Domain Authority is a score that predicts how well a website will rank in search results, from 1 to 100

Domain Authority (DA) is a number between 1 and 100 that estimates how likely a website is to appear near the top of Google search results. It is not a Google metric — Google does not publish it — but a prediction made by Moz, a search engine software company. A website with a DA of 70 will generally rank higher than one with a DA of 30, all else being equal.

The score is based on how many other websites link to it, how authoritative those linking sites are, and how long the domain has existed. A new website starts at DA 1. An established news outlet or university might have a DA of 60 or higher. Most small business websites fall between 20 and 50.

Domain Authority matters because it affects whether your own website will be found in search results. If you are trying to decide whether to link to a website, or whether to trust information on it, DA gives you one quick signal about how established it is. It is not a measure of truthfulness or quality — a high-DA website can publish false information — but it does tell you the site has been around long enough and linked to enough that search engines take it seriously.

Key Takeaways

  • Domain Authority ranges from 1 to 100 and is calculated by Moz, not Google, based on how many other sites link to a domain.
  • You can check any website's DA for free using the Moz Toolbar browser extension or by visiting the Moz Link Research Tool website.
  • A DA of 40 or higher generally means the site has been established for years and has built a reputation in search results.
  • High Domain Authority does not mean the information is accurate — it only means the site ranks well and is widely linked to.

How to check Domain Authority using free tools

The fastest way is to install the Moz Toolbar, a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. Once installed, you visit any website and the toolbar shows you the DA in the top right corner of your screen. The number updates as you navigate to different pages. This takes about 30 seconds to set up and works offline.

If you do not want to install an extension, visit moz.com/tools/seo-toolbar and click "Free SEO Toolbar". Follow the prompts for your browser. After installation, reload the page you want to check and the DA will appear in a small box.

A second option is the Moz Link Research Tool at moz.com/link-research. Type or paste the website URL into the search box and click the search button. The tool shows DA, Page Authority (how a single page ranks), and a list of websites that link to it. This method does not require installation but shows fewer details than the toolbar.

Both tools are free for basic use. Moz offers paid plans that show more detailed linking data, but the free version is enough to see the DA score itself.

What Domain Authority scores actually mean

The scale is not linear. Moving from DA 10 to DA 20 is much easier than moving from DA 60 to DA 70. This is because the score is based on a logarithmic scale — each point higher requires exponentially more links from authoritative sources. A brand-new website will have a DA of 1. After a few months of regular content and some incoming links, it might reach DA 5 to 10. Reaching DA 30 typically takes one to two years of consistent work.

Here is a rough breakdown: DA 1–10 means the site is very new or has almost no incoming links. DA 10–30 is typical for small local businesses, new blogs, or niche websites. DA 30–50 is common for established small businesses, regional news outlets, and popular blogs. DA 50–70 is typical for well-known companies, major publications, and universities. DA 70+ is reserved for household names like Wikipedia, BBC, or Amazon.

Your own website's DA matters if you are trying to rank in search results. If your site has a DA of 15 and you are competing against sites with DA 40 or higher, you will need much better content or more links to rank above them. If you are straightforward reading a website to learn something, DA tells you whether the site has been around long enough to build trust in search engines — but it does not tell you whether the information is correct.

Why links from other websites determine Domain Authority

Domain Authority is built on the idea that if many websites link to you, you must be worth linking to. Google's original ranking system, called PageRank, worked the same way. A link from another site is treated as a vote of confidence. A link from a high-DA site counts as a stronger vote than a link from a low-DA site.

This system works reasonably well for established websites but has a weakness: it takes time to build. A new website with genuinely useful information will rank poorly at first because it has no links yet. A ten-year-old website with mediocre information will rank higher because it has accumulated links over time. This is why new websites often struggle in search results for the first year or two, even if the content is good.

The system also means that Domain Authority can be artificially inflated. If someone buys links from link-selling services, or if a website publishes low-quality content that attracts links from spam sites, the DA may rise without the site becoming more trustworthy. This is why DA is a useful signal but not a perfect one.

