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How-to guide · 4 steps

How to Check Domain Authority (DA, DR, and What They Mean)

Domain Authority (Moz) and Domain Rating (Ahrefs) are two of the most commonly cited metrics in SEO — and two of the most misunderstood. They're not Google metrics; they're tool-specific estimates of link authority. Here's how to check them, what they actually measure, and how to use them properly.

Third-party authority metrics are estimates, not Google scores

What they are good for

  • Comparing sites on one tool's scale
  • Screening link prospects
  • Tracking your own trend

What they are not

  • A Google ranking factor
  • Comparable across tools (DR, DA and AS differ)
  • A measure of relevance or traffic
Ahrefs, Moz and Semrush each compute their own score from their own link data, so only compare numbers from the same tool.

  1. Step 1: Check Domain Rating (DR) with Ahrefs

    Go to Ahrefs' free domain checker or your Site Explorer. Enter any domain and you'll get the DR score (0-100) alongside total referring domains and linked domains. DR measures the strength of a domain's backlink profile relative to all other sites in Ahrefs' database.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' DR is a widely quoted domain-level authority metric among SEO professionals, calculated from Ahrefs' own backlink data.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Moz Pro (from $99/mo)

  2. Step 2: Check Domain Authority (DA) with Moz

    Moz's Domain Authority is the original authority score. Check it via the free MozBar Chrome extension or Moz's Link Explorer. DA also runs 0-100 but uses a different calculation — both metrics are useful, but don't compare them directly.

    Tool for this stepMoz Pro

    from $99/mo

    Moz's DA is widely used in link building outreach because many bloggers and site owners are familiar with it. When evaluating link prospects, they'll often quote DA — so knowing how to read it matters.

    Moz Pro plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Ahrefs (from £23/mo)

  3. Step 3: Check Authority Score (AS) in Semrush

    Semrush has its own domain-level metric called Authority Score. It combines backlink data with organic search performance and spam detection. Check it in Semrush's Domain Overview — it's particularly useful because it factors in whether a site is actively generating traffic.

    Tool for this stepSemrush

    from $139/mo

    Semrush describes Authority Score as combining link data with organic traffic and spam signals, so a high AS alongside real organic traffic is a stronger signal than a link-only score.

    Semrush plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Serpstat (from $69/mo)

  4. Step 4: Use domain authority to evaluate link prospects

    When assessing a site for link building, look at DR/DA/AS alongside the site's organic traffic (via Semrush or Ahrefs estimates). A DR 50 site with 500 organic monthly visitors is less valuable than a DR 35 site with 50,000 monthly visitors — traffic indicates real authority.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs shows both DR and estimated organic traffic on the same overview screen — making it easy to spot high-DR, low-traffic sites that may have inflated scores from bought links.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Semrush (from $139/mo)