Domain Rating (DR)

DR is calculated primarily from the quantity and quality of referring domains pointing to a site, weighted so that links from high-DR sites count for more. Because the scale is logarithmic, climbing from DR 20 to 30 is far easier than moving from 70 to 80. It is a relative, comparative metric, useful for sizing up prospects against each other rather than as an absolute measure of quality.

DR is one of the most widely cited numbers in link buying and prospecting, but it is a third-party estimate from Ahrefs, not a Google ranking factor. Treat it as a quick filter, then dig deeper. The page-level equivalent is url rating (UR), and Moz's comparable site-level metric is domain authority (DA).

Be aware that DR can be inflated. Sites can build large numbers of low-quality or spammy links to pump the score, so a high DR alone tells you little about relevance, real traffic, or whether a link will help you. Always pair DR with checks on organic traffic, topical fit, and spam score before paying for or pursuing a link.