How to check your backlinks (free and paid)
The free way to check your backlinks is Google Search Console's Links report, which shows top linking sites and pages as Google sees them. Bing Webmaster Tools has a backlinks report too. Third-party tools like Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz crawl the web themselves and add metrics such as Domain Rating, link attributes and dates, with free limited versions.
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Google Search Console
Open Search Console, select your property, and choose Links in the left menu. You get external links (top linked pages, top linking sites, top linking text) and internal links. Export for the full list. It is a sample, updated with delay, and does not show nofollow status, but it is Google's own view.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Under Backlinks, Bing lists referring domains and anchor text, and can compare your site with others. Since Bing's index feeds Copilot and is reported to feed ChatGPT search, it is worth setting up anyway.
Third-party tools
| Tool | Free option | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for verified sites; limited free checker | Domain Rating (DR), URL Rating |
| Semrush | Limited free account | Authority Score |
| Moz | Limited free Link Explorer | Domain Authority (DA) |
Each tool has its own crawler, so numbers differ. Pick one and use it consistently. See Domain Rating vs Domain Authority.
What to look for
- Referring domains over time: the clearest growth signal.
- Relevance: are linking sites in your field?
- Anchor text: mostly brand name and URLs is natural.
- Lost links: important links that disappeared; ask for them back.
- Spam: large numbers of links from unrelated, low-quality sites. Google mostly ignores these; disavow only in clear cases.
Questions people ask
Why does Search Console show fewer links than Ahrefs?
Search Console shows a sample, and different crawlers find different links. Neither is complete.