How Domain Authority differs from Page Authority and other metrics

Page Authority (PA) is similar to DA but measures a single page instead of an entire domain. A website might have a DA of 45, but one particular article on that site might have a PA of 35 because it has fewer links pointing to it. When you use the Moz Toolbar, you see both numbers — DA for the whole site and PA for the specific page you are viewing.

Other tools measure similar things with different names. Ahrefs, a paid competitor to Moz, uses Domain Rating (DR) instead of DA. SEMrush uses Authority Score. All of them are based on the same idea — counting links and estimating search ranking potential — but the numbers are not directly comparable. A site with Moz DA 50 might have an Ahrefs DR of 45. The tools use different math, so the scores do not line up.

Google itself does not publish a public Domain Authority score. Google uses hundreds of ranking factors internally, and link quality is only one of them. Moz's DA is a third-party estimate of how Google might rank a site, not a direct measure of what Google actually does.

When Domain Authority matters and when it does not

Domain Authority matters most if you run a website and want to improve your search ranking. If your DA is 15 and you want to compete with sites at DA 40, you need a strategy to build links — either by creating content so good that other sites link to it naturally, or by reaching out to relevant websites and asking them to link to you. Knowing your DA tells you roughly how much work that will take.

Domain Authority also matters if you are deciding whether to link to a website from your own site. If you link to a low-DA site with poor information, it can slightly hurt your own ranking. If you link to a high-DA site with good information, it signals to search engines that you are pointing to trustworthy sources. This is why news outlets and academic sites are careful about what they link to.

Domain Authority does not matter if you are straightforward reading a website to learn something. A website with DA 20 can have completely accurate information. A website with DA 80 can publish false claims. DA only tells you how well the site ranks in search results, not whether the information is true. If you are fact-checking something, check the sources cited on the page, not the DA score.

How to improve your own website's Domain Authority

Domain Authority grows slowly and only through legitimate means. The main method is to create content that other websites want to link to. This might be original research, a useful tool, a guide, or an article that solves a problem people search for. When other websites find your content valuable, they link to it, and your DA rises.

A second method is to reach out to websites in your industry and ask them to link to you. This works best if you have something genuinely useful to offer — a tool, a resource, or an article that complements what they already publish. Cold emails asking for links rarely work. Emails that say "I found your article on X, and I wrote something that adds to it — here is the link" work better.

A third method is to build relationships with other website owners, journalists, and bloggers in your field. When they know who you are and what you publish, they are more likely to link to you naturally. This takes time but is the most sustainable approach.

Avoid buying links or using link-building services that promise to boost your DA quickly. Google penalizes websites that use these tactics, and your ranking can drop suddenly. Domain Authority grows slowly because it is meant to reflect genuine reputation, not purchased authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a website have high Domain Authority but still be untrustworthy?

Yes. Domain Authority only measures how well a site ranks in search results, not whether the information is accurate. A high-DA website can publish false claims, outdated information, or biased reporting. Always check the sources cited on a page and cross-reference important facts with other sources, regardless of the site's DA score.

Does Domain Authority change quickly?

No. Moz updates DA scores roughly once a month, and the score itself changes slowly. A website might gain one or two DA points per month if it is building links steadily. Sudden jumps in DA are rare and usually mean the site received links from many high-authority sources at once, such as being featured in major news outlets.

Is Domain Authority the same as Google's ranking system?

No. Domain Authority is Moz's estimate of how Google ranks websites, based on publicly available link data. Google uses hundreds of ranking factors that Moz cannot see, including user behavior, content freshness, and mobile-friendliness. A site with high DA will usually rank well, but DA is not a perfect predictor.

What is a good Domain Authority score for a new business website?

A new website typically starts at DA 1 and might reach DA 10 to 15 within the first year if you publish regularly and build some links. DA 20 to 30 is a realistic goal for a small business after two to three years of consistent effort. Do not expect high DA quickly — the score is designed to reward established, linked-to websites.

Can I check Domain Authority on my phone?

The Moz Toolbar works on mobile browsers for Chrome and Firefox, though the interface is smaller. The Moz Link Research Tool website also works on mobile — just visit moz.com/link-research and type in the URL. Both methods show the same DA score as the desktop version.