How to Check Moz DA Score in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

What Moz DA is and Why It Matters in 2026

Moz Domain Authority (DA) remains one of the most referenced third-party metrics to estimate how well a website can rank in search engines. Even in 2026, DA is not a Google ranking factor—it’s a comparative score calculated by Moz using a machine-learning model trained on link data, domain age, content quality signals, and Moz’s own web-crawl data. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating a greater ability to rank.

For content teams, DA is primarily useful in three ways:

• Competitive benchmarking – Compare your site against top performers in your niche before launching campaigns.
• Link-building prioritization – Focus outreach on domains with DA 30+ because those backlinks carry more weight.
• Content audits – Identify thin or outdated pages by correlating low organic traffic with low DA domains linking to them.

In 2026, Moz still refreshes its index every 3–4 weeks. The company has moved from a single DA score to a “DA Suite” that includes DA, Spam Score, and Linking Domains graphs. You can still use the classic 0–100 DA for most decisions, but the suite gives finer granularity when you need it.

Where to Check Moz DA in 2026

Moz has consolidated all metrics under moz.com/products/seo-tools. The official endpoints are:

1. Web Interface (DA Suite) Navigate to moz.com/domain-analysis, enter any domain or subdomain, and view DA, Spam Score, and the Linking Domains chart. You do not need an account to see DA for the top 10 results, but deeper history requires a Moz Pro or Moz API subscription.

2. Moz API v2 (DA Endpoint) The REST endpoint is https://api.moz.com/domain-authority/v2. Send a POST with a JSON body { "targets": ["example.com"] }. The response includes DA, Spam Score, and last-crawl date. Rate limits are 20 requests per second for Pro users, 5 for free.

3. Browser Extensions MozBar (Chrome/Edge/Firefox) still shows DA on SERPs and on-page. In 2026, the extension now surfaces DA Suite mini-charts when you hover a link.

4. Third-party dashboards SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Sitebulb import Moz DA via their “Link Research” modules. You can export a CSV of DA scores to cross-reference with your own rankings.

Step-by-Step: How to Check DA for a Single Domain

1. Open moz.com/domain-analysis.
2. Type the domain (no protocol).
3. Press Enter.
4. Read the DA score next to the domain name at the top of the report.
5. Scroll to “Linking Domains” to see the count and DA distribution of referring pages.

Quick tip: If you want to check a subdomain separately (e.g., blog.example.com), prefix it explicitly: blog.example.com.

Bulk DA Lookups in 2026

When you need DA for hundreds or thousands of domains, manual entry is impractical. Here are the supported bulk methods:

Using Moz API v2 (Recommended)

curl -X POST https://api.moz.com/domain-authority/v2 \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(echo -n 'ACCESS_ID:SECRET_KEY' | base64)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"targets": ["example.com", "example.org", "blog.example.com"]}'

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {"target": "example.com", "da": 78, "spam_score": 2, "last_crawl": "2026-05-12"},
    {"target": "example.org", "da": 41, "spam_score": 8, "last_crawl": "2026-05-10"},
    {"target": "blog.example.com", "da": 33, "spam_score": 5, "last_crawl": "2026-05-11"}
  ]
}

Notes:

• Replace ACCESS_ID:SECRET_KEY with your Moz Pro credentials.
• The payload is limited to 200 domains per request.
• For >200 domains, split into batches of 200 and add a 1-second delay between batches to avoid 429 errors.

Using Google Sheets + IMPORTJSON

Install the free IMPORTJSON add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace. In cell A2, enter:

=IMPORTJSON("https://api.moz.com/domain-authority/v2", "$.results[?(@.target == '"&A2&"')].da")

Drag the formula down; each cell will fetch the DA for the domain in column A.

Using the Moz API in Python

import requests, pandas as pd, time

api_url = "https://api.moz.com/domain-authority/v2"
auth = ("ACCESS_ID", "SECRET_KEY")
chunks = pd.read_csv("domains.csv", chunksize=200)

results = []
for chunk in chunks:
    payload = {"targets": chunk["domain"].tolist()}
    resp = requests.post(api_url, json=payload, auth=auth).json()
    results.extend(resp["results"])
    time.sleep(1.1)  # respect rate limit

df = pd.DataFrame(results)
df.to_csv("da_scores_2026.csv", index=False)

Using SEMrush or Ahrefs Bulk Analysis

1. Upload a CSV of domains.
2. Select “Backlinks” or “Domain Analysis” module.
3. Export the merged CSV containing DA (and additional metrics).

How to Interpret DA in 2026

DA is best used comparatively, not in absolute terms.

• DA 0–20: New or low-authority sites. Backlinks here add little ranking power.
• DA 21–40: Niche blogs, small businesses. Good for local SEO, not for competitive head terms.
• DA 41–60: Established publishers, mid-size SaaS. Links from these domains can move the needle on mid-tail keywords.
• DA 61–80: Industry leaders, university sites, large media. High-impact backlinks.
• DA 81–100: Google, Wikipedia, government sites. Extremely rare to acquire natural links from these.

