

Log every browser check attempt.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "targets": [
    "apify.com",
    "https://ahrefs.com/blog/"
  ],
  "mode": "auto",
  "minSourceDomainRating": 0,
  "trackChanges": false,
  "onlyNew": false,
  "monitorName": "default",
  "debugLog": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `backlinks` (type: `string`):

Top backlinks: linking page, its DR, anchor, linked page; target DR and counts.

## `new` (type: `string`):

Backlinks that are new since the previous run (tracking on).

## `targets` (type: `string`):

One entry per target: DR, backlinks, referring domains, dofollow shares; with tracking also new and dropped top backlinks and the change since the last run.

## `all` (type: `string`):

Every field, including the text around the link and redirect chains.

# 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",
        "https://ahrefs.com/blog/"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("s_actors/ahrefs-backlink-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 = { "targets": [
        "apify.com",
        "https://ahrefs.com/blog/",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("s_actors/ahrefs-backlink-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 '{
  "targets": [
    "apify.com",
    "https://ahrefs.com/blog/"
  ]
}' |
apify call s_actors/ahrefs-backlink-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,s_actors/ahrefs-backlink-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/Vo8ZVpAZxeavTvJDY/builds/NjMXvVlOLoSOdgVPT/openapi.json