Spam Score Checker

The free spam score checker shows two numbers for any domain: the spam score of the domain itself, and the average spam score of the sites linking to it. Both come from DataForSEO's backlink index and run from 0 to 100%. Lower is better.

What spam score means

Spam score is a model's guess at how closely a site resembles the sites search engines treat as spam. DataForSEO scores each page on signals it doesn't fully publish, then averages those scores across the domain. The second number, the backlinks spam score, averages the scores of the pages that link to the domain. That's where a clean site with a messy link profile shows up.

When to check it

• Before you take a link. Check a directory, guest post site or link seller before you submit or pay. If a site that sells links has a high score, walk away.
• Before you disavow. If your own backlinks spam score jumps, find the sources and decide whether they belong in the disavow file generator.
• When you vet a directory list. Pair it with the free Domain Rating checker. A high DR plus a high spam score usually means a link farm.

Its limits

Spam score is a third-party estimate. Google doesn't publish it and doesn't use it. New sites with few links can score oddly in either direction, and plenty of legitimate sites sit at a medium score. Use it to decide where to look, then judge the site by hand: is it indexed, does it have real content, and who else does it link to?

If you'd rather skip the vetting, our directory submission service only submits to directories we've checked by hand, and we never sell paid links. Read why in should you buy backlinks.