What a do-follow backlink checker does
A do-follow backlink checker is a tool that finds links pointing to your website and tells you which ones pass authority to your site. Not all backlinks work the same way — some are marked as "do-follow" (they count toward your site's ranking potential) and others are marked "no-follow" (search engines ignore them for ranking purposes). A backlink checker shows you the difference, so you know which links actually matter for your search visibility.
These tools crawl the web to find mentions of your domain and report back what they find. They show you the source page, the anchor text used, and whether each link is do-follow or no-follow. Some checkers also estimate how much authority each backlink passes to your site, though these estimates vary between tools.
Key Takeaways
- Do-follow backlinks pass ranking authority to your site, while no-follow backlinks do not — a backlink checker tells you which is which.
- Free checkers like Google Search Console and Ahrefs Free show your backlinks but have limits on how many they display or how often you can check.
- Paid tools like Semrush, Moz, and Ahrefs give you more detailed reports, competitor backlink data, and the ability to track changes over time.
- The tool you choose depends on your budget and whether you need to monitor competitors or just understand your own backlink profile.
Using Google Search Console to find your backlinks
Google Search Console is free and shows you backlinks that Google has found pointing to your site. Log in with your Google account, select your property, and go to Links in the left menu. You will see a list of the top linking sites, the pages they link to, and the anchor text they use.
The limitation is that Google Search Console does not label links as do-follow or no-follow — you have to check the source page yourself to see the link code. It also shows only a sample of your backlinks, not the complete picture. For a full view, you need a dedicated backlink checker.
Free backlink checkers with do-follow detection
Ahrefs Free lets you check up to three domains per month. Enter your domain, and it shows your top backlinks with do-follow and no-follow status clearly marked. The report includes the referring domain, the specific page linking to you, and the anchor text. You cannot see the full list of all backlinks in the free version, but you get enough to understand your strongest links.
Ubersuggest offers a free backlink overview that shows your top referring domains and marks each as do-follow or no-follow. The free tier is limited to one report per day, but it gives you a quick snapshot of your backlink health. Backlink Checker by Small SEO Tools is another free option that shows do-follow status, though it displays fewer results than paid tools.
Free checkers work well if you want a quick look at your backlinks once or twice a month. If you need to track changes, monitor competitors, or dig into detailed reports, a paid tool is more practical.
Paid tools that show detailed do-follow backlink data
Semrush shows all backlinks pointing to your site with do-follow and no-follow status, the authority score of each referring domain, and the date the link was found. You can filter by link type, sort by authority, and export reports. Semrush also lets you check your competitors' backlinks, which helps you understand where they are getting links from.
Moz Link Explorer displays your backlinks with spam score, domain authority, and do-follow status. It highlights your strongest links and flags suspicious ones. Ahrefs (paid version) is the most comprehensive — it crawls the web more frequently than other tools, so it finds backlinks faster and shows a larger total number of links to your site.
All three tools let you set up alerts so you know when new backlinks appear. They also track how your backlink profile changes over time, which matters if you are building links intentionally or recovering from a penalty.
What to look for in your backlink report
When you run a backlink check, focus on do-follow links first — these are the ones that move the needle for your search rankings. Look at the authority of the referring domain (higher is better) and whether the link is relevant to your topic. A do-follow link from a high-authority site in your industry is worth far more than ten no-follow links from random sites.
Check the anchor text too. If the link uses keywords related to your content, it sends a stronger ranking signal than generic text like "click here." Also look for links from sites that send you actual traffic — a backlink that brings visitors is more valuable than one that does not.
Flag any backlinks from low-quality or spammy sites. If you have many of these, they can hurt your rankings. Most backlink checkers mark suspicious links with a spam score or warning, so use that as a guide for which ones to investigate further.
Comparing backlink checker results between tools
Different tools find different backlinks because they crawl the web at different speeds and depths. Ahrefs typically finds the most backlinks overall because it crawls more frequently. Semrush and Moz find fewer total links but prioritize quality and authority. Google Search Console shows only the links Google has indexed.
This means the total backlink count will vary depending on which tool you use — that is normal and expected. What matters is consistency within a single tool. If you use Semrush to track your backlinks, keep using Semrush so you can see whether your link count is growing or shrinking over time. Switching between tools makes it hard to track real progress.
Using backlink data to improve your site's authority
Once you know which backlinks you have, use that information to find gaps. If your competitors have backlinks from sites you do not, those are potential targets for outreach. Look for do-follow links from high-authority sites in your niche and see if you can earn similar links through guest posts, partnerships, or resource pages.
Also audit your existing backlinks. If you find low-quality or spammy links pointing to your site, you can disavow them in Google Search Console to tell Google to ignore them. This protects your site from being penalized by bad links you did not earn yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see all my backlinks for free?
No tool shows your complete backlink profile for free. Free checkers like Ahrefs Free and Ubersuggest show your top backlinks and a sample of others, but they hide the full list behind a paywall. Google Search Console is free but also shows only a sample. For the complete picture, you need a paid tool.
What is the difference between do-follow and no-follow backlinks?
A do-follow backlink passes ranking authority from the linking site to your site, which helps your search visibility. A no-follow backlink tells search engines to ignore the link for ranking purposes. Both can bring you traffic, but only do-follow links improve your search rankings.
How often should I check my backlinks?
Check your backlinks once a month if you are actively building links, or once a quarter if you are just monitoring. New backlinks take time to appear in tools, so checking more frequently than that usually shows the same results. If you use a paid tool with alerts, you will be notified automatically when new links appear.
Do backlinks from social media count as do-follow?
Most social media links are marked no-follow by default, so they do not pass ranking authority. However, they can still drive traffic to your site and increase visibility. Some social platforms like LinkedIn may use do-follow links in certain contexts, but this is not the primary value of social sharing.
What should I do if I find spammy backlinks pointing to my site?
Use Google Search Console to disavow the links. Go to Links, then Disavow Links, and upload a file listing the URLs you want to disavow. Google will ignore those links when calculating your rankings. Only disavow links that are clearly low-quality or from spammy sites — disavowing legitimate links can hurt your rankings.