Domain Rating Checker
Check any website's Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) score instantly. Powered by the official Ahrefs public API. No signup, no API key, completely free.
TL;DR: Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' proprietary 0-100 metric that measures the strength of a website's backlink profile. A higher DR generally means more backlink authority, but it does not directly measure content quality, traffic, or ranking potential. Use DR as one signal among several, not a ranking predictor on its own.
What Is Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating is a logarithmic score from 0 to 100 created by Ahrefs. It measures how strong a website's backlink profile is compared to every other website in Ahrefs' index. The score is calculated based on the number of unique referring domains pointing to a site, weighted by their own DR. Because the scale is logarithmic, going from DR 70 to DR 80 requires significantly more link authority than going from DR 10 to DR 20.
I've been using Ahrefs since 2014 across 100+ sites. DR is one of the first things I check when evaluating a link opportunity or a competitor's authority. It gives a quick read on link profile health, but I never use it alone. A site can have DR 60 with mostly spammy links and DR 30 with high-quality editorial links. Always pair DR with a manual backlink check.
What Is a Good Domain Rating Score?
"Good" DR is always relative to your niche and competitors. A DR 30 local plumbing site can outrank a DR 60 general directory for local queries. That said, here is a practical reference frame I use:
| DR Range | Strength | Typical Profile |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | Very Weak | New site or almost no backlinks. Hard to rank for competitive terms. |
| 11-30 | Weak | Early-stage site with some links. Can rank for low-competition keywords. |
| 31-50 | Moderate | Established niche site. Competitive for most mid-tail keywords in vertical. |
| 51-70 | Strong | Authority site in its space. Can compete for most head terms with good content. |
| 71-100 | Very Strong | Major publications, national brands, established platforms. Very hard to compete with on volume. |
DR vs. Domain Authority (DA): What Is the Difference?
Domain Rating (Ahrefs) and Domain Authority (Moz) both measure backlink strength on a 0-100 scale, but they use different methodologies and different link indexes. They are not interchangeable. A site can be DR 45 and DA 30, or vice versa. Neither score is a Google ranking factor. Both are third-party proxies for link authority.
| Metric | Tool | Based On | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Rating (DR) | Ahrefs | Referring domains weighted by their DR | 0-100, logarithmic |
| Domain Authority (DA) | Moz | Link count, MozRank, MozTrust | 0-100, logarithmic |
| Domain Score (AS) | SEMrush | Number and quality of referring domains | 0-100 |
| PageRank | Link graph (actual ranking signal) | Internal, not public |
Does Domain Rating Affect Google Rankings?
Not directly. DR is Ahrefs' own metric, not a Google signal. Google uses its own internal PageRank algorithm, which is not publicly shared. However, the thing DR measures (quantity and quality of referring domains) is correlated with rankings because Google does use backlinks as a ranking factor. Sites with more high-quality backlinks generally have higher DR, and those same backlinks contribute to Google rankings. The metric is a proxy, not the cause.
I've seen DR 20 pages outrank DR 70 pages regularly, especially for long-tail keywords where content relevance and topical authority beat raw link power. Focus on earning quality links from relevant sites rather than chasing a DR number. The DR improvement is a byproduct of good link building, not the goal.
How to Increase Domain Rating
DR increases when more high-DR sites link to your domain. There is no shortcut around this. The practical playbook:
- Create link-worthy content. Original research, data studies, free tools, and comprehensive guides attract natural backlinks. This page is an example: a free tool earns links from people who reference it.
- Guest posting on relevant sites. Write for publications in your niche that have DR above yours. One link from a DR 60 relevant domain moves your DR more than 50 links from DR 5 directories.
- Digital PR. Get your data or opinions cited in industry news, reports, or roundups. Journalists and editors link from high-DR publications. One Forbes link outweighs 200 directory submissions.
- Reclaim lost links. Check Ahrefs for lost referring domains. If a page that linked to you was updated or moved, reach out to reclaim the link.
- Fix broken backlinks. Use Ahrefs' Broken Backlinks report to find external links pointing to your 404 pages. Redirect those URLs to relevant live pages so the link value is not wasted.
DR vs. URL Rating (UR): Which Should You Check?
Domain Rating measures the backlink strength of the entire domain. URL Rating (UR) measures the backlink strength of a specific page. When evaluating link opportunities, check UR of the specific page that will link to you, not just the domain's DR. A DR 70 site linking from a UR 5 internal page passes less authority than a DR 50 site linking from a UR 40 pillar article. Both metrics matter. For competitor research and prospecting, DR gives the domain-level read. For link value assessment, check UR of the linking page.
How to Use This Domain Rating Checker
- Enter any domain (e.g.,
ahrefs.com) or full URL in the input field. - Click Check DR. The tool calls the Ahrefs public API in real time.
- Your result includes the DR score (0-100), a visual gauge, and a plain-English interpretation.
- Data is sourced directly from Ahrefs. No third-party caching, no stale data.
This tool uses the Ahrefs free public domain rating API, which is rate-limited by IP. For bulk lookups or full backlink data, you need an Ahrefs paid plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Domain Rating checker really free?
Yes. This tool uses Ahrefs' official public domain rating API, which is free with no API key required. You get live, accurate DR data at no cost. The only limitation is the rate limit on the public API, which applies per IP address.
How often does Ahrefs update Domain Rating?
Ahrefs crawls the web continuously. DR updates are typically reflected within a few days to weeks of new links being acquired or lost. For live backlink data and historical DR trends, you need an Ahrefs account.
Why does a new site show DR 0?
Every new domain starts at DR 0. DR increases as other sites link to your domain and as those sites themselves have higher DR scores. It is normal for a site to stay near DR 0-5 for its first few months, especially without an active link building campaign.
Can I check a subdomain's DR separately?
DR is a domain-level metric, so entering a subdomain (e.g., blog.example.com) typically returns the root domain's DR. For subdomain-level link analysis, you need Ahrefs Site Explorer with a paid account.