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Free Backlink Checker & Citation Explorer

Explore backlinks, referring domains, dofollow links, and domain authority for any website with live index data. Free instant backlink check.

Also known as: Backlink checker, referring domains

Evidence shown with sourceNo account requiredNo invented metrics

Run a real check above

Submit a public URL, domain, or keyword. Novaverb will show only the evidence this tool can actually retrieve or measure.

Evidence model

Know what the result proves

This domain-level check reports only the fields available from the current live index. A complete backlink summary may include link and referring-domain totals, relationship data and an index authority score; a web-wide graph fallback reports observed referring domains only and leaves unsupported fields unavailable.

1. Source

Live backlink index. The result identifies where its evidence came from.

2. Boundary

Totals come from a live backlink index for the exact domain you enter. Novaverb never estimates authority or link counts from unrelated data; the full link-level list opens in a free workspace.

3. Next action

Use the finding to verify a problem, then connect a workspace when you need history, monitoring, or site-wide analysis.

What does a backlink checker measure?

A backlink is a link from another website to a page on your domain. This checker reports only the fields available for the exact domain. A complete backlink-index result can include link totals, referring domains, follow status and authority; a web-wide domain-graph result reports observed referring domains and leaves unavailable fields blank.

How to read the numbers

Total backlinks: every external link pointing to the domain; one site can contribute many links, so this number alone can be misleading.
Referring domains: the unique websites that link to it. Link diversity matters more than a big raw total.
Dofollow domains: referring domains with at least one followed link - the ones that can pass authority.
Domain authority: a 0–100 score built from link strength. It is a comparison signal, not a Google ranking.

What to improve next

Earn relevant, editorial links to your important pages. Watch for spammy patterns, reclaim broken-link opportunities, and track new referring domains over time instead of chasing a single total.

What this free check does not prove

It does not show every link on the web, prove a link is valuable, measure a Google penalty, or replace a full link audit.

Go deeper in your workspace

A free account opens the full profile: source pages, anchor text, target URLs, dofollow status, and new vs. lost links over time.

Get the right answer

What to submit - and what to avoid

Submit a public domain or URL. The checker normalises it to a domain-level target, so a path does not become a page-level backlink report. Reading an unavailable field as zero or an index score as a search-engine metric is the misreading this section is designed to prevent.

Use it like this

yourdomain.comAny address form works - we normalize to the domain. http or https, with or without www, a bare domain or a full path - we normalize it for you.

https://www.yourdomain.com/pagePaste a full URL if you like - backlinks are a domain-level signal, so we roll it up to the domain automatically.

Avoid this

Expecting per-page backlinksThis public result is normalized to a domain-level target; it is not a page-level backlink inventory.

Public methodology

Exactly how this result is produced

A bounded, cached summary is requested first. When that source is unavailable, the checker may use an independently observed web-wide referring-domain graph. The result carries its evidence type, and fields that the active source did not measure remain unavailable rather than being inferred from another total.

We normalize the target and query a live backlink summary for it.
When a complete summary is unavailable, we may fall back to an observed referring-domain graph.
We label the active evidence type and leave link totals, relationship shares or authority unavailable when that source did not measure them.

Built on public standards

The international standards this check applies

HTML link-relation vocabulary explains relationship fields when the active source provides them. Novaverb does not combine incompatible backlink totals and referring-domain observations, because each source answers a different question and no web-wide link index is complete.

WHATWGrel types

HTML link relation types

Explains relationship fields only when the active backlink source provides them.

Read the specification

We list a standard only where this tool genuinely reads or measures against it. Where a signal is outside a live check, the result says so instead of implying coverage.

Common questions

Backlink Checker FAQ

What does the Backlink Checker show?

It reports a domain's backlinks, referring domains, dofollow domains, an estimated domain authority score, and the top referring domains, pulled from a live backlink index for the exact domain you enter.

What is a backlink?

A backlink is a link from one website to another. Search engines treat relevant, trusted backlinks as endorsements, so they are a major off-page signal influencing how authoritative and rankable a domain appears.

What's the difference between backlinks and referring domains?

Backlinks count every individual link pointing to you; referring domains count the unique websites those links come from. One domain can send many backlinks, so referring domains often better reflect link diversity.

What is a dofollow link?

A dofollow link passes ranking signals to the target, unlike a nofollow link which asks search engines not to pass them. The tool reports how many referring domains link to you with dofollow links.

What is domain authority?

Domain authority is an estimated 0 to 100 score predicting how well a domain may rank based on its backlink profile. It is a third-party estimate, not a search engine's official ranking metric.

Why do backlinks matter for SEO?

Backlinks from relevant, trustworthy sites act as votes of confidence that can lift a domain's visibility and rankings. A diverse profile of quality referring domains generally signals more authority than raw link volume alone.

How many referring domains do I need?

There is no fixed number; it depends on your niche and competitors. Quality and relevance outweigh quantity, so a handful of trusted, topical domains can outperform many low-value ones. Compare against sites ranking for your terms.

Does Novaverb estimate these numbers?

No. Totals come from a live backlink index queried for the exact domain you enter. Novaverb never estimates authority or link counts from unrelated data, so the figures reflect that domain specifically.

Can I see the full list of individual backlinks?

This free check reports summary totals and top referring domains. The complete link-level list, every URL and anchor, is available as a free Novaverb workspace feature for deeper analysis.

How do I improve my backlink profile?

Earn links from relevant, reputable sites through useful content, digital PR, and genuine outreach, prioritizing dofollow links from diverse referring domains. Avoid low-quality or paid link schemes that search engines may discount or penalize.

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