Free Backlink Checker
Powered by Semrush's Backlink Analytics
Check your backlinks, find competitor backlinks, and uncover high-value opportunities you can turn into growth. Powered by Semrush's Backlink Analytics.
Does your website have a backlink problem? Try Backlink Analytics.
How to Check Backlinks
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Enter a domain or website URL in the field above
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Click "Check Backlinks" to run your free backlink report
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Review the backlinks and key metrics to understand your profile
Why Check Backlinks?
You should check backlinks because they affect how much search engines and AI search platforms trust your site and whether your pages appear in search results.
By checking your website's backlinks, you see whether your key pages have earned links from other sites. Backlinks often explain why some pages have high visibility in Google and AI search results while others don't.
By checking competitor backlinks, you can compare their backlinks with yours and see whether they have more links from strong, relevant sites. Comparing backlinks helps you understand if your competitor gets more visibility because of a stronger link profile and how big that gap is.
How to Use Backlink Data Strategically
Here's how to use backlink data strategically to improve your SEO and AI search visibility:
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Analyze the strength of your pages
Look at the backlinks and referring domains pointing to your key pages. If important pages have very few links from other sites, that often explains why they don't rank as well as others.
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Benchmark your site against competitors
Compare your total backlinks, referring domains, and key page metrics with competing sites. This shows whether competitors have stronger backlink profiles and how big the difference is.
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Check if your link building is working
Review link statuses to see new and lost backlinks over time. If you're running campaigns or working with an agency, this helps you see whether those efforts are actually adding relevant, high quality links.
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Find new link opportunities from competitors
Check which sites link to your competitors but not to you. These sites already cover your topic, so they're practical targets for future outreach and content.
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See what type of content earns links
Examine which competitor pages attract the most backlinks. Notice the content types and topics that earn links, then create your own, better versions.
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Recover lost backlinks
Identify valuable links that have disappeared. Contact site owners to restore these connections, as this is usually easier than building new relationships from scratch.
Why You Should Use Our Free Backlink Tool
You should use our backlink checker because it provides more backlinks and more useful metrics than other free tools, and it uses the same data that powers Semrush's Backlink Analytics.
This data helps you decide what to focus on to get more visibility in search and AI results. You can enter any domain and immediately see real, up-to-date backlinks, referring domains, Authority Score, anchor text, and follow / nofollow status without creating an account.
- Analyze data from the industry's largest backlink database
- Check your website or a competitor instantly with no registration
- View key backlink metrics together in a simple, readable report
This makes our free backlink tool a practical way to quickly understand a website's backlinks.
Powered by Semrush Data
backlinks indexed in the Semrush database
domains tracked across the open web
countries and regions covered by our data
database updates so data is always fresh
What's in Your Free Backlink Analysis?
Your free backlink analysis includes a list of the website's top backlinks, as well as these key metrics:
- Authority Score. Semrush's proprietary measure of a domain's SEO strength based on the quality and quantity of its backlinks, organic traffic, and other data.
- Backlinks count. The total number of individual links pointing to the domain, including links from the same referring domain.
- Referring domains. The number of unique websites that link to the domain. More referring domains generally indicate a more natural, trusted link profile.
- Anchor text. The clickable text used in each backlink. It provides context about what the linking page is about.
- Follow / nofollow status. Indicates whether each link passes SEO value (dofollow) or has been marked to not pass link equity (nofollow).
- First seen / last seen. Dates showing when Semrush first discovered the link and when it was most recently confirmed as active.
| Source URL | AS | Anchor Text | Target URL | Type | First Seen |
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| nytimes.com/climate/outdoor-gear | 91 | Patagonia sustainability | patagonia.com/stories/ | Dofollow | Jan 2024 |
| rei.com/learn/outdoor-brands | 79 | best outdoor brands | patagonia.com/ | Dofollow | Mar 2023 |
| theguardian.com/environment/gear | 88 | ethical outdoor clothing | patagonia.com/worn-wear/ | Nofollow | Nov 2023 |
| wired.com/sustainable-tech | 83 | Patagonia repair program | patagonia.com/worn-wear/ | Dofollow | Sep 2023 |
| nationalgeographic.com/environment | 87 | outdoor gear sustainability | patagonia.com/environmentalism/ | Dofollow | Jun 2023 |
How Do We Calculate Website Authority?
