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Check a backlink profile

Referring domains, anchors and spam-score filters, charged only when the lookup succeeds.

  • Lesson 4 of 4
  • Intermediate
  • 6 min read
  • Checked against the product 2026-11-03

In shortThe Backlink checker shows who links to a domain or URL: total backlinks, referring domains, the dofollow and nofollow split, top referring TLDs, and up to 100 individual links with anchor text and dates. Open SEO → Research → Backlink checker, enter a domain, add optional filters and click Extract Backlinks. You're charged only when the lookup succeeds, and saved scans reopen for free.

A backlink is a link from another site to yours. Links still help pages rank in Google, and pages that rank are often the ones AI engines read. Checking backlinks answers practical questions: who links to a competitor and not to you, whether a link you earned is still live, and whether your profile leans on low-quality sites.

The page describes its use as checking competitor profiles, but it works the same for your own domain or a single URL.

Before you start

  • Finish onboarding; the tool needs a completed account.
  • Decide whether you want the whole domain (example.com) or one page (a full URL).
  • Know what you want to find. Filters change which links you get in the list, so a focused question gives a more useful list.

Run a scan

  1. Open the toolGo to SEO → Research → Backlink checker. On the left is New Backlink Scan with your Scan History below it. On the right, until you run a scan, you'll see the Backlink Analyzer empty state with the price per analysis.
  2. Enter the targetType a domain or full URL into the box labelled domain.com or full URL.
  3. Add quick filters if you need themUnder Quick filter rules (optional), click any of Dofollow only, Nofollow only, High authority sources, New links, Lost links, Broken links, Low spam score or Text links only. Hover a rule to see what it means.
  4. Use advanced filters for precise questionsClick Advanced filters to add up to 8 conditions, for example spam score below a value, source domain rank above a value, anchor text containing a word, or first seen after a date. Set Result mode to One link per domain to see each referring site once, or One link per anchor to see each anchor once.
  5. ExtractClick Extract Backlinks. The button shows the price, and the line below shows your balance. If you don't have enough, the panel tells you before you click.

How to read the results

SectionWhat it showsHow to use it
Domain RankAn authority score on a 0–1000 scaleCompare sites against each other, not against Google's own ranking
Backlinks and Ref. DomainsTotal links, and how many separate sites they come fromMany links from few domains is weaker than links from many domains
Ref. IPs / SubnetsHow many distinct servers the links come fromVery few subnets for many domains can mean a link network
Link Type DistributionDofollow vs nofollow shareDofollow links pass ranking value; a natural profile has both
Top Referring TLDsThe most common endings (.com, .org, .edu…)Spot unusual patterns, such as most links from one country TLD
Top Referring LinksUp to 100 links: referring page, target page, anchor text, page rank, type, first and last seenFind specific sites to approach, and check anchors and broken links
Totals cover the profile; the table is a sample

The totals at the top describe the whole backlink profile. The table holds at most 100 links, chosen by your filters and result mode. A big site has far more links than you'll see in one scan, so use filters to pull the 100 that answer your question.

There's no single toxicity score. To review risky links, run a scan with the Low spam score rule turned off and an advanced condition such as a high spam score, then check the referring pages by hand before you decide anything. Use Broken links to find links pointing at pages that return an error; fixing or redirecting those pages wins back value you already earned.

What it costs

Each scan has one fixed price. It's charged only after the summary lookup succeeds, so a lookup that fails costs nothing. A domain with no links can still return a summary of zeros, and that is charged. Every scan is saved in Scan History; click one to reopen it for free, or use the bin icon to delete it.

"Coins" on this page means credits

The balance line and scan cost on this page say "coins". That's older wording for your normal credit balance; the scan is paid from the same credits as every other tool.

Check yourself

1. A scan shows 40,000 backlinks at the top, but only 100 rows in the table. Why?
2. You want to see each referring site once, not every link from it. What do you change?
3. The backlink lookup fails and the scan shows an error. What are you charged?

0 of 3 answered.

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