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Free Backlink Monitor

Find out in seconds whether your backlinks are still live, still dofollow and still on pages Google can index. Paste the pages that link to you and we check each one.

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One page per line, or paste anything: a spreadsheet column, a CSV, an email. We pull out the links.
  • Free, no signup
  • Up to 20 pages in seconds
  • Your list stays in your browser

What we check

Six checks on every page, in one pass

Your link is still there

We read the page and find every link pointing to your domain, including your subdomains.

Dofollow or not

We read nofollow, sponsored and ugc on each link, plus any page-wide robots rule.

Google can index the page

A noindex tag or an X-Robots-Tag header means the page, and your link, will not count.

The page still exists

Pages that now return a 404 or 410, or redirect to the homepage, are flagged.

Where the link sits

In the article itself, or in the navigation, header, footer or a sidebar.

The anchor text

The exact words that link to you, so you can see when an editor changed them.

Statuses

What each result means, and what to do next

A backlink only helps when three things are true at once: it is on the page, it is followable, and Google is allowed to index that page. Each status tells you which of the three broke.

  • Live

    Dofollow link on a page Google can index.

    Nothing to do. This link passes value. Check it again next month.

  • Nofollow

    The link is there, but tagged nofollow, sponsored or ugc.

    It can still send visitors, but it passes little or no ranking value. If it was meant to be an editorial link, ask the publisher whether the attribute was added by mistake.

  • Not indexed

    The link is there, but the page asks Google not to index it.

    A link on a noindex page is unlikely to help your rankings. Ask the publisher whether the noindex tag is intentional.

  • Link missing

    The page loads, but your link is no longer on it.

    Send the publisher the page address and your original link, and ask for it back. If it was removed on purpose, replace it with a link from another site.

  • Page gone

    The page returns a 404 or 410 error.

    The page was deleted or moved. Ask the publisher to redirect it to a page that keeps your link, or replace the link.

  • Couldn't check

    We could not read this page automatically.

    Open the page and look for your link yourself.

Backlink management

How to manage your backlinks without a spreadsheet habit

  1. 1

    Keep one list

    Track every link in one place: the page, the page it points to, the anchor text, the date it went live and what it cost. Paste that list here whenever you want a status check.

  2. 2

    Check on a schedule

    Monthly is enough for most sites. Check new and paid placements more often in their first months, while the publisher is still editing the page.

  3. 3

    Act within a week

    When a link drops, email the publisher with the page address and the original link. Many removals are accidents: a redesign, a CMS migration, an editor tidying up old posts.

  4. 4

    Replace, don’t chase

    If a link is not back after one follow-up, spend that time earning a new one. A steady flow of new links matters more than any single one you lost.

Wondering how many links you actually need? Read our guide.

With Outrank

Or never check a link by hand again

Outrank places links to your site inside real articles on blogs with Google traffic, then watches every one of them for you.

  • Every placement is verified on the live page after it publishes.
  • It is re-checked every 2 days for 90 days.
  • If a link drops, the publisher gets 7 days to restore it.
  • If it does not come back, your credits are returned automatically.
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See how placements work

Placements

856 credits left this month

blog1.example

DR 62

Live248

blog2.example

DR 51

Scheduled204

blog3.example

DR 44

Verifying176

blog4.example

DR 57

Lost228

FAQ

Backlink monitor FAQ

Everything worth knowing before your first check.

Is the backlink monitor really free?
Yes. There is no signup and no card. You can check up to 20 pages at a time, and there is a fair hourly limit per visitor so the tool stays fast for everyone.
How does it check a backlink?
We load each page the way a search engine first sees it, without running JavaScript. Then we look for every link to your domain, read its rel attribute, and check the page for a noindex tag, an X-Robots-Tag header and a canonical pointing elsewhere.
Can it find every backlink to my site?
No. It checks the pages you give it. To find the pages that link to you, use the Links report in Google Search Console, which is free, or your own link-building records. Then paste that list here.
Why does a page say "Couldn't check"?
Some sites block automated visits, some only build their content with JavaScript, and some are slow or down. In those cases we would rather say so than guess. Open the page and look for your link yourself.
What is the difference between dofollow, nofollow, sponsored and ugc?
A dofollow link is a normal link and can pass ranking value. Nofollow, sponsored and ugc are hints that ask Google not to pass value through the link. Those links can still bring visitors, but they help rankings far less.
How often should I monitor my backlinks?
Once a month is enough for most sites. Check new and paid links more often in their first months. Your last check is saved in this browser, so you can come back and re-check with one click.
What should I do when a backlink disappears?
Email the publisher with the page address and your original link, and ask whether the removal was intentional. If the link does not come back after one follow-up, replace it with a link from another site.
Does Outrank monitor the links it builds for me?
Yes. Every placement is verified on the live page after it publishes, then re-checked every 2 days for 90 days. If a link is removed and not restored, your credits are returned automatically.
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Stop checking links. Start getting new ones.

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