You can check a thousand sites with Python, but “domain authority” is not a universal metric, and processing 1,000 targets does not necessarily mean making 1,000 API requests—or paying for only 1,000 rows. Ahrefs documents a Python API route for its Domain Rating (DR) metric and allows up to 100 targets per Batch Analysis request, so a thousand targets require at least ten batches at that maximum. Whether that is a pay-per-use alternative depends on the endpoint’s unit costs and your API plan.
Choose the metric before choosing the Python route
“Domain authority” is often used as shorthand for a domain-level backlink-strength score. Providers calculate their own metrics: Moz has Domain Authority, Ahrefs has Domain Rating, and Serpstat has Domain Rank. They are not interchangeable scores. If you use Ahrefs’ endpoint below, label the result as Ahrefs DR—not generic “DA.”
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Ahrefs describes DR as a relative, logarithmic score from 0 to 100 based on backlink-profile strength, including referring domains and the strength of linking sites. A score is not an absolute grade: Ahrefs says, “Domain Rating is a relative metric by definition.” The company also says DR is not a Google ranking factor. Use it as one comparative backlink indicator, not as a prediction of rankings or a complete assessment of a site. Consider link quality, topical relevance, organic traffic, content quality, and the prospect’s likely durability as well.
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Ahrefs documents a Domain Rating endpoint at GET /v3/site-explorer/domain-rating. Its reference requires a date and a target, uses bearer-key authentication, and includes a Python example using requests. The endpoint reference is the place to confirm the current parameters and response format before adapting the request to your data.
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Ahrefs also provides an official Python SDK with a typed call for the same endpoint. See the Python SDK documentation if you prefer its client interface to constructing requests directly. Both are documented routes to Ahrefs DR; neither makes the metric equivalent to another provider’s score.
Batch 1,000 targets without confusing batches with billing
Ahrefs Batch Analysis supports up to 100 targets per request, according to its Batch Analysis documentation. At that documented maximum, 1,000 targets take at least ten batches. The API introduction gives a default rate limit of 60 requests per minute; confirm any endpoint-specific constraints and handle HTTP 429 responses rather than assuming every request will succeed immediately.
Batching reduces the number of requests compared with sending each domain separately. It does not establish that the number of API units charged falls in the same proportion. The billing calculation depends on the endpoint and request, so check the applicable unit rules before estimating the cost of a bulk run.
- Prepare the input. Normalize the domain or target values in your list and decide which date to request. The endpoint requires both a target and a date.
- Split the targets. For Batch Analysis, divide the 1,000 targets into groups of no more than 100, producing at least ten requests when using the maximum batch size.
- Authenticate and request. Use bearer-key authentication for the documented endpoint, or make the corresponding typed call through the official Python SDK. Keep the API key out of source code and logs.
- Respect limits and inspect responses. Pace requests against the documented default limit, account for HTTP 429 responses, and validate that each response contains the results you expect before adding them to your output.
- Keep provider and target with each score. Store the result as Ahrefs DR alongside the target and requested date. Do not merge it into another provider’s authority score as though the scales matched.
For exact request parameters, authentication details, and response fields, follow the DR endpoint reference and Batch Analysis reference; implementation details can change.
Check plan eligibility and estimate API units
Ahrefs’ pricing page currently lists these API plans and monthly unit allowances. The same page says Free and Starter plans do not include API access. Prices and allowances are vendor-listed plan facts and may change, so verify them before budgeting.
| Plan | Listed monthly price | API units |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $129/month | 200,000 |
| Standard | $249/month | 800,000 |
| Advanced | $449/