Domain Authority (DA) is a 1-to-100 score created by Moz that estimates how likely an entire website is to rank in Google search results. It is calculated based on the strength and quality of a site’s backlink profile. A higher DA means greater ranking potential compared to competing websites in your niche.
What Is Domain Authority and Why Does It Exist?
Domain Authority is a proprietary score from 1 to 100 developed by Moz to predict how well a website might rank in search engines. It is not used by Google. It was created because Google stopped publicly sharing PageRank data in 2016, leaving SEOs without a standard way to measure a site’s link-based strength. DA fills that gap as a comparative benchmark tool.
Google has never shared its internal ranking scores with the public. After PageRank became invisible in 2016, SEOs needed a reliable alternative. Moz built Domain Authority to give marketers, link builders, and agencies a consistent number they could use to compare website strength at a glance.
DA is not a Google ranking factor. Google has confirmed this multiple times. But the signals DA measures, primarily backlinks, are genuine Google ranking factors. This makes DA a useful proxy even though it is a third-party metric.
According to Moz’s official documentation, DA is calculated using a machine learning model that evaluates dozens of link-based signals, including total inbound links, unique referring domains, and the authority of the sites linking to you.
How Does Moz Calculate Domain Authority?
Moz calculates Domain Authority using a machine learning model that analyses the total number of backlinks pointing to a domain, the number of unique referring domains, the quality and authority of those linking sites, and the overall link structure of the domain. The score is expressed on a logarithmic 1-to-100 scale, which means gaining from DA 10 to DA 20 is easier than gaining from DA 60 to DA 70.
The logarithmic scale is the part most beginners miss. Moving from DA 1 to DA 20 is relatively fast with consistent link building. Moving from DA 50 to DA 60 takes significantly more authority and time. This is why you should compare your DA to direct competitors rather than chasing an arbitrary high number.
Moz also updates its entire index regularly. This means your DA can change even when you have not done anything different. If Moz discovers new links across the web, every site’s score gets recalibrated against the new data set.
From experience: I worked with an affiliate marketing client who panicked when their DA dropped from 32 to 28 in a single month. After checking their backlink profile, I confirmed they had not lost any links. Moz had simply expanded its index, which recalibrated scores across the board. Their actual link profile had improved that month. The drop was a recalibration artifact, not a real signal of site health decline.
What Is a Good Domain Authority Score?
There is no universal “good” DA score. What matters is your DA relative to the sites you compete against in search results. A DA of 25 can be excellent for a niche blog competing against similar sites. That same score would be weak for a site competing against national news outlets or major SaaS platforms. According to Moz, websites with DA 50 and above are considered established and authoritative in most industries.
Here is a practical benchmark breakdown based on what I see across client audits:
| DA Range | What It Typically Means | Typical Site Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 20 | New or low-authority site | New blogs, small local businesses |
| 21 to 40 | Growing authority | Established niche blogs, small agencies |
| 41 to 60 | Solid authority | Mid-size businesses, active content sites |
| 61 to 80 | High authority | Major industry publications, large brands |
| 81 to 100 | Elite authority | Wikipedia, BBC, major news sites |
The real benchmark question is: what DA do the sites on page 1 of Google have for your target keywords? That is the number you need to compete with, not an abstract ideal score.
Domain Authority vs Other Authority Metrics
Domain Authority (DA) is Moz’s metric. Ahrefs uses Domain Rating (DR). Semrush uses Authority Score (AS). All three measure backlink-based strength but use different algorithms and data sets, so the same site will show different numbers across all three tools. For comparing sites within the same tool, any of these metrics works well. Avoid comparing a Moz DA score with an Ahrefs DR score directly.
In my work with link building agencies, the biggest mistake I see is mixing metrics. A prospect with DA 45 from Moz is not the same as a site with DR 45 from Ahrefs. The numbers are not interchangeable. Stick to one tool when comparing sites and you will get consistent, reliable results.
Research from Ahrefs consistently shows that backlinks remain one of Google’s top three ranking factors. Both DA and DR measure the quality of your backlink profile, which is why both metrics correlate with organic traffic even though neither is a direct Google signal.
