How to use the Domain Authority Checker
- Paste up to 20 domains into the box, one per line, for example
example.com. - Run the check. All domains are scored together so you can compare them side by side.
- Sort or scan the list by NewBacklink Domain Score to see which domains are best connected in the link graph.
- Look at the PageRank position and host count for extra context on each domain.
- For any domain marked "not in the current snapshot", read the upper bound shown instead of a score.
Understanding your results
NewBacklink Domain Score (0-100). Our own metric. It estimates how central a domain is in the public web's link graph. Higher means more central, which usually means the domain receives links from many other well-connected domains.
The score is based on harmonic centrality, a standard network measure. For each domain, it adds up 1 divided by the link distance from every other domain that can reach it. A domain linked directly from many domains, or from domains that are themselves close to the rest of the web, ends up with high centrality.
Domains are ranked by harmonic centrality, and the rank is converted to a score with a logarithmic scale:
score = 100 × (1 − log(rank) ÷ log(total domains in the graph))
The top-ranked domain scores 100. Because the scale is logarithmic, every tenfold improvement in rank adds the same number of points. Moving from rank 1,000,000 to rank 100,000 is worth as much as moving from 100,000 to 10,000. This spreads scores out across the whole web instead of crowding almost every site near zero.
PageRank position. Where the domain ranks by PageRank in the same Common Crawl graph. PageRank weighs links by the importance of the linking domain. When the two ranks differ a lot, the domain is linked in an unusual way, for example from a small number of very prominent domains.
Hosts. The number of hosts (subdomains) Common Crawl saw under the domain. A large count can indicate a platform that gives users their own subdomains, which affects how its links should be read.
Not in the current snapshot. We import only the top part of the graph. Smaller domains may not be in it, so instead of a score we show an upper bound: the domain scores below the lowest score we store. This does not mean the domain has no links.
What a good score looks like
There is no universal target. The score is relative, so compare domains in the same niche and market rather than against the largest sites on the web. A small local business will rarely match a national publisher, and does not need to.
How this tool works
The score comes from the Common Crawl web graph, a free, public map of links between domains built from Common Crawl's crawl of the web. Common Crawl publishes the graph regularly, and we refresh our snapshot every quarter. The graph counts all kinds of links, including links to images, scripts and fonts, so infrastructure domains such as CDNs can rank highly.
This is not Moz Domain Authority, Ahrefs Domain Rating or any other third-party metric, and no company endorses it. It is a relative popularity estimate from a sample of the web. Two domains with similar scores are similarly central in that sample; the number says nothing directly about content quality, trust or search rankings.
All authority metrics, ours included, are estimates made by third parties. Search engines do not publish their internal link data, so each tool crawls a different portion of the web and applies its own formula. That is why the same domain gets different numbers from different tools. Google representatives have said publicly that Google Search does not use third-party authority scores. These metrics are useful for quick comparisons, not as a measure of how Google sees a site.
Tips
- Use the bulk box to compare link prospects, then pair it with the Guest Post Finder to find sites that accept contributions.
- Weigh topical relevance at least as heavily as the score. A relevant site with a modest score can be a better link than an unrelated one with a high score.
- Check scores again after each quarterly refresh to see how a domain's position is moving.
- Do not buy links or domains on the strength of a single number. Look at the site itself.
- Combine the score with the Domain Age Checker and an on-page review from the SEO Checker for a rounded view.
- Expect very large platforms and CDNs near the top; their scores reflect how widely they are linked, not editorial authority.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as Moz Domain Authority?
No. The NewBacklink Domain Score is our own metric calculated from the Common Crawl web graph. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Moz, Ahrefs or any other company, and its numbers will not match theirs.
Does Google use domain authority?
Google representatives have said Google Search does not use third-party authority metrics. Google uses its own systems and data. Treat any authority score as an outside estimate for comparing sites.
Why does my domain show "not in the current snapshot"?
We import only the top part of Common Crawl's domain graph. If your domain is outside that part, we show an upper bound instead of an exact score. As your site earns more links, it may appear in a future quarterly snapshot.
How can I increase my score?
Earn links from other domains, particularly domains that are themselves well connected. The score is refreshed quarterly, so changes take time to appear.
Why do different tools give different authority numbers?
Each tool builds its own crawl of part of the web and uses its own formula. The link data and the maths differ, so the numbers differ. Compare domains within one tool rather than across tools.
Why do CDN and platform domains score so high?
The Common Crawl graph includes every link type, such as images, scripts and fonts. Domains that serve those resources to many sites are linked from a very large number of domains, which places them near the top.