Google Search Console shows you which websites link to yours
Google Search Console is the main place to see backlinks pointing to your site. A backlink is simply another website's link to one of your pages. Google Search Console displays these links for free, organized by which of your pages they point to, which site they come from, and what text the link uses.
You need a Google account and ownership verification of your site to access this data. Once you're in, the Links report shows backlinks in real time — though Google may take weeks to discover and display newly created links. This is different from third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, which charge money but sometimes show links Google hasn't indexed yet.
Key Takeaways
- Google Search Console's Links report displays all backlinks Google has found pointing to your site, grouped by source domain and anchor text.
- You must verify ownership of your site in Google Search Console before you can view backlink data.
- The report updates regularly but lags behind real time — newly created links may take weeks to appear.
- You can filter backlinks by the page they point to, making it easier to see which of your content attracts the most external links.
- Google Search Console is free, but shows only links Google has crawled and indexed, not every link that exists on the web.
Set up Google Search Console if you haven't already
Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with your Google account. If this is your first time, click the blue "Start now" button. Google will ask you to choose between two verification methods: URL prefix (simpler, works for most sites) or domain property (more advanced, covers all subdomains).
For URL prefix, paste your website's full address — for example, https://www.example.com — exactly as it appears in your browser. Google will then ask you to verify you own the site. The fastest method is usually adding a small piece of code to your site's HTML header, uploading an HTML file to your server, or adding a DNS record through your domain registrar. Follow Google's on-screen instructions for whichever method matches your setup.
Once verification is complete, Google Search Console will begin collecting data about your site. It takes a few days for the backlinks report to populate with meaningful numbers, especially for newer sites.
Find the Links report in Search Console
After you're logged into Google Search Console and have selected your site, look for the left sidebar menu. Click on Links — you'll see it listed under the "Growth" section. This opens the Links report, which displays four main sections: Top linking sites, Top linked pages, Top linking text, and More details.
The report shows data from the last 90 days by default. Each section is clickable — you can expand any row to see more detail. For example, clicking on a domain name under "Top linking sites" shows you every page on that domain that links to you.
Understand what each section tells you
Top linking sites shows which domains send the most backlinks to your site, ranked by count. This helps you spot which external websites mention you most often. A domain appearing here doesn't mean those links help your search ranking equally — Google weighs link quality differently based on the linking site's own authority and relevance.
Top linked pages shows which of your own pages receive the most backlinks. If one page has far more links than others, it signals that content is getting external attention. This can help you decide what topics to write about next or which pages deserve more internal linking from your own site.
Top linking text displays the anchor text — the clickable words — that other sites use when linking to you. If most links say "click here" or your brand name, that's different from links that say "how to fix a leaky faucet" or other descriptive phrases. Descriptive anchor text can signal to Google what your pages are about.
More details opens a table where you can see individual backlinks, the exact page they point to, and the anchor text used. This is where you spot low-quality links, spam, or links from sites you didn't expect.
Export your backlink data for tracking
At the top right of the Links report, you'll see a download icon (it looks like a downward arrow). Click it to export the data as a CSV file, which opens in Excel or Google Sheets. This is useful if you want to track backlinks over time, share the data with a team, or analyze it outside Google Search Console.
The exported file includes the linking domain, the specific page on your site that was linked to, the anchor text, and the date Google discovered the link. You can sort and filter this data in a spreadsheet to spot trends — for example, which domains link to you most often, or whether your backlinks are growing month to month.
Disavow low-quality or spam backlinks
If you see backlinks from spammy, irrelevant, or suspicious sites, you can tell Google to ignore them using the Disavow Links tool. This is in the same Links section — look for "Disavow links" at the bottom of the page. Click it, then upload a text file listing the domains or URLs you want Google to disregard.
Use disavow carefully. It's meant for links you genuinely cannot remove yourself — for example, spam comments on forums you don't control, or links from hacked sites. Do not disavow links from competitors or sites you simply don't like. If a backlink is from a legitimate site but you want it removed, contact the site owner and ask them to delete it instead.
After you submit a disavow file, Google may take weeks to process it. You can upload a new file anytime to add more domains or remove previous disavows.
Know what Google Search Console doesn't show
Google Search Console only displays backlinks that Google has crawled and indexed. This means newly created links may not appear for weeks, and some links on the web may never show up if Google doesn't find them. The report is also limited to links Google considers "valid" — it filters out obvious spam and some low-quality links automatically.
If you need to see backlinks faster or find links Google hasn't discovered yet, third-party tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz maintain their own link databases and update more frequently. These tools charge a monthly fee but can be worth it if you're doing serious SEO work or competing in a high-stakes industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see any backlinks in Google Search Console?
New sites take time to accumulate backlinks. If your site is less than a few months old, Google may not have found any links yet. If your site is older and still shows no backlinks, it may mean no other websites have linked to you — this is common for brand-new or very small sites. Check that you've verified ownership correctly and that Google has crawled your site.
How often does Google Search Console update backlink data?
Google Search Console updates the Links report regularly, but the exact timing varies. New links can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to appear. The report is not real-time, so if you just created a backlink, don't expect to see it immediately.
Can I remove a backlink I don't want?
You cannot directly remove a backlink from Google Search Console. You must contact the website owner and ask them to delete the link. If they don't respond or the site is abandoned, you can use the Disavow Links tool to tell Google to ignore it, though this doesn't remove the link itself from the web.
Do all backlinks help my search ranking equally?
No. Google weighs backlinks by the authority and relevance of the linking site. A link from a well-known, trusted site in your industry helps more than a link from a small, unrelated site. Links with descriptive anchor text also signal more value than generic text like "click here."
What's the difference between Google Search Console and third-party backlink tools?
Google Search Console is free and shows only links Google has found. Third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush maintain separate databases and often find links faster, but they cost money. For most small sites, Google Search Console is enough. Larger sites or competitive industries may benefit from a paid tool.