> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.appeeky.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Backlinks

> Watch the links pointing at your app's site, get told when one disappears, and study any domain's backlink profile.

The **Backlinks** tab does two things. It **watches links you've earned**, re-checking each page so you know when a link is removed or changed. And it shows the **backlink profile** of any domain, yours or a competitor's, so you can see who links to them.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Requires a **Startup** or **Agentic Scale** plan and an [SEO project](https://docs.appeeky.com/docs/seo-overview.md). Watching links costs **0 credits**. A new backlink profile costs 2 API credits with an API key or MCP; see [Credits](https://docs.appeeky.com/docs/seo-overview.md#credits). In the dashboard: **SEO for Apps → Backlinks**.

***

## Watched links

Links get on the list in two ways:

* **Won outreach.** When you mark a [link building](https://docs.appeeky.com/docs/seo-link-building.md) thread won, the link is added and checked.
* **Added by you.** Add any page that links to you.

Each link is checked when it is added and again about once a week. You can re-check one at any time.

| Status | Meaning |
| - | - |
| `pending` | Not checked yet |
| `live` | The page links to your domain |
| `changed` | Still linked, but the anchor text or `rel` attributes changed, for example it became `nofollow` |
| `lost` | The link is gone, or the page returns 404 or 410 |

A link to any page on your domain counts, so a link to your homepage or one with a `?ref=` parameter is still `live`. A temporary error, like a 5xx, doesn't mark a link lost; it keeps its last status and records the error.

| Method | Endpoint | Description |
| - | - | - |
| GET | `/v1/seo/backlinks?project=` | List watched links (`?status=`; `?limit=` 1–500, default `100`; `?offset=`) |
| POST | `/v1/seo/backlinks` | Add a link and check it |
| POST | `/v1/seo/backlinks/:id/verify` | Re-check a link now |
| DELETE | `/v1/seo/backlinks/:id` | Stop watching a link |

### Add a link

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
curl -X POST https://api.appeeky.com/v1/seo/backlinks \
  -H "X-API-Key: $APPEEKY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "projectId": "PROJECT_ID",
    "sourceUrl": "https://example.com/best-focus-apps",
    "targetUrl": "https://focustimer.app"
  }'
```

| Field | Type | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `projectId` | string | Required |
| `sourceUrl` | string | Required. The page that contains the link |
| `targetUrl` | string | Your URL it points to. Default: the project's website, or its store listing |

Response (`201`):

```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
{
  "data": {
    "backlink": {
      "id": "BACKLINK_ID",
      "sourceUrl": "https://example.com/best-focus-apps",
      "sourceDomain": "example.com",
      "targetUrl": "https://focustimer.app",
      "status": "live",
      "httpStatus": 200,
      "anchorText": "Focus Timer",
      "relAttributes": [],
      "error": null
    }
  }
}
```

***

## Backlink profile

A backlink profile shows who links to a domain: an authority rank (0–100), total backlinks, referring domains and IPs, nofollow and broken links, a spam score (0–100, higher is spammier), the top referring domains, the most used anchors, a sample of the strongest backlinks (one per domain) and the mix of top-level domains.

Run it on your own site to see where you stand. Run it on a competitor to find sites that link to apps like yours, then add them as [prospects](https://docs.appeeky.com/docs/seo-link-building.md#prospects).

| Method | Endpoint | Description |
| - | - | - |
| GET | `/v1/seo/domain/backlinks?project=&domain=` | The latest stored profile and recently checked domains. Free |
| POST | `/v1/seo/domain/backlinks` | Fetch a profile: `projectId`, optional `domain`, optional `refresh` |

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
curl -X POST https://api.appeeky.com/v1/seo/domain/backlinks \
  -H "X-API-Key: $APPEEKY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "projectId": "PROJECT_ID", "domain": "competitor.com" }'
```

Leave out `domain` to use the project's website. Profiles are stored for 24 hours per project: asking again within that window returns the stored one with `cached: true` and costs nothing. Send `refresh: true` to fetch a new one.

***

## MCP

| Tool | Description |
| - | - |
| `seo_backlinks_list` | Watched links with status, anchor text and `rel` |
| `seo_backlinks_add` | Watch a link you found yourself |
| `seo_backlinks_verify` | Re-check a link now |
| `seo_backlinks_remove` | Stop watching a link |
| `seo_backlink_profile` | Backlink profile for your site or a competitor's |

Example prompt: *"Show me competitor.com's top referring domains and tell me which ones don't link to focustimer.app yet."*

***

## Tips

* Check `changed` links. A link that turned `nofollow` passes less value than it did.
* If a link is `lost`, reach out to the site owner. It is often an accidental edit.


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