Authority Checker
Check a domain's Open PageRank score, indexed page count, and HTTPS status — all the key authority signals in one view.
- Go to searchapi.io and click Sign up
- Register with your email — no credit card needed for the free plan
- Go to Dashboard → API Key and copy your key
- Paste below — saved in your browser so you only do this once
Open PageRank (OPR)
A free, open-source domain authority metric scored 0–10. Based on the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to the domain. 0–2 = new or weak site. 3–5 = established site. 6–7 = strong authority. 8–10 = major brand / media site. Similar concept to Moz DA and Ahrefs DR, but free.
Indexed pages
Estimated number of pages Google has indexed for this domain via the site: operator. The number is approximate and can fluctuate. A sudden large drop (e.g. 1,000 → 50 pages) is a red flag indicating a penalty, noindex issue, or crawl problem. Compare against your sitemap submission count in Search Console.
HTTPS
HTTPS is a confirmed Google ranking signal and a trust indicator. Sites without HTTPS show a "Not secure" warning in browsers. If your site isn't on HTTPS, contact your hosting provider — most offer free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt.
Using authority for competitor research
Check competitor domains before targeting their keywords. If a competitor has OPR 7+ and 50,000+ indexed pages, they have significant authority. You'll need strong content and backlinks to outrank them. Low-authority competitors (OPR 0–3) are much easier to beat.
Building authority
OPR and similar metrics improve by earning quality backlinks — links from relevant, authoritative sites. Guest posting, digital PR, and creating link-worthy resources (tools, data, guides) are the most reliable long-term strategies. Buying links violates Google's guidelines.
Link building prospecting
Before reaching out for a guest post or link exchange, check the target site's OPR. Sites with OPR 3+ are worth pursuing. OPR 0–1 sites may have low authority and won't move the needle. Also check indexed pages — a site with only 5 indexed pages is likely low quality.