What is Domain Rating (DR)?
Also called: DR, Domain Authority, DA
Short answer
A 0–100 score estimating how strong a website’s backlink profile is, published by Ahrefs; Moz’s equivalent is Domain Authority.
Domain Rating is logarithmic, not linear. Moving a site from DR 20 to DR 30 is ordinary; moving it from DR 80 to DR 90 is close to impossible. That is why the gap in price between a DR 50 and a DR 80 outlet is far wider than the numbers suggest.
It measures links, not readership. A site can hold a high DR with little real traffic, which is exactly why our directory shows traffic separately rather than letting one number stand for quality.
Why it matters
It is the number most placement sellers quote and the easiest to inflate. Always read it next to monthly traffic and the date the figure was last checked.