Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' 0–100 score for the strength of your backlink profile. For most websites, a DR of 50 or above is genuinely strong — but "good" always depends on your niche and competitors. Here's the full scale, how DR is calculated, and how it compares to Moz DA.
A good Domain Rating is generally DR 50 or higher, which signals a strong backlink profile. As a rough guide: DR 0–30 is low, 30–50 is moderate, 50–70 is good, and 70+ is excellent. But DR is relative — what's "good" in a low-competition niche may be weak in a crowded one, so always compare against your direct competitors rather than chasing a fixed number. DR is an Ahrefs metric based purely on your backlinks, and like Moz DA it is not a Google ranking factor.
Domain Rating (DR) is a metric created by Ahrefs that scores a website's backlink profile on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. The higher your DR, the stronger and more authoritative your link profile is, relative to every other site in Ahrefs' index.
Crucially, DR looks at links and only links. It reflects the number of unique websites linking to you and how strong those linking sites are themselves. It does not factor in your content, your organic traffic, or on-page SEO — purely the power passing through your backlinks.
There's no official Ahrefs "good/bad" cut-off, so these are the general bands the SEO industry uses. Read them as guidance, not gospel.
| DR Range | Rating | Typical site type | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–30 | Low | New or small sites | Thin backlink profile — needs link building. |
| 30–50 | Moderate | Growing blogs & local businesses | Decent foundation; competitive in easier niches. |
| 50–70 | Good / Strong | Established businesses & publishers | A genuinely strong profile in most niches. |
| 70–85 | Excellent | Recognised brands & authorities | High authority in competitive markets. |
| 85–100 | Elite | Major global sites (news, Wikipedia) | Among the most-linked sites on the web. |
Tip: a DR 45 site can outrank a DR 65 site in a niche where everyone else sits at DR 30. Competitor context beats any absolute target.
Three things drive your Domain Rating. Get these right and DR rises.
The count of different websites linking to you. More distinct referring domains lifts DR far more than many links from one site.
A link from a high-DR site passes more authority. Ahrefs weighs how powerful each linking domain is, not just how many there are.
If a linking site links to thousands of others, each link carries less weight. Focused, relevant links count for more.
The pattern should look familiar: DR rewards diverse, high-quality referring domains — the same foundation that lifts Moz Domain Authority. Build authority the right way and both metrics climb together.
They measure similar things from different tools, so they rarely match. Here's the difference at a glance.
| Domain Rating (DR) | Domain Authority (DA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Ahrefs | Moz |
| Scale | 0–100, logarithmic | 1–100, logarithmic |
| Based on | Backlink profile only | Backlink profile (incl. a spam-score signal) |
| Considers spam? | No dedicated spam metric | Yes — spam score affects DA |
| Google ranking factor? | No | No |
| Best used for | Gauging raw link power | Industry-standard authority benchmark |
Because they're calculated differently, your DR and DA will usually differ — often DR runs a little higher for link-heavy sites. Neither is "more correct"; they're two lenses on the same backlink reality. Most clients, agencies and guest-post sellers still treat Moz DA as the default benchmark, which is why our service targets DA.
DR lives inside Ahrefs' ecosystem. Here's how to see it for free.
Ahrefs offers a free Website Authority Checker that returns the DR for any domain you enter — the official source.
The free Ahrefs SEO toolbar extension shows DR (and other metrics) as you browse pages and search results.
Send your URL on WhatsApp and we'll share your DR alongside your Moz DA and spam score, plus the gap to DA 40+.
Want to check the Moz side too? See how to check Domain Authority for free.
The same straight talk we give about DA applies to DR.
No. Like Moz DA, Domain Rating is a third-party metric and Ahrefs has confirmed Google does not use it. It's an estimate of link strength, not an input to Google's algorithm.
Because the quality backlinks that raise DR are the same signals that genuinely help you rank, win guest-post and partnership opportunities, and look credible to clients. The number is a proxy; the link equity underneath is the real asset.
Neither in isolation — build genuine authority and both rise. Since DA is the more widely used benchmark across the industry, that's the target we guarantee, and your DR climbs alongside it.
Because DR and DA both come from your backlink profile, the same white-hat link building lifts both. We guarantee Moz DA 40+ in 14–21 days with a before/after report — and your Domain Rating rises right alongside it, from the same diverse, high-authority links.
Increase my authorityStraight answers to what people ask about DR.
Generally, DR 50+ is good and signals a strong backlink profile. As a rough scale: 0–30 low, 30–50 moderate, 50–70 good, 70+ excellent. Because DR is relative, always compare against your direct competitors rather than chasing a fixed number.
DR (Domain Rating) is an Ahrefs metric based purely on your backlink profile. DA (Domain Authority) is a Moz metric that also factors in a spam-score signal. Both run 0–100 on a logarithmic scale, both are link-driven, and neither is used directly by Google.
Neither is inherently better — they're different tools measuring the same backlink reality, so they'll rarely match. Pick one to track consistently. Most of the industry uses Moz DA as the default benchmark.
No. Domain Rating is an Ahrefs metric and Google does not use it to rank pages. However, the quality backlinks that raise DR are genuine ranking signals, so building DR the right way still helps you rank.
Earn links from many unique, high-authority, relevant domains — the same white-hat approach that raises Moz DA. Avoid spammy link farms, which add little to DR and can harm your overall profile.
Because Ahrefs and Moz use different indexes and calculations. DR often runs slightly higher for link-heavy sites. The gap is normal — compare the same metric from the same tool when judging progress.
Now compare DR to Moz DA, and learn how to grow your authority.
The same white-hat authority building raises both metrics. We guarantee Moz DA 40+ in 14–21 days — or your money back.
Increase My Authority — ₹1,999