Backlink Checker: How to Check Any Site’s Backlinks (Free and Paid Tools)

The short answer: a backlink checker is a tool that lists the websites linking to a page or domain, with details such as the linking page, anchor text, link attribute and when the link was found. For your own site, start with Google Search Console’s free links report. To check competitors or see more detail, use a third-party index such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, Majestic or Bing Webmaster Tools.

Key takeaways

• Google Search Console shows the links Google itself has found, but only for sites you own.
• Third-party checkers crawl the web with their own bots, so each one finds a different set of links and reports different totals.
• Referring domains, link relevance and anchor text tell you more than the total number of backlinks.
• Check monthly for new and lost links, and before and after any link building campaign.
• Use a checker to spot opportunities in competitors’ profiles, not only to count your own links.

This guide is part of our complete guide to backlinks. If you need a refresher first, read what backlinks are.

What a backlink checker shows you

Most checkers report the same core data, even if they label it differently:

• Referring domains: how many separate websites link to you. This is usually the most useful single number. Our guide to referring domains vs backlinks explains why.
• Backlinks: the total number of individual links, including several from the same site.
• Linking page and target page: which page links to you, and which of your pages it points to.
• Anchor text: the clickable words. Patterns here reveal over-optimisation; see our anchor text guide.
• Link attribute: whether the link is followed or marked nofollow, sponsored or ugc. See dofollow vs nofollow.
• First seen and lost dates: when the tool found the link and whether it has since disappeared.
• Authority scores: each tool’s own estimate of a site’s link strength, such as Domain Rating, Authority Score, Domain Authority or Trust Flow. These are vendor metrics, not Google’s.

Free and paid backlink checkers compared

Tool	Checks	Cost	Best for
Google Search Console (Links report)	Your own verified sites	Free	Seeing the links Google has found
Bing Webmaster Tools	Your site, plus a competitor comparison	Free	A free second opinion with competitor data
Ahrefs	Any site	Limited free checker; paid plans	Large index, detailed new and lost link tracking
Semrush	Any site	Limited free use; paid plans	Backlink gap analysis alongside keyword research
Moz Link Explorer	Any site	Limited free use with an account; paid plans	Domain Authority and spam scoring
Majestic	Any site	Paid, with limited free lookups	Trust Flow, Citation Flow and topical categories

Free tiers and limits change often, so check each vendor’s current plan before you rely on it. A fuller comparison is coming in the best backlink tools and free backlink tools.

Why backlink tools show different numbers

No third-party tool sees the whole web. Each runs its own crawler, decides which pages to revisit and how long to keep links that have disappeared, and filters spam differently. So one tool may report 300 referring domains and another 210 for the same site. Neither is wrong; they are different samples.

Two practical rules follow. First, compare like with like: use the same tool when you track progress over time or compare yourself with a competitor. Second, treat Google Search Console as the reference for which links Google knows about, and third-party tools as a way to see more detail and to study sites you do not own.

How to check your backlinks, step by step

1. Start in Google Search Console. Open the Links report for your property. It lists top linking sites, top linked pages and top anchor text, and lets you export the data. Google’s help page on the Links report explains each section.
2. Run your domain through one third-party tool. Enter your root domain and look at referring domains first, then the list of linking pages.
3. Sort by newest and lost. New links show what is working; lost links show placements that need a follow-up or replacement.
4. Check relevance. Skim the linking sites. Are they about your topic or location? A profile dominated by unrelated sites deserves a closer look.
5. Review anchor text. Most anchors should be your brand, the page URL or natural phrases. A high share of exact-match keyword anchors is a warning sign.
6. Check which pages earn links. If almost all links point to your homepage, plan links to your key service, product or country pages too.
7. Export and save a snapshot. Keep a dated export so you can compare month to month.

A more detailed walkthrough will follow in how to check backlinks.

How to read the results

Numbers alone mislead. When you review a backlink report, ask:

• Is the profile growing? A steady rise in relevant referring domains is a good sign; a sudden spike from unrelated sites is not.
• Are the links from real sites? Real sites have their own traffic, original content and a reason to exist beyond selling links.
• Is the mix natural? A healthy backlink profile includes a variety of sites, page types, anchors and followed and nofollow links.
• Do competitors have links you could earn? Directories, associations, local news and industry roundups that link to several competitors are often open to you too. See competitor backlink analysis.

Red flags to look for

• Large numbers of links from sites in unrelated languages or niches.
• Sitewide footer or sidebar links from a handful of domains.
• Pages that exist only to list outbound links.
• Exact-match keyword anchors on a large share of links.
• Links from sites that look like private blog networks: thin content, no real audience, and links to many unrelated businesses.

Most odd links are simply ignored by Google. Read our guide to toxic backlinks and the disavow tool before you disavow anything, and use a full backlink audit when you suspect a real problem.

Free checks you can run alongside a backlink checker

Backlinks only help if the page they point to works. Our free SEO tools include an HTTP status and redirect checker, so you can confirm that the pages earning links return a 200 status and are not stuck behind redirect chains.

Our free tools cover the checks a backlink database cannot: the backlink anchor checker confirms that a specific page links to you and shows the anchor text and rel attribute, the broken link checker finds dead links you can fix or reclaim, and the anchor text distribution planner helps you keep new anchors natural. If you are building links for a specific country, see backlinks by country.

How often should you check backlinks?

For most sites, once a month is enough to catch new and lost links. Check more often during an active campaign, after a site migration, or if rankings drop suddenly. Paid tools can send alerts for new and lost links, which saves manual checks; see backlink monitoring.

FAQ

How do I check my website’s backlinks for free?

Verify your site in Google Search Console and open the Links report. Bing Webmaster Tools offers a free backlinks report as well, and the main paid tools allow limited free lookups.

Can I check a competitor’s backlinks?

Yes. Google Search Console only covers sites you own, but third-party tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, Majestic and Bing Webmaster Tools’ comparison feature let you look up any domain.

Why don’t backlink tools show all my links?

Each tool crawls only part of the web and drops links it has not seen recently. Use one tool consistently for trends and Search Console for the links Google has found.

Is Domain Authority a Google metric?

No. Domain Authority, Domain Rating, Authority Score and Trust Flow are vendor estimates. They are useful for comparing sites within the same tool, but Google does not use them.

What should I do after checking my backlinks?

Fix broken pages that have links, follow up on lost links, note which competitors’ links you could earn, and plan new links to the pages that need them. Our guide on how to get backlinks covers the next step.

Bringing it together

A backlink checker turns guesswork into a plan: it shows where you stand, what is changing and which sites already link to your competitors. Start with Search Console, add one third-party tool, and review the same numbers every month. If you would like an expert view of your profile, ask us for a free backlink audit.