Spam Score (0–17 in 2026) is now more predictive than ever. If a DA 70 domain has Spam Score 12+, treat the link as risky—Moz’s model considers it a “toxic” backlink in many verticals.

Practical Workflows That Use DA

1. Competitive Gap Analysis Before Launching a Campaign

• Pull DA for the top 20 ranking domains for your target keyword.
• Plot DA on a histogram; if 70% of top pages have DA ≥ 70, your new content needs backlinks from similarly high-DA domains.
• Prioritize guest posts on sites whose DA is within 10 points of the current top performers.

2. Link-Building Prospect Ranking

1. Use Ahrefs or Majestic to export domains linking to competitors.
2. Feed the list into the Moz API bulk endpoint.
3. Filter for DA ≥ 30 and Spam Score ≤ 3.
4. Sort by “Referring Domains” descending—high DA + high referring count = best prospects.

3. Content Migration & Redirect Planning

When migrating content, preserve links where the referring domain has DA ≥ your site’s DA. If the target domain DA is lower, add internal links from high-DA pages to compensate.

4. SEO Audits of Acquired Sites

During due diligence, run a DA Suite scan:

• DA drop > 15 points in the last 6 months → investigate algorithmic changes or toxic links.
• Spam Score > 7 for > 20% of linking domains → plan a disavow before acquisition.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them in 2026

• Ignoring crawl date: DA is only as fresh as Moz’s last crawl. Always check the last_crawl field; if it’s older than 60 days, the score may be stale.
• Comparing across industries: A DA 50 in legal is harder to earn than a DA 50 in gaming. Always benchmark within verticals.
• Over-relying on DA: Moz themselves warn that DA is not a ranking factor. Use it to prioritize, not to decide.
• Spam Score inflation: Some PBN networks now artificially lower Spam Score to lure link buyers. Cross-check with Majestic Trust Flow or Google’s disavow file.
• Subdomain vs. root domain: Always decide whether you care about the root (example.com) or a specific subdomain (blog.example.com). The DA can differ significantly.

Checking DA for Subdomains and Subdirectories

Moz treats subdomains as separate domains. To check a subdomain:

1. Use the web interface: blog.example.com
2. Use the API: set "targets": ["blog.example.com"]
3. Use MozBar: hover any link on blog.example.com; the DA shown is for the subdomain.

Subdirectories (example.com/blog/) are not scored separately—Moz attributes all link equity to the root domain. If you need subdirectory-level metrics, use Ahrefs or Google Search Console instead.

Automating DA Checks in Your SEO Stack

Zapier / Make.com

Create a scenario that triggers on new backlinks discovered by Ahrefs, then calls the Moz API and appends DA to the CRM record.

Google Apps Script

function updateDA() {
  const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActive().getSheetByName("Backlinks");
  const domains = sheet.getRange("A2:A").getValues().flat().filter(String);
  const auth = "ACCESS_ID:SECRET_KEY";
  const url = "https://api.moz.com/domain-authority/v2";

  domains.forEach(domain => {
    const payload = JSON.stringify({ targets: [domain] });
    const options = {
      method: "post",
      headers: { Authorization: "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode(auth) },
      payload,
      muteHttpExceptions: true
    };
    const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, options);
    const data = JSON.parse(response.getContentText());
    sheet.getRange(`C${sheet.getLastRow()}`).setValue(data.results[0].da);
    Utilities.sleep(1200); // 20 requests per minute
  });
}

Airtable + Make.com

Sync your backlink database with Airtable, then run a Make.com scenario every Monday that enriches new records with DA and Spam Score via the Moz API.

Troubleshooting API Errors

Error Code	Meaning	Fix
401	Invalid credentials	Double-check ACCESSID and SECRETKEY format.
403	Rate limit exceeded	Wait 60 seconds and retry; upgrade plan if needed.
429	Too many requests	Implement exponential back-off or reduce batch size.
500	Moz internal error	Retry after 5 minutes; contact Moz support if persistent.

Security and Compliance in 2026

• Rotate API keys every 90 days.
• Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager or Google Secret Manager, never in code.
• Log requests to detect unusual spikes that may indicate credential theft.
• Respect robots.txt—Moz complies, so avoid aggressive parallel requests.

Final Steps: Build a DA-Centric Workflow

1. Inventory all domains you care about (your own sites, competitors, prospects).
2. Schedule a weekly or biweekly bulk DA lookup via API.
3. Store results in a data warehouse or spreadsheet with historical snapshots.
4. Alert when DA drops ≥ 10 points in a 30-day window.
5. Combine DA with other signals (organic traffic, referring domains, Spam Score) to prioritize link-building.
6. Review quarterly to recalibrate your DA benchmarks as the web evolves.

By treating Moz DA as one lens among many, you avoid tunnel vision while still leveraging Moz’s decade of link-graph research. In 2026, the smartest SEOs automate the grind, keep the metric in context, and let the data—not the score—drive decisions.