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.
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.
Ahrefs' DR is the most widely used domain-level authority metric among SEO professionals. It's based on the largest backlink index available and updates regularly.
Budget alternative: Moz Pro (from $49/mo)
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.
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.
Budget alternative: Ahrefs (from $129/mo)
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.
Semrush's Authority Score penalises low-quality link farms that might have inflated DR or DA. A high AS combined with real organic traffic is a stronger signal of a genuinely authoritative site.
Budget alternative: Serpstat (from $59/mo)
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.
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.
Budget alternative: Semrush (from $139.95/mo)