DataForSEO Brain

Backlinks Bulk Metrics (Capability)

4 min read

Backlinks Bulk Metrics (Capability)

The Backlinks bulk endpoints return headline link metrics (rank, spam score, backlink count, referring domains, new/lost, and a full page summary) for up to 1000 targets in a single request, so you can score a whole list of domains in one call instead of one call per target. Sits under DataForSEO Brain → Concepts.

Overview

The bulk family is the cost-efficient sibling of the detailed cap-backlinks-api. Instead of a deep profile for one target, each bulk endpoint takes a targets array (up to 1000 entries) and returns one row of metrics per target. This is the right tool for screening a large prospect list, scoring all competitors at once, or refreshing a dashboard of tracked domains. All endpoints are Live POST calls under /v3/backlinks/bulk_{metric}/live; since 2026-07-01 they are pay-as-you-go with no Backlinks add-on or activation step.

What it covers

  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_ranks/live - PageRank-style rank (0-1000 or 0-100) per target.
  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_spam_score/live - spam_score (0-100) per target.
  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_backlinks/live - total backlinks count per target.
  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_referring_domains/live - referring domains with nofollow and main-domain breakdowns.
  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_new_lost_backlinks/live - new and lost backlinks over a time period (up to a 365-day window).
  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_new_lost_referring_domains/live - new and lost referring domains, with main-domain breakdowns.
  • /v3/backlinks/bulk_pages_summary/live - a full per-URL metric block (rank, counts, TLDs, link types, platform types, countries) for up to 1000 items but max 100 distinct domains.

Key parameters / inputs

fieldnotes
targetsrequired array; up to 1000 targets per call; domains/subdomains without https://, pages as absolute URLs
rank_scaleone_hundred or one_thousand (bulk_ranks, bulk_pages_summary)
date_fromyyyy-mm-dd for new/lost endpoints; default 30 days prior; minimum 365 days prior
include_subdomainsinclude subdomains; default true (bulk_pages_summary)
taguser-defined task identifier, max 255 chars

Response / what you get back

Each endpoint returns a compact, target-keyed row. bulk_ranks returns target and rank; bulk_spam_score returns type, target, spam_score; bulk_backlinks returns target, backlinks, items_count. bulk_referring_domains adds referring_domains, referring_domains_nofollow, referring_main_domains, referring_main_domains_nofollow. The new/lost endpoints return new_backlinks / lost_backlinks or new_referring_domains / lost_referring_domains (plus main-domain variants). bulk_pages_summary is the richest, returning url, rank, main_domain_rank, backlinks, first_seen, lost_date, backlinks_spam_score, broken_backlinks, referring_domains, referring_ips, referring_subnets, referring_links_tld, referring_links_types, referring_links_platform_types, and referring_links_countries.

Cost & method notes

  • Live/synchronous and pay-as-you-go. In the 2026-06-26 cost log, bulk_ranks and bulk_spam_score returned status 40204 with cost: 0.0 while the module was still gated. After the 2026-07-01 pay-as-you-go move, bulk_ranks was re-probed on 2026-07-08 and returned 20000 Ok with real data in .raw/sources/dataforseo-research/backlinks/fixtures/bulk_ranks-live.json.
  • The economic case: one bulk call covers up to 1000 targets, versus 1000 separate per-target calls. At the 2000 calls/min and 30-simultaneous ceiling, bulk keeps you well under rate limits and cuts request count by up to 1000x. See cap-queue-priority-cost-model and dec-cost-control-strategy.

When to use / how it fits

Reach for bulk metrics when you have a list and want a score, not a deep profile: prospect screening, competitor scoreboards, and the early “score everything” step of play-backlink-audit and play-competitor-gap-analysis. When a single target then needs a deep dive, switch to cap-backlinks-api. This pattern is a worked example in play-cost-optimized-pipeline; route jobs via dec-which-api-for-which-job.

A typical sequence is: run bulk_ranks and bulk_spam_score across the full candidate list to triage, drop low-rank or high-spam targets, then run bulk_referring_domains and bulk_new_lost_referring_domains on the survivors to judge link velocity. Only the shortlist that clears those gates is worth a per-target backlinks pull. The targets array accepts a mix of domains, subdomains, and page URLs in one call, so a single request can score competitors and individual landing pages together.

Gotchas / limits

  • The 1000-target cap is per call, but bulk_pages_summary additionally caps at 100 distinct domains even when 1000 items are submitted.
  • New/lost windows cannot exceed 365 days; the default lookback is 30 days.
  • No subscription gate remains; bulk endpoints are usable on pay-as-you-go accounts.
  • Metrics are DataForSEO model estimates; benchmark against ent-ahrefs and ent-semrush before treating thresholds as absolute.
  • rank_scale defaults differ from what a dashboard might show; set one_hundred or one_thousand explicitly so scores are comparable across runs.
  • Bulk endpoints return one summary row per target, not the underlying links, so a target flagged by bulk_spam_score still needs the per-target backlinks endpoint to see which links drive the score.

Sources

Graph View

Backlinks