What Is Domain Authority (DA)?

Quick answer: Domain Authority (DA) is a 0-100 score created by Moz that predicts how well a website might rank in search, based mainly on its backlink profile. Like Ahrefs’ DR, it is a third-party estimate, not a Google metric, and a high DA on its own does not prove a site has real traffic or that a link will help you.

What DA is trying to predict

Domain Authority was designed by Moz as a comparative prediction of ranking ability. Rather than measuring one raw quantity, it blends many link-based signals, such as the number of linking root domains and the total link count, into a machine-learning model trained to correlate with search rankings. The output is a single 0-100 number you can use to compare one site against another. You can read Moz’s own definition on moz.com. The key word is comparative: DA is best used to rank sites against each other, not as an absolute score of quality.

The 0-100 logarithmic scale

DA uses a logarithmic scale, so growth gets harder the higher you climb. Pushing a site from DA 20 to DA 30 is comparatively easy; moving from DA 70 to DA 80 is extremely hard because the top of the scale is anchored by the most-linked sites in the world. As with DR, this means you should never read a ten-point gap as a fixed percentage difference, and you should expect scores to wobble as Moz updates its model and re-crawls the web.

DA band	Typical profile	How to read it
1-19	New or thin sites	Little link history; common for fresh domains
20-39	Growing niche sites	Real content plus some earned links
40-59	Established publishers	A common comfort zone for guest-post targets
60-79	Authoritative sites	Recognised names in a vertical
80-100	Global-scale sites	Major media, platforms, institutions

Why DA is an estimate, not a verdict

DA is built from Moz’s crawl (its Link Explorer index), which is independent from both Google and Ahrefs. That independence is the point of quoting DA alongside DR, but it also creates the same caveats. Moz cannot see every link, its model changes over time, and, crucially, DA measures link signals rather than audience or content quality. A site can score well on DA while publishing almost nothing worth reading.

Because DA is link-driven, it can be manipulated. Pointing many low-quality links at a domain, or building a site on an expired domain that still holds old authority, can lift the number without adding a single real reader. Whenever DA looks surprisingly high for a site with little visible audience, assume the score is inflated until traffic data proves otherwise.

DA versus DR: same idea, different lab

People often ask which is “correct.” Neither and both. DA (Moz) and DR (Ahrefs) are two vendors’ attempts to summarise link strength on a 0-100 scale. They usually move in the same direction but rarely match exactly, because they crawl different portions of the web and weight signals differently.

	DA (Moz)	DR (Ahrefs)
Scale	0-100, logarithmic	0-100, logarithmic
Core input	Many link signals, ML-modelled to predict ranking	Referring domains weighted by their own strength
Data source	Moz Link Explorer index	Ahrefs crawl
Used by Google?	No	No

The practical takeaway: quote both if you can, but do not treat either as truth. For the companion explainer, see what is Domain Rating (DR).

How to use DA sensibly

Use DA the same way you use DR, as a fast filter that you then confirm with harder data:

Cross-check with organic traffic. A genuine DA 40 site should show real, sustained search traffic. If it does not, the DA is misleading.
Prefer relevance over a couple of points. A topically aligned DA 35 site usually beats an off-topic DA 55 site for your specific goal.
Read the site. Look for a coherent editorial focus, real authors, and posts that are not all sponsored.
Combine metrics. DA plus DR plus traffic paints a far more reliable picture than any single number.

Our directory shows third-party DA next to DR and estimated traffic so you can triangulate. Browse the full site directory, filter for high-traffic sites, and vet each candidate before you pitch. If you are buying placements, keep Google’s guidance in mind and use rel="sponsored" on paid links, as covered in our link insertion guide.

Does a high DA link improve rankings?

Sometimes, but only when the link is relevant, editorially earned, and on a page that real people visit. DA does not pass to your site the way PageRank does; it is a prediction, not a fuel gauge. A relevant link from a modest-DA site with genuine readers frequently outperforms a link from a high-DA site that sells to anyone. Do not buy a number; evaluate the whole site.

Page Authority: the page-level companion to DA

Moz also publishes Page Authority (PA), a 0-100 score that predicts the ranking strength of a single page rather than the whole domain. It matters for the same reason Ahrefs’ URL Rating does: a high-DA site can still host low-PA pages with little link equity of their own. When someone offers you a placement, the page your link will actually live on is what counts. A link on a strong, well-linked page beats a link on a weak, orphaned one, even when both sit on the same high-DA domain. So look past the site-wide badge and ask where, specifically, your link will appear.

Watch DA trends, not just the number

Because Moz recalculates DA as its index and model change, any one reading is a moment in time. The direction of travel is more informative. A site whose DA has climbed gradually while its organic traffic grew is likely earning real authority. A DA that jumped sharply with no matching rise in readership often reflects aggressive or purchased link building, which is a caution flag, not a bonus. When you shortlist a candidate, glance at its DA history and its traffic history together. Steady, correlated growth is the pattern you want; a sudden spike or a jagged rise-and-fall pattern suggests the score is being pushed rather than earned, and the site may not deserve the confidence the badge implies.

Frequently asked questions

Is Domain Authority used by Google?

No. DA is a Moz metric. Google does not use it and does not publish any single site-wide authority score. DA is a comparative estimate to help you shortlist and compare sites.

What is a good DA for a guest post?

There is no fixed threshold. Many campaigns target relevant sites in the DA 30-60 range that also show real organic traffic. A lower DA with strong topical fit can be worth more than a higher DA with none.

Why is my DA different from my DR?

Because Moz and Ahrefs use different crawls and models. The two scores estimate the same idea from separate data, so they rarely align exactly. Use both as cross-checks rather than expecting them to match.

Can Domain Authority be manipulated?

Yes. Low-quality link building and expired-domain tricks can inflate DA without adding real audience. Always confirm genuine organic traffic and relevance before trusting the score.

How often does DA change?

Moz recalculates DA periodically as its index and model update, so scores can shift even if your own links have not changed. Treat any single reading as a snapshot, not a permanent value.