Your backlink count is the number of individual links pointing to your website. I cannot see your current count without your website domain or access to an SEO tool.
This guide was checked on. For context, 50 backlinks can come from one referring domain or from 50 different websites.
The Fastest Free Way to Check Your Backlinks
Use Google Search Console
- Open Google Search Console.
- Select your verified website property.
- Open Links.
- Go to External links.
- Review:
- Top linked pages
- Top linking sites
- Top linking text
Google Search Console shows backlinks that Google has discovered pointing to your website. You can export the available link data as a CSV file or Google Sheet.
Important Limitation
Google Search Console does not provide a complete, permanent list of every backlink. Google says the Links report is a sample of known links. It may combine duplicate links and include links that have since been removed.
Which Backlink Checker Should You Use?
Google Search Console is the best starting point for a free check of your own website. Ahrefs and Semrush are useful when you need backlink research, competitor comparisons or lost-link tracking.
| Tool | Best for | What it shows | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Checking your own website for free | Linking sites, linked pages and anchor text | The report is not comprehensive |
| Ahrefs | Detailed backlink research | Backlinks, referring domains, anchor text and page-level data | Free access requires site verification and limits visible results |
| Semrush | Backlink analysis and competitor comparisons | Total backlinks, referring domains, link attributes and source-page data | Its count comes from the Semrush crawler database |
Ahrefs provides backlink reports for verified websites, with up to 1,000 backlinks visible at once on its free account.
Semrush's free Backlink Checker reports total backlinks, referring domains, anchor text and link attributes.
Backlinks and Referring Domains Are Different
A backlink is an individual link from another webpage to your website. A referring domain is a unique website that links to you.
For example:
- 50 backlinks from one website equal 50 backlinks but only 1 referring domain.
- 50 backlinks from 50 different websites equal 50 referring domains.
Referring domains can give you a clearer view of how many separate websites reference your content. A high backlink total from one domain does not have the same profile as links from many different domains.
Why Backlink Tools Show Different Numbers
Backlink tools show different totals because they use different crawlers, databases, filters and definitions of a backlink.
Google Search Console reports links Google has found. Ahrefs and Semrush use their own web-crawling databases. Each tool may discover, count or remove links at a different time, so no single number is universally accurate for every website.
To assess your backlink profile, compare:
- Total backlinks
- Referring domains
- Links to important pages
- New and lost backlinks
- Follow and nofollow attributes
- Anchor text
- Relevance and quality of linking websites
The Best Answer for Your Website
Start with Google Search Console for a free, first-party report. Then compare its result with Ahrefs or Semrush if you need a larger backlink database, competitor research or lost-link tracking.
Your exact backlink count depends on the tool you use and the date of the report. Your referring domain count often gives more context than the raw backlink total.