How to check domain authority

The source of truth is Moz. Every DA number you see anywhere traces back to Moz's link index, either through their own site, their free MozBar Chrome extension, or a third party paying for API access.

Moz's free account gives you a limited number of queries per month. MozBar shows DA and PA inline on Google search results, which is the fastest way to size up a SERP. Checked August 2026, Moz Pro starts at $49 a month for unlimited checks plus their full toolset.

A one-off check tells you today's number and nothing else. DA only becomes useful as a series - you need the number from last month to know whether today's is good news.

RankPulse has a free checker at /check with no signup. Type a domain, get DA, PA, spam score and backlink count. It is rate-limited per IP per day to keep the API bill sane.

If you want the series rather than the snapshot, the paid side is $9 a month for 3 domains checked daily, with an email when a number moves. I built it because $99 a month for four numbers felt absurd, and it is the only thing it does.