How it works
- Enter one domain per line, up to ten. Full URLs work too; the checker reads the hostname.
- Click Check Domain Authority.
- Read the table: Domain Authority, Page Authority for the homepage, Spam Score, and the number of root domains linking to the site. One domain returns the same figures as a list.
What each column means
- Domain Authority (DA): Moz's 1 to 100 prediction of how well the whole domain can rank, built from the quantity and quality of links pointing at it.
- Page Authority (PA): the same prediction for the homepage alone. A high DA with a low PA on the page you care about means the page needs links of its own.
- Spam Score: the percentage of sites with similar features that Google penalized. Under 30% is low; above 60% deserves a closer look before you link to or buy from the domain.
- Linking root domains: how many distinct websites link to the domain. Ten links from one site count once. This number moves DA more than the raw link total does.
DA vs DR vs Authority Score
Moz, Ahrefs and Semrush each publish an authority score, and they disagree by design. Domain Authority weighs links across Moz's index. Ahrefs' Domain Rating leans on the strength of the domains doing the linking and ignores the count of pages. Semrush's Authority Score mixes links with organic traffic and spam signals. The order of two sites is usually the same in all three; the numbers are not. Pick one scale for a comparison and stay on it.
Use cases
- Competitor analysis: paste your domain and the sites that outrank you to see whether links or content explain the gap.
- Link building research: check a list of outreach targets in one pass and drop the ones with a high Spam Score.
- Website acquisition: evaluate the link profile of a domain before you buy it, including how many real sites link to it.
- SEO audits: record DA and linking root domains monthly to see whether a campaign is moving the needle.
Tips for improving Domain Authority
- Earn links from new domains: a second link from a site that already links to you barely moves the score.
- Publish pages people cite: original data, tools and definitive guides attract links without outreach.
- Fix what leaks authority: broken inbound links, redirect chains and orphan pages waste links you already have.
- Keep the internal links flowing: authority moves through internal links, so the pages that earn links should point at the pages that need to rank.
Understanding Domain Authority
Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. Scores run from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater ranking potential. The scale is logarithmic: moving from 20 to 30 is far easier than moving from 70 to 80.
DA is a comparative metric, so it is most useful set against competitors or tracked over time. Google does not use it, but the links that raise it are the links Google counts. This checker returns the official Moz scores; pair them with rankings and traffic for a full picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Domain Authority?
Judge it against the sites you compete with, since the scale is logarithmic and relative. New sites start near 1. A DA between 20 and 40 is typical for an established small business site, 40 to 60 for a well-linked niche site, and 60 and above for large publishers and brands. A DA of 35 that beats every competitor on the results page you care about is a good DA.
Domain Authority vs Domain Rating vs Authority Score: what is the difference?
They are three vendors' estimates of the same idea. Domain Authority (DA) is Moz's 1 to 100 score, and it is what this checker returns. Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' score, weighted more toward the strength of the linking domains. Authority Score is Semrush's, which also folds in traffic and spam signals. The numbers are not interchangeable, so compare sites within one scale.
How often does Moz update Domain Authority?
Moz updates its link index on a rolling basis and recalculates DA as the index changes, so scores drift by a point or two between checks. This checker caches each domain for 30 days, so repeat checks return the cached score.
Why did my DA drop?
Usually because other sites gained links faster than yours, since DA is relative to the whole index, or because Moz recrawled and dropped links it can no longer find. Losing a handful of strong referring domains moves the score more than losing many weak ones. Check the linking root domains count next to the score to see which happened.
Does Google use Domain Authority?
No. DA is Moz's prediction of ranking ability, built from links, and Google does not read it. The links that raise DA are the same links Google counts, which is why the score correlates with rankings without causing them.
What does Spam Score mean?
Moz's Spam Score is the share of sites with similar features that were penalized or banned by Google, from 0% to 100%. Under 30% is low. It flags domains to be careful about when you are choosing where to earn or buy links.
Related free tools
Free LSI Keyword Generator
Related terms to work into a page that needs to rank.
Free Sitemap URL Extractor
Every URL in a domain's sitemap, in one list.
Free Backlink Outreach Email Generator
The email to send once you have found a target domain.
Free Content Cluster Generator
Pillar and supporting topics to earn authority on a subject.
Audit the backlinks behind the score
The Brand DNA agent reads your backlink profile, finds unlinked brand mentions, and lists outreach targets that match the links you already earn. Live keyword, SERP and backlink data is included in every plan.
- Referring domains, anchors and lost links for any site
- Link gap against the competitors that outrank you
- The same data over the Koala AI MCP for Claude, ChatGPT or your own agent