Authority Score is Semrush's composite metric for measuring a domain's overall SEO strength and influence. It's calculated using a machine learning algorithm that weighs three key dimensions:
- Link power. The number of backlinks, the authority of referring domains, and the ratio of dofollow to nofollow links.
- Organic traffic. The estimated monthly volume of visitors arriving from organic search results.
- Spam factors. Signals that indicate unnatural or low-quality link activity, weighted negatively.
Scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score generally means the domain has more trustworthy, high-quality links and strong search presence. Authority Score is best used for comparing domains relative to each other, not as a standalone absolute metric.
What Is Backlink Analytics?
Backlink Analytics is the paid, full version of this free backlink checker. It lets you analyze the complete backlink profile of any website using the same Semrush backlink database — with no limits on data or reports.
With Backlink Analytics you can:
- View the full list of all backlinks, not just the top results
- Filter and segment backlinks by type, anchor text, and target URL
- Monitor new and lost backlinks with historical tracking
- Run a bulk backlink analysis across multiple domains at once
- Export data for reporting or further analysis
It's built for SEOs, link builders, and digital marketers who need complete, actionable backlink intelligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Backlink Checker Free to Use?
Yes, the Backlink Checker is free to use. You can analyze up to three domains per day without creating an account and see the most important backlink metrics for each one.
For unlimited checks, full backlink lists, and deeper analysis tools, you can sign up for a free Semrush account or subscribe to a paid plan with access to Backlink Analytics.
How Accurate Is the Backlink Data?
The backlink data is sourced from the Semrush backlink index — one of the largest in the industry with over 43 trillion links. The index is updated daily, so the data you see reflects real, recent link activity.
For most established domains, the data is highly accurate and comprehensive. Very new domains or sites with minimal link activity may show fewer results simply because fewer links exist to discover.
What Is a Good Authority Score?
Authority Score is a relative metric — there's no universally "good" score. What matters most is how your score compares to your direct competitors in the same niche.
As a general reference: scores of 60+ are considered strong, 40–60 are above average, 20–40 are moderate, and under 20 typically indicates a newer or lower-authority domain. Use Authority Score to benchmark your site against competitors, not as a standalone target.
What's the Difference Between Backlinks and Referring Domains?
Backlinks are individual links pointing to your website — a single website might link to you from ten different pages, giving you ten backlinks from that one source.
Referring domains count how many unique websites link to you. Generally, referring domains is the more important number because links from many different sites signal broader authority than many links from a single source.
What's the Difference Between Dofollow and Nofollow Links?
A dofollow link is a standard hyperlink that passes link equity (sometimes called "link juice") from the source page to your site. Search engines use these to understand your site's authority and relevance.
A nofollow link includes an HTML attribute that signals to search engines not to pass ranking credit. While nofollow links don't directly impact SEO, they still drive referral traffic and contribute to a natural, diverse link profile.
Can I Check Backlinks for Any Website?
Yes, you can check the backlinks for virtually any domain on the web. This includes your own website, competitors, potential link partners, or any domain you want to research.
The free tool shows you the top backlinks for each domain. For the complete picture, Semrush's Backlink Analytics gives you the full list with no limits on data.
How Do I Build More Backlinks?
The most reliable way to earn backlinks is to create content that other websites want to reference: data-driven research, original insights, comprehensive guides, and useful tools all attract links naturally over time.
You can also actively build links by identifying sites that link to your competitors (using this tool), reaching out for guest posts, reclaiming lost backlinks, and looking for unlinked mentions of your brand. Semrush's Link Building Tool automates much of this outreach process.