Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are Moz-created metrics that estimate a website’s and a page’s ability to rank in search results. They are scored on a scale of 1 to 100 and widely used by link builders, SEOs, and content marketers to assess the value of potential backlink sources. This roundup covers the best DA and PA checker tools in 2026, including free and paid options, bulk checkers, and browser extensions, so you can quickly evaluate sites before committing to outreach or publishing.
- Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are Moz-created metrics scored 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate stronger ranking potential but they are not Google ranking factors
- DA and PA are most useful for comparing sites relative to each other and for vetting backlink targets, not for predicting exact ranking positions
- For single-site checks: Moz’s own tool gives the most accurate DA data. For bulk checking 10 to 100+ sites: Prepostseo, SmallSEOTools, or GuestPostLinks are faster
- Always check DA alongside spam score and actual organic traffic. High DA with zero organic traffic is a red flag for link building purposes
- Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) is a competing metric that measures purely the strength of a domain’s backlink profile. Many link builders use DA and DR together for a fuller picture
What Are Domain Authority and Page Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are metrics developed by Moz to estimate how well a website or a specific page is likely to rank in search engine results. DA measures the overall ranking strength of an entire domain, while PA measures the ranking potential of a single page on that domain. Both are scored on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate stronger authority.
An important clarification: DA and PA are third-party metrics created by Moz. They are not ranking factors used by Google. Google uses its own internal PageRank algorithm, which is not publicly accessible. DA and PA function as useful proxy metrics for comparing sites and evaluating backlink quality, but they should always be used alongside organic traffic data, spam score, and topical relevance rather than treated as definitive measures of a site’s value.
For the complete guide to interpreting these metrics in a link building context, see our link building metrics guide. For an in-depth comparison of DA versus Ahrefs’ Domain Rating, see our domain authority vs domain rating guide. For context on what different DA scores mean in practice, see our domain authority ranking benchmarks guide.
DA/PA Checker Tools: Quick Comparison
Tool Reviews: What Each One Is Best For
Once you know the DA of sites you want links from, Linkscope’s guest posting service provides placements on pre-verified publishers with full DA, DR, and traffic data before any payment. Evaluate the exact site before committing.
How to Use DA and PA Effectively in Link Building
The most common mistake when using DA and PA tools is treating them as the only metric that matters for evaluating a backlink opportunity. DA measures the strength of a domain’s backlink profile, not the quality of its editorial standards, the relevance of its content, or the size of its actual audience. For link building purposes, always combine DA with these additional checks.
For the complete guide to evaluating backlink quality beyond just DA and PA, see our how to check backlink quality guide. For the full suite of link building tools that work alongside DA checkers, see our link building tools roundup. For the best dedicated backlink analysis tools, see our best backlink checker tools guide.
