Debug: DB lookup batches (click to expand)
| Domain | Spam Score |
Risk |
|---|
How it works
The Spam Score Checker reads its data from a local copy of Moz's Spam Score dataset, refreshed monthly. No live crawl, no upstream API call, no API key required for the lookup. Each row returns the domain's current Spam Score (0-100) and a short plain-English risk label.
What feeds the score. Moz computes Spam Score from ~27 signals across the domain and its inbound links, including link-graph diversity, anchor-text patterns, followed-vs-nofollow ratios, certain TLDs, low-trust metrics, and other markers commonly associated with spam sites. Higher score = more signals present, not a Google penalty, but a useful triage indicator.
Single mode processes one domain inline. Bulk mode queues up to 100 domains on your plan and processes them in the background, sortable + filterable so you can find the riskiest ones in your list quickly.
Canonical resolution. When you enter example.com, we look up both that and www.example.com, and return whichever has the higher Domain Authority (we tiebreak by DA rather than Spam Score so we don't accidentally hide a problem on the more-trafficked variant).
Known limitations.
- Snapshot, not live. Each row reflects Moz's most recent crawl-cycle for that domain. Newly-published links or recent disavow actions won't show until the next refresh.
- No-data rows. Domains that are very new, very low-traffic, or have no inbound links may not appear in Moz's index. Such inputs return a no data row.
- Not a Google signal. Spam Score is Moz's third-party estimate, not a Google penalty or ranking factor. Use it as one input in a broader evaluation, not as proof of anything Google has done.
What the columns mean
- Domain
- The canonical variant of the domain you submitted. We pick the variant with the higher Domain Authority as the tiebreak (not the cleaner Spam Score, which would hide problems on more-trafficked variants).
- Spam Score
- Moz's 0-100 measure of how many spam signals the domain shows. Tiered with three color badges:
Good (0-30), low spam signal density. Most healthy sites.
Medium (31-60), some signals present, worth investigating.
Bad (61-100), many signals, generally avoid as a link source. - Risk explanation
- A short server-supplied label that summarizes the score's implication ("Low / Medium / High risk, N spam signals"). Mirrors the badge tier so the row reads at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Moz Spam Score?
Moz's Spam Score is a 0-100 rating that estimates how many spam signals a domain shows. It's calculated from ~27 flags Moz tracks across the web, things like low MozTrust, low link diversity, suspicious anchor-text patterns, an unusual ratio of followed vs nofollowed links, the presence of certain TLDs, and so on. A higher score means more signals are present. It's NOT a Google penalty score, it's Moz's own modeled signal, useful as a triage tool when auditing a backlink profile or evaluating a potential outreach target.
What is a good spam score for a website?
The conventional tiering is:
- 0-30, low risk. Most healthy, established sites fall here. No action needed.
- 31-60, medium risk. Some spam signals present. Worth investigating if the site is linking to yours or you're considering it as a guest-post target.
- 61-100, high risk. Many spam signals. Generally avoid acquiring backlinks from these domains; consider disavowing if they're already linking at you.
Don't treat the score as a hard penalty threshold. A score of 35 on an otherwise authoritative site (good DA, real traffic, relevant content) can be fine; a score of 25 on a brand-new site with no organic traffic deserves a second look.
How do I check the spam score of a website?
Enter the domain (e.g. example.com) in the box above and click Check. We return its Spam Score along with a short risk explanation. Use bulk mode to audit a list of backlink sources or potential outreach targets in one submission, you can then sort by Spam Score descending to surface the riskiest domains first.
How do I reduce my domain's spam score?
Spam Score is computed by Moz from signals across your domain and its inbound links, you can't directly "lower" it, but you can address the underlying signals:
- Audit your inbound backlinks via the Backlinks Checker. Identify links from high-Spam-Score domains and consider disavowing them through Google Search Console.
- Improve your link diversity: a healthy backlink profile draws from many independent domains, not the same few sources repeating.
- Reduce anchor-text manipulation: avoid having a high concentration of exact-match commercial keywords as anchor text. Natural anchors mix brand names, generic phrases ("click here", "read more"), and varied keyword phrases.
- Build legitimate authority: high DA, real traffic, and quality content all reduce a domain's Spam Score over time.
Changes take effect on Moz's next refresh cycle (roughly monthly).
Is Spam Score the same as a Google penalty?
No. Spam Score is Moz's third-party estimate of how spammy a domain looks based on signals they can observe; it has no direct connection to Google's ranking algorithm or manual actions. Google has its own internal anti-spam systems (SpamBrain, manual reviewer actions, link-spam detection) that are not visible from outside. A high Moz Spam Score doesn't mean the site has been penalized by Google, and a low Moz Spam Score doesn't mean it's safe. Use Spam Score as one input in a broader evaluation, not as proof of anything Google has done.
Should I disavow backlinks from high spam score domains?
Not automatically. Google's own guidance has shifted toward "we're good at ignoring spam links, you don't need to disavow as often as you used to". Use disavow strategically:
- Disavow when you see a clear pattern of paid links, link-network footprints, or a sudden velocity spike of low-quality links you didn't earn.
- Don't bother with one-off high-Spam-Score links from random domains, especially when your overall backlink profile is healthy. Google likely already discounts them.
- Always investigate before disavowing. A 65 Spam Score on a niche directory that's been linking at you for years and drives real referral traffic is different from a 65 Spam Score on a Russian PBN that just appeared.
Why does the Spam Score Checker show "no data" for my domain?
Each row reads from Moz's reference dataset. Domains that are very new, very low-traffic, or have no inbound links at all may not appear in that dataset, so we return a "no data" row. This is most common for sites under a few months old, very small personal blogs, and subdomains that aren't linked-to from elsewhere. Recheck the same domain in 30-60 days, once Moz's crawler picks it up, a real score will surface.
How often is the spam score updated?
Moz refreshes its index roughly monthly, so any changes you make (cleaning up bad inbound links, building new high-quality ones, improving site authority) take effect on the next refresh cycle. We mirror Moz's data after each refresh. So expect to wait at least 4-8 weeks to see a Spam Score change after taking action.