How to Check Domain Authority for Free
You can check Domain Authority for free using the Bulk DA PA Checker at BulkDapa.site. Enter up to 50 domains at once, click check, and get DA, Page Authority, Spam Score, Inbound Links, and Outbound Links for every domain in seconds. This is significantly faster than checking one domain at a time through Moz’s free plan, which is limited to 10 queries per month.
Most SEOs waste time checking domains one by one. When you are qualifying link-building prospects, researching competitors, or auditing a client’s backlink profile, you need to check dozens of domains at once. That is exactly what the Bulk DA PA Checker was built for.
From experience: A digital marketing agency I consulted for was using Moz’s free plan to check domains one at a time during outreach campaigns. It was taking their outreach coordinator over 4 hours per campaign just to qualify prospects. After switching to our free DA PA tool, they dropped that same task to under 20 minutes. They went from running 3 campaigns per month to 9, using the same team.
You can also explore the full range of free SEO tools on BulkDapa, including the Bulk Broken Link Checker and Meta Description Generator, to cover more of your workflow without paying for expensive subscriptions.
Key Facts About Domain Authority You Need to Know
Domain Authority is comparative, not absolute. It fluctuates with Moz index updates even when your site has not changed. It does not directly affect Google rankings. It is most useful for comparing sites against each other and for qualifying backlink prospects. A spam score above 30% from the same Moz tool is a red flag that should be investigated before you build any links from that site.
- DA is not a Google ranking factor. Google does not use Moz’s data in its algorithm.
- DA fluctuates regularly. Moz updates its entire index, which recalibrates all scores.
- 91% of web pages get zero organic traffic from Google, primarily due to lack of backlinks (Ahrefs). DA is the best quick signal for whether a site has the link authority to escape that statistic.
- 55.24% of pages have zero backlinks pointing to them (Ahrefs). Sites with backlinks have a massive natural advantage in DA and rankings.
- A spam score above 30% is considered high risk by Moz and should be a disqualifier when vetting link prospects.
- Websites with DA 50 and above are considered established and authoritative in most niches (Moz).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Domain Authority the same as Google PageRank?
A: No. Domain Authority is a metric created by Moz, a private SEO software company. Google PageRank was Google’s own link-based scoring system that was made public until 2016, when Google stopped updating the visible toolbar version. DA was designed to fill the gap PageRank left. They measure similar things, backlink quality, but they are entirely separate systems from different companies.
Q: How often does domain authority update?
A: Moz updates its link index continuously, and DA scores are recalculated roughly every 30 days. However, you may see your score change between updates because Moz recalibrates all scores against each other. A DA change does not always mean your backlink profile has changed. Always look at your actual links alongside your DA score for a complete picture.
Q: Can I increase my Domain Authority quickly?
A: Domain authority increases when you earn more high-quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites. There is no shortcut. Buying links violates Google’s guidelines and can trigger penalties. The fastest legitimate way to grow DA is through consistent link building, guest posting, digital PR, and creating linkable content assets. Most sites see meaningful DA growth within 3 to 6 months of sustained effort.
Q: How do I check domain authority for multiple sites at once?
A: Use the Bulk DA PA Checker at BulkDapa.site. You can enter up to 50 domains at once and get DA, Page Authority, Spam Score, Inbound Links, and Outbound Links for every domain in seconds. It uses Moz’s official API, so the data is the same as what you would get from Moz directly, with no monthly query limits for bulk checking.
Q: Does a low domain authority mean my site will not rank in Google?
A: Not necessarily. DA is a comparative metric, not an absolute ranking threshold. Many low-DA sites rank on page 1 for low-competition keywords with strong on-page SEO and relevant content. DA matters most in competitive niches where you are up against established, high-authority sites. For niche and long-tail keywords, content quality and search intent match often matter more than DA alone.
Start Checking Domain Authority for Free Today
If you have been guessing at website authority or spending hours checking domains one at a time, there is a faster way. The Bulk DA PA Checker lets you check up to 50 domains at once, completely free, with no login required.
Paste your list of domains, click the button, and get DA, PA, Spam Score, and full backlink metrics for every site in seconds. Whether you are qualifying link prospects, auditing competitors, or checking your own site, this tool cuts the work to a fraction of the time.
Visit BulkDapa’s free SEO tools to explore the full suite, including the Bulk Broken Link Checker, Meta Description Generator, and more. Or check out our SEO blog for more practical guides written from real client experience.
