What is a backlinks API?

An API that returns the links pointing at a domain, the domains they come from, the anchor text used and how the profile changes over time, as structured data. It lets a product or an agency run link audits, prospecting and reporting without a manual tool.

Can I check backlinks for any domain, including competitors?

Yes. The endpoints take any domain, subdomain or URL. No site verification is needed.

What is the AI-cited flag on referring domains?

Honeyb tracks which domains AI engines cite when they answer buyer questions. Each referring domain in the backlinks API carries a flag for whether it is one of them. Links from those domains are the ones that also influence AI answers.

How fresh is the backlink data?

The index is refreshed continuously, and each link carries first seen and last seen dates so freshness is visible per row. The new-lost endpoint reports changes over a chosen window.

How is the backlinks API priced?

Per row returned for list endpoints and per domain for summary and bulk calls, from a credit balance of prepaid credits. No subscription.

Honeyb API. Backlinks API.

The backlinks API for any domain, in bulk.

Q: Is there a bulk backlink checker endpoint?

Yes. The bulk endpoint returns rank and referring-domain counts for up to a thousand domains per request, for prospect lists and audits.

Backlink lists, referring domains, anchor text, new and lost links and a domain rank score, for your domains or anyone else's, with the AI-citation status of each source alongside. Usage-based, no subscription.

Early access. The endpoints below are the launch contract; request access to be on it first, and use the AI answer endpoints today.

See all API lines

Any domain

your own, a client's or a competitor's, no verification needed

Bulk

rank and referring-domain counts for thousands of domains in one call

Cited by AI

each linking domain flagged if AI engines cite it in answers

What it returns

The link profile, plus which links AI engines trust.

Summary metrics for any domain, the full backlink list with source URL, target URL, anchor, link attributes and first and last seen dates, referring domains with their own rank, anchor distribution, and the new and lost view over any window. Every referring domain also carries a flag for whether AI engines cite it in answers, which turns a link audit into a source strategy.

Fresh and historical. Live links, lost links and the date each changed. Windows from 7 days to 12 months.
Filters and sorting. Filter by anchor, attribute, domain rank, country or first seen. Sort by any field. Page through millions of rows.
Bulk endpoints. Rank and referring-domain counts for a list of domains in one request, for prospect scoring and audits.

GET /api/platform/v1/backlinks/summary?target=acme.com

{

"target": "acme.com",

"domain_rank": 412,

"backlinks": 18443,

"referring_domains": 1207,

"referring_domains_new_30d": 41,

"referring_domains_lost_30d": 17,

"dofollow_share": 0.71,

"top_anchors": ["acme", "acme project management", "acme.com"],

"ai_cited_referring_domains": 86

}

Endpoints

Summary, lists, anchors, changes, bulk.

The backlink endpoints are read endpoints on Honeyb's link index. Point them at any domain, subdomain or URL.

GET/api/platform/v1/backlinks/summary

Domain rank, backlink and referring domain counts, dofollow share, top anchors and the AI-cited referring domain count.

GET/api/platform/v1/backlinks/list

Every backlink with source, target, anchor, attributes and dates. Filterable, sortable, paged.

GET/api/platform/v1/backlinks/referring-domains

Referring domains with rank, link count, first seen and the AI-cited flag.

GET/api/platform/v1/backlinks/anchors

Anchor text distribution with counts and referring domains per anchor.

GET/api/platform/v1/backlinks/new-lost

Links gained and lost over a window, for alerts and reporting.

POST/api/platform/v1/backlinks/bulk

Rank and referring-domain counts for up to a thousand domains in one request.

Build with it

What teams build on backlink data.

Link audits at scale

Pull a client's full profile, flag toxic patterns by anchor and attribute, and export the disavow candidates from one endpoint.

Prospecting

Score a list of prospect domains by rank, referring domains and whether AI engines cite them. The AI-cited flag is the one that predicts answer visibility.

Competitor link intersection

Referring domains that link to competitors and not to the client, sorted by rank. A standard report, one call per competitor.

Alerts

New links from high-rank domains, lost links from important pages. The new-lost endpoint is built for a daily poll.

Why it holds up

Why this backlinks API earns its place.

The AI-cited flag

A referring domain that AI engines cite in answers is worth more than its rank suggests. No other link index reports it.

Usage-based

Pay per row returned, not per seat or per project. Run a big audit this month and nothing next month.

Same account, same key

One key covers backlinks, rankings, keywords, SERPs and AI answers. Fewer vendors in the stack, one invoice.

Pricing

Priced per result.

Backlink endpoints are billed per row returned, with summary and bulk calls priced per domain, from a credit balance of prepaid credits. No subscription. Volume pricing for agencies and platforms.

Platform pricing

FAQ