Backlink Checker
Check the inbound links and referring domains for any domain. See link quality ratings, PageRank rank, and spam or toxic domain flags. Free, no login required.
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What this backlink checker shows you
Enter any domain and get a full snapshot of its backlinks, inbound links, and referring domains.
Referring domains
See how many unique domains link to the target - the most important signal for measuring link authority.
Link quality breakdown
Every linking domain is rated High, Medium, or Low quality. The donut chart gives you an instant visual split.
Authority score
See the domain's authority score based on its referring domains and link profile, on a 0-100 scale.
Toxic domain detection
Domains ranked below #50M globally are flagged as potentially toxic - useful when auditing a disavow file.
Top backlinks by authority
The ten most authoritative linking domains are surfaced at the top so you can spot the strongest links at a glance.
Outbound links
Switch to the Outlinks tab to see every external domain the target links out to, with link counts.
How to use a backlink checker
Backlink analysis is one of the most useful activities in SEO. Here is how to make the most of this tool.
Enter a domain
Type or paste any domain - your own site, a competitor, or a site you want to pitch for a link. You can include or omit the protocol; the tool will normalise it automatically.
Review the backlink profile
Check the referring domain count, total links, and link quality split. A healthy profile has a mix of High and Medium quality domains. A large number of Low or Toxic domains may need a disavow file.
Export and act on the data
Download the full list as a CSV to share with a client, import into a spreadsheet, or build a disavow file. Use the filter box to focus on specific domains before exporting.
When to check a backlink profile
A backlink check takes seconds and is useful in several common SEO workflows.
Audit your own site
Check how many domains link to you and whether your link profile is growing. Spot toxic or low-quality links before they become a problem.
Research competitors
See exactly which domains link to your competitors. The sites already linking to similar content are your highest-probability link prospects.
Vet a link prospect
Before accepting or pursuing a link from a site, check its referring domains and link quality rating. A High-rated linking domain adds real value.
Prepare a disavow file
Use the Toxic flag to identify domains ranked below #50M globally. Export those domains to CSV and use them as the basis for a Google disavow submission.
Frequently asked questions
What is a backlink?
A backlink is a hyperlink on one website that points to a page on another website. Search engines like Google treat backlinks as votes of confidence - a page with many high-quality backlinks tends to rank higher than one with few.
What is the difference between backlinks and referring domains?
Referring domains is the count of unique websites linking to you. Backlinks is the total number of individual links, including multiple links from the same domain. Referring domains is generally the more meaningful number because 100 links from 100 different sites is far more powerful than 100 links from a single site.
What makes a backlink toxic?
This tool flags domains ranked below #50M in the global PageRank ranking as potentially toxic. These are typically very low-traffic, low-authority sites - often link farms, spam directories, or hacked pages. Having many such links can be a sign of negative SEO or a history of link buying.
Where does the data come from?
The backlink data is drawn from the Crawly Index, a web crawl maintained by the Crawly team. It covers over 100 million domains and is updated on a monthly crawl cycle.
How often is the data updated?
The index is refreshed monthly. The date shown at the bottom of results reflects the most recent crawl batch used.
Can I check competitor backlinks?
Yes. Simply enter any domain - your own or a competitor's. Analysing competitor backlink profiles is one of the most effective ways to find link building opportunities, since you can target the same sites that already link to similar content.
How do I check my own backlinks?
Enter your domain in the input field and click Check. You will see a full breakdown of referring domains, total links, link quality split, and the top linking domains by authority. Use the filter box to search for specific domains, or export the full list as a CSV.
What is a good number of referring domains?
It depends entirely on your niche and the competition for the keywords you are targeting. A local business might rank well with 50 to 200 referring domains. A competitive SaaS product may need several thousand. The most useful benchmark is your direct competitors: check their referring domain counts and use that as your target range.
How do I use this tool to find link building opportunities?
Enter a competitor's domain and review their top backlinks by authority. The sites linking to them are already receptive to content in your niche. You can reach out to those same publishers, directories, or communities and pitch your own content. This is called competitor backlink analysis and is one of the most reliable methods for building a relevant link profile.
Does this tool check dofollow and nofollow links?
Yes. The results include both dofollow and nofollow backlinks. Dofollow links pass PageRank and are the primary driver of ranking authority. Nofollow links do not pass PageRank directly, but they still contribute to a natural-looking link profile and can drive referral traffic.
What is the difference between toxic backlinks and spam backlinks?
In practice the terms are used interchangeably. This tool uses the label 'toxic or spam' to describe domains ranked below #50M globally - typically link farms, spam directories, private blog networks, or hacked sites. Whether you call them toxic or spam backlinks, the recommended action is the same: add them to a Google disavow file to signal to Google that you do not endorse those links.
Why backlinks still matter for SEO
Backlinks have been a core ranking signal since the earliest days of Google. Despite every algorithm update, they remain one of the strongest indicators of a page's authority and trustworthiness.
#1 factor
Referring domains is consistently the strongest correlating signal with high Google rankings across industry studies.
Quality over quantity
One link from a trusted, high-traffic site is worth more than hundreds of links from low-quality or irrelevant pages.
Compounding value
Strong backlink profiles take time to build but tend to hold their value - making link building a long-term SEO asset.
Google's PageRank algorithm - still in use today - works by counting inbound links between pages as votes. A page that receives many backlinks from authoritative sources is seen as more credible and is rewarded with higher rankings. The quality of those links matters far more than raw volume.
For SEO professionals, monitoring a site's backlink profile serves two purposes. First, it helps you track whether your link building efforts are working and whether your domain authority is growing over time. Second, it lets you spot potentially harmful links - such as those from link farms or spam networks - that could trigger a Google penalty if left unaddressed.
Competitor backlink analysis is equally valuable. By checking which sites link to your competitors, you can identify link building opportunities - directories, publications, or communities that are already receptive to your niche. Replicating a competitor's strongest backlinks is one of the most efficient ways to close a rankings gap.
Audit your site as well as your backlinks
Backlinks drive rankings, but on-page issues hold them back. Crawly is a free native Mac app that crawls your entire site and surfaces missing titles, broken pages, redirect chains, hreflang errors, duplicate content, and more - with no page limit and no subscription required.
Use the backlink checker to understand your authority, then use Crawly to make sure your site is technically sound enough to rank with it.
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