Domain Authority API

Definition

An API endpoint that returns domain-level authority metrics including backlink counts, referring domains, trust scores, and estimated ranking power for a given domain.

In Depth

Domain authority APIs serve as the programmatic backbone for SEO tools, link building platforms, and competitive intelligence systems. These endpoints accept a domain name and return metrics estimating that domain's ability to rank in search engines. The most common metrics include: domain authority/rating (a 0-100 score), total backlinks (raw link count), referring domains (unique linking sites), trust flow (link quality assessment), and organic traffic estimates. Major providers include Moz (Domain Authority), Ahrefs (Domain Rating), Majestic (Trust Flow), and newer entrants offering SERP-derived alternatives. Pricing models vary significantly: Moz charges per-lookup credits, Ahrefs requires expensive subscriptions, and DataForSEO offers bulk domain data at $0.0006-0.002 per lookup. An alternative approach uses SERP positioning as a proxy for domain strength. By querying competitive keywords through APIs like Scavio and observing which domains consistently rank, you derive authority signals from actual Google behavior rather than proprietary estimates. This SERP-derived approach costs $0.005/query and correlates more directly with ranking outcomes since it measures what Google actually rewards. Production integrations typically batch domain lookups, cache results for 7-30 days (authority changes slowly), and combine multiple signals rather than relying on any single proprietary score. The most reliable implementations cross-reference proprietary metrics with observed SERP performance.

Example Usage

Platforms

Domain Authority API is relevant across the following platforms, all accessible through Scavio's unified API:

• Google

Related Terms