Tools

Domain rating checker

Find out how established a website is before you pitch it, buy a link or submit to it. Enter a domain to get a 0–100 authority score built from public data, and see how it compares.

  • Free
  • No signup
  • Live check

What the score means

ScoreBandTypical sites
70–100Very strongHousehold names and the biggest platforms
50–69StrongWell-known tools, media and large communities
25–49GrowingEstablished niche sites with steady traffic
1–24NewNew or small sites outside the top million

How it compares with Ahrefs DR and Moz DA

Ahrefs Domain Rating and Moz Domain Authority both count the links pointing at a site, using their own paid crawls of the web. This checker uses free, public data instead: the site’s place in the Tranco ranking of the top million websites, and how long the domain has been registered. Sites that many others link to tend to rank high on both, so the scores usually agree on which sites are strong, even if the numbers differ.

For the launch directories we track, we also show the DR we looked up by hand on Ahrefs. Compare them all, sorted by DR, in our list of launch directories.

How to raise your own score

Earn links from relevant sites people actually visit: launch directories, communities where your customers spend time, and articles about the problem you solve. Make sure your own pages are in good shape first with the website SEO checker.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as Ahrefs Domain Rating?

No. Ahrefs DR comes from Ahrefs’ own index of backlinks and is only available through their paid tools. This score is a LarkLaunch estimate built from free public data. It tracks the same idea, how established a site is, and lands close to DR for well-known sites. For the launch directories we track, we also show the DR we checked by hand on Ahrefs.

How is the score calculated?

Most of the score comes from the domain’s place in the Tranco list, a research ranking of the top million websites that combines several traffic sources. The rank is converted on a curve, the way link-based ratings behave: the top thousand sites score around 80, a site near #100,000 in the mid 50s and the millionth site around 38. Domain age adds up to 10 points. Domains outside the top million score 20 at most.

Why is my new site’s score so low?

New sites are not in the top million yet, so the score rests on age alone. That is normal. Earning links from relevant, well-visited sites, such as launch directories and articles in your niche, is what moves a domain up over time.

What is a good score?

70 and up is a very strong, widely visited site. 50 to 69 is strong. 25 to 49 is a site that is growing. Under 25 is a new or niche site. For links, relevance to your audience matters as much as the number.

Is there a limit?

You can check 30 domains a day. The limit resets at midnight UTC.