What Is Domain Rating? The Complete Guide to Ahrefs DR

Domain Rating (DR) is the most commonly referenced metric for measuring the strength of a website's backlink profile. If you have ever compared two websites for SEO purposes, chances are you have seen a DR score. Here is what it means and why it matters.

For a head-to-head comparison of DR against Moz's Domain Authority, see our domain rating vs domain authority guide. If you want to check your score right now, use our free DR checker.

Sources:

• Ahrefs: Domain Rating definition and scale
• Ahrefs Blog: What is Domain Rating and how is it calculated

Domain Rating explained#

Domain Rating is a metric created by Ahrefs that scores the overall strength of a website's backlink profile from 0 to 100. It answers one question: how strong is this site's link profile compared to every other site on the web?

Here is what that means in practice:

• "Backlink profile strength" refers to the combined authority passed to your domain by every external website that links to you.
• "Referring domains" are unique websites that contain at least one link pointing to your site. Getting links from 50 different websites matters far more than getting 500 links from one website.
• "Relative score" means DR compares your link profile against the entire Ahrefs index — billions of pages. A DR 50 does not mean you are halfway to the maximum; it means you have a stronger link profile than the vast majority of sites on the internet.

DR is a domain-level metric. It evaluates the entire website, not individual pages. For page-level link strength, Ahrefs uses a separate metric called URL Rating (UR).

What DR does not measure:

• Content quality or relevance
• Organic traffic or keyword rankings
• Technical SEO health
• How well your site will rank in Google

DR is purely a link-based metric. A site can have DR 70 and terrible content, or DR 5 and excellent content. The score tells you about links and nothing else.

Sources:

• Ahrefs: Domain Rating definition, scope, and limitations
• Ahrefs Blog: How Domain Rating works

How DR is calculated#

Ahrefs has not published the exact formula, but they have been transparent about the key inputs and mechanics. Here is what goes into the calculation:

Key inputs#

1. Number of unique referring domains: This is the most important factor. More unique websites linking to you means a stronger link profile. Ten links from ten different sites carry far more weight than ten links from one site.
2. Authority of linking sites (their DR): A link from a DR 80 site passes more equity than a link from a DR 10 site. The quality of who links to you matters as much as the quantity.
3. Link equity distribution: If a DR 80 site links to 10,000 different websites, each individual link passes less equity than if that same site linked to only 100 websites. The more sites a domain links to, the more its equity is diluted across those links.
4. Dofollow vs nofollow: Only dofollow links are counted in the DR calculation. Nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links do not contribute to DR.

The logarithmic scale#

This is the most misunderstood part of DR. The scale is logarithmic, not linear. Think of it like the Richter scale for earthquakes — each point represents an exponentially larger amount of link equity.

Here is a practical way to think about it:

• DR 0 to 20: A handful of quality directory listings and a few guest posts can get you here. This is the zone where every new referring domain has a visible impact on your score.
• DR 20 to 40: Requires consistent link building over months. Each new referring domain still moves the needle, but you need more of them.
• DR 40 to 60: Requires hundreds of quality referring domains. You are competing with established businesses and well-known brands.
• DR 60 to 80: Requires thousands of referring domains from authoritative sources. These are major publications, popular SaaS companies, and industry leaders.
• DR 80 to 100: Reserved for the biggest sites on the internet — Wikipedia, Google, YouTube, major news outlets. Reaching this level requires massive, sustained link acquisition over years.

How often DR updates#

Ahrefs recalculates DR on a rolling basis as their crawler discovers new and lost backlinks. In practice, you can expect your DR to update within days to weeks of gaining or losing significant referring domains. It is not a monthly refresh like some other metrics.

Sources:

• Ahrefs Blog: Domain Rating calculation methodology
• Ahrefs: Domain Rating inputs and logarithmic scale

What is a good DR score?#

There is no universal "good" DR. The right benchmark depends on your niche, your competitors, and your stage of growth. That said, here are general ranges to orient yourself:

Real-world examples#

To give you a sense of the scale:

• Wikipedia: DR 92 — the most linked-to website on the internet
• ahrefs.com: DR 92 — a major SaaS brand with thousands of sites linking to their tools and content
• A typical Series A startup: DR 15-30 — enough to compete for medium-difficulty keywords
• A brand-new side project: DR 0-5 — the starting point for most founders

What RankInPublic customers have achieved#

These are real DR improvements from startups using directory submissions and consistent link building:

• blitzcutai.com: DR 8 to DR 25 — a 17-point increase, moving from invisible to competitive
• renderly.video: DR 0 to DR 24 — starting from zero and building a solid foundation
• psychiatryexams.co.uk: DR 5 to DR 26 — a 21-point gain through systematic directory submissions

How to benchmark against competitors#

Instead of aiming for an arbitrary number, benchmark against the sites you are actually competing with:

1. Search your top 3-5 target keywords in Google
2. Check the DR of the top 10 results for each keyword using Ahrefs or our free DR checker
3. Calculate the average — that is your target range

If the average DR of your competitors is 35 and you are at DR 20, you know exactly how much ground you need to cover.

Sources:

• Ahrefs Blog: DR scale and benchmarks

DR vs Domain Authority: what is the difference?#

Domain Rating (Ahrefs) and Domain Authority (Moz) are the two most popular third-party authority metrics. They sound similar but are fundamentally different:

The most important thing to understand: a DR 40 and DA 40 do not mean the same thing. These are scores from different companies using different data and algorithms. Never compare them directly.

For a full breakdown of how these metrics differ and when to use each one, see our dedicated domain rating vs domain authority comparison. To learn more about Moz's metric specifically, see how to check domain authority.

Does Google use Domain Rating?#

No. Google does not use Domain Rating, Domain Authority, or any other third-party SEO score in its ranking algorithm. Google has been explicit and repeated about this.

What Google does use is its own link analysis systems, including an evolved version of PageRank, to evaluate links across the web. These systems are entirely separate from the scores that Ahrefs, Moz, or Semrush calculate.

Why DR still matters despite not being a Google signal:

• It summarizes real link signals. The backlinks that DR measures are genuinely important for SEO. A higher DR usually means a stronger link profile, which Google does evaluate through its own systems.
• It is a useful competitive benchmark. DR gives you a quick way to compare your link profile against competitors without manually auditing every backlink.
• It tracks progress. Watching your DR trend upward over months confirms that your link building strategy is working.

Think of DR like a credit score for your backlink profile. Banks do not use your FICO score to decide interest rates at every institution — each bank has its own model. But a rising credit score still signals improving financial health. Similarly, a rising DR signals a growing backlink profile, even though Google uses its own separate evaluation.

Sources:

• Search Engine Land: Google does not use SEO tool scores for rankings
• Google Search Central: ranking systems and link analysis

How to check your Domain Rating#

Ahrefs (the source of truth)#

Since DR is an Ahrefs metric, Ahrefs is the definitive source:

• Ahrefs Website Authority Checker (free, no account required): Go to ahrefs.com/website-authority-checker, enter any domain, and get the DR score along with referring domains and backlink counts.
• Ahrefs Site Explorer (paid): The full tool gives you DR trends over time, detailed backlink data, and competitor comparisons.

RankInPublic free DR checker#

We built a free Domain Rating checker that lets you look up DR for any domain quickly. If you are a RankInPublic customer, you can also track your DR progress directly from your dashboard.

Other tools that show DR#

Several third-party tools pull DR data from the Ahrefs API:

• SEO toolbars: The Ahrefs SEO Toolbar (Chrome/Firefox extension) shows DR directly in search results.
• Rank trackers: Tools like SE Ranking and Mangools display DR alongside their own metrics.

How to improve your Domain Rating#

Improving DR comes down to one fundamental principle: earn backlinks from more unique, high-quality referring domains. That is the single strongest lever.

Here are the most effective strategies, briefly summarized:

1. Directory submissions#

Getting listed in quality directories is the fastest way to build a base of referring domains, especially for new sites. Each directory listing is a new referring domain — and at low DR levels, each one has a visible impact on your score.

Our directory submission service handles this systematically, submitting your site to relevant, high-quality directories that pass real link equity.

2. Quality backlink building#

Beyond directories, focus on earning links from sites with strong DR in your niche:

• Guest posts on industry blogs
• Resource page outreach — find curated lists in your niche and pitch your site
• Podcast appearances — most shows link to guests in show notes
• HARO and journalist queries — provide expert quotes and earn editorial links

For a deeper guide on finding and earning these links, see our high authority backlinks guide.

3. Content that earns links#

Certain content types attract backlinks naturally without outreach:

• Original research and data studies that others cite
• Free tools and calculators that people use and share
• Comprehensive guides that become reference material

4. Strengthen internal linking#

While internal links do not directly affect DR (which is based on external links), they help distribute authority across your site and improve the overall SEO performance that leads to more natural backlinks over time.

For the complete playbook on increasing your DR with step-by-step tactics and timelines, see our dedicated guide on how to increase Domain Rating. If you are also interested in improving Moz's metric, see how to increase domain authority.

FAQs#

What is a good domain rating for a new website?#

Most new websites start at DR 0-5. Reaching DR 10-20 within the first 2-4 months is a realistic goal with active directory submissions and initial link building. DR 20-30 is achievable within 6 months and puts you in a competitive position for long-tail keywords in most niches.

How often does Domain Rating update?#

Ahrefs recalculates DR on a rolling basis as their crawler discovers new and lost backlinks. Changes typically reflect within days to a few weeks. Unlike some metrics that update on a monthly cycle, DR can shift any time Ahrefs processes new link data.

Can Domain Rating go down?#

Yes. DR can decrease if you lose referring domains (sites remove links to you, go offline, or switch links to nofollow). It can also drop relatively — if other sites in the Ahrefs index gain links faster than you, the logarithmic curve can push your score down slightly even without losing links.

Is DR or DA more accurate?#

Neither is inherently more accurate — they measure different things with different data. DR (Ahrefs) focuses purely on backlink profile strength and uses the largest backlink index. DA (Moz) incorporates additional signals beyond raw link data. For evaluating link profiles specifically, DR is generally preferred because of Ahrefs' larger crawl index. For a full comparison, see our DR vs DA guide.

What is the difference between Domain Rating and URL Rating?#

Domain Rating (DR) evaluates the backlink strength of an entire domain. URL Rating (UR) evaluates the backlink strength of a specific page. A site can have DR 50 overall but have individual pages with UR 10 (weak pages) and UR 70 (heavily linked pages). When evaluating whether a specific page will rank, UR is often more relevant than DR.

Does buying links increase Domain Rating?#

Technically, any new referring domain can increase DR. However, buying links violates Google's spam policies and can result in a manual penalty that destroys your organic traffic. Even if your DR goes up temporarily, the SEO damage is not worth it. Focus on earning links through quality content, directory submissions, and genuine outreach.

How is DR different from PageRank?#

PageRank is Google's internal link analysis algorithm (not publicly visible since 2016). DR is Ahrefs' external approximation of backlink profile strength. While both evaluate links, they use completely different data, algorithms, and scales. DR is a useful proxy, but it is not a recreation of PageRank.

Can two sites with the same DR rank very differently?#

Absolutely. DR only measures backlink profile strength. Google ranks pages based on hundreds of factors including content relevance, search intent match, page experience, topical authority, and more. A DR 20 site with perfectly targeted content can and does outrank DR 60 sites for specific queries.