What Is Domain Rating (DR)? Complete Guide to Ahrefs DR Score
Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' metric for backlink strength. Learn what DR is, how it's calculated, what a good DR score is, how to increase it, and how it differs from DA and TF.
What is Domain Rating?
Domain Rating (DR) is an SEO metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website's overall backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. The more high-quality referring domains that point to a site — and the stronger those referring domains themselves are — the higher the site's DR.
DR is logarithmic, meaning it's far easier to climb from 10 to 20 than from 70 to 80. A DR of 70 represents an exponentially stronger backlink profile than a DR of 60.
Importantly, DR measures backlinks only. It does not factor in on-page SEO, content quality, or traffic. It answers one question: how strong is this domain's link profile?
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How is DR Calculated?
Ahrefs calculates DR using a roughly three-step process:
- Count referring domains. Ahrefs looks at how many unique domains link to the target site. One link from a domain counts as one referring domain regardless of how many individual links it sends.
- Weight by the linking domains' own DR. A link from a DR 80 domain carries far more weight than a link from a DR 10 domain. DR is a "through-the-graph" metric — it flows from site to site.
- Apply a logarithmic scale (0–100). The raw weighted value is mapped to a 0–100 scale, with the strongest domains in the world anchored near 100.
Because DR depends on the DR of linking sites, the metric is naturally self-correcting: low-quality link farms don't pass meaningful DR because their own DR is near zero.
DR vs UR
Ahrefs has two commonly confused metrics:
- Domain Rating (DR) — measures the strength of an entire domain's backlink profile.
- URL Rating (UR) — measures the strength of an individual page's backlink profile.
A page on a high-DR domain (e.g., wikipedia.org/some-article) can have a low UR if few external sites link to that specific page. Conversely, a page on a low-DR domain can have a high UR if many strong sites link directly to it.
Rule of thumb: DR tells you about the site, UR tells you about the page. For evaluating whether to pursue a link from a site, DR is the right starting point. For estimating how much ranking power a specific page carries, look at UR.
What is a Good DR Score?
"Good" is relative to your niche and competitors. Use these bands as a rough guide:
| DR Range | Level | Typical sites |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20 | New / low | Brand-new sites, personal blogs, local businesses with no link building |
| 20–40 | Below average to average | Small business sites, new SaaS, niche blogs |
| 40–60 | Average to good | Established blogs, mid-size SaaS, regional publications |
| 60–80 | Strong | Well-known brands, major SaaS, large publications |
| 80–100 | Top-tier | The most authoritative domains globally (Google, Wikipedia, YouTube) |
The right question isn't "is my DR good?" — it's "is my DR competitive with the sites I'm trying to outrank?" A DR 35 is excellent if your competitors are DR 25–40, and weak if you're competing against DR 70 sites.
Check how your DR compares to competitors →
How to Increase Your DR
Because DR is purely about backlinks, the only way to raise it is to acquire stronger referring domains. Tactics that move DR:
- Earn links from high-DR sites. One link from a DR 75 domain can move your DR more than 50 links from DR 15 domains. Prioritize quality over quantity.
- Diversify referring domains. 100 links from 100 different domains beats 1,000 links from 5 domains. DR counts unique referring domains heavily.
- Create link-worthy content. Original research, data studies, free tools (like a DR checker), and comprehensive guides attract editorial links naturally.
- Do targeted outreach. Identify sites that link to competitors but not you, and pitch them your superior resource.
- Avoid low-quality links. Spammy directories, PBNs, and link exchanges don't just fail to help DR — they can drag down related signals and trigger Spam Score risk.
Patience is part of it. DR reflects the cumulative state of your link profile, so expect months, not days, between effort and movement.
DR vs DA vs TF
Three metrics are commonly used to assess a domain's authority. They come from different companies and measure different things:
| Metric | Maker | What it measures | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR (Domain Rating) | Ahrefs | Backlink profile strength | 0–100 |
| DA (Domain Authority) | Moz | Ranking potential (broader blend) | 1–100 |
| TF (Trust Flow) | Majestic | Trustworthiness of links | 0–100 |
They're complementary, not redundant:
- DR = how strong are the links (quantity + quality of referring domains)
- DA = how well could this site rank (Moz's blended prediction)
- TF = how trustworthy are the links ( Majestic's trust-based view)
A site can have a high DR but low TF if it has many links from untrusted sources. A site can have a modest DR but healthy DA if Moz sees ranking signals Ahrefs undervalues. The smart move is to check all three.
Common DR Misconceptions
"DR is a Google ranking factor."
No. DR is an Ahrefs metric. Google has its own link algorithms and does not consult Ahrefs' DR. DR correlates with rankings because strong backlinks help both DR and organic rankings — but the causation runs through the links, not the DR number.
"DR equals traffic."
No. A site can have DR 60 and minimal traffic if its links point to pages that don't rank. DR measures link strength, not visitors. A niche site with DR 25 can out-earn a DR 60 site if it ranks for commercial keywords.
"DR can only go up."
No. DR drops when you lose referring domains, when linking sites lose their own DR, or when Ahrefs recalculates its scale. Neglect your link profile long enough and DR will decline.
"DR and DA are the same."
No — see the table above. They use different data, different algorithms, and measure different things. The same site routinely has different DR and DA. Read our full breakdown: DA vs DR: what's the difference?
How to Check Your DR
You can check any domain's DR in seconds, free, with no sign-up:
- Go to the DR Checker.
- Enter the domain (e.g.,
yourdomain.com). - Click Check DR.
- Read the DR score alongside referring domains, traffic, and related metrics.
That's all there is to it. No subscription, no credit card, no limits.
FAQ
What is Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating is an Ahrefs metric from 0 to 100 that measures the strength of a website's overall backlink profile. The more high-quality referring domains pointing to a site, the higher its DR.
What is a good DR score?
It depends on your niche. DR 40–60 is average-to-good for established sites; 60+ is strong. The right benchmark is the DR of the sites you're competing with for your target keywords.
Is DR a Google ranking factor?
No. DR is an Ahrefs metric. It correlates with rankings because backlinks influence both, but Google uses its own algorithms, not Ahrefs' DR.
What's the difference between DR and DA?
DR (Ahrefs) measures backlink strength; DA (Moz) predicts ranking potential using a broader blend of signals. They use different data and algorithms, so the same site usually has different DR and DA. See DA vs DR.
How do I increase my DR?
Acquire more referring domains — especially from high-DR sites. Diversify your link sources, create link-worthy content, and avoid low-quality links. DR only moves with your backlink profile.
How do I check my DR?
Use our free DR Checker: enter your domain and click Check DR. The score returns in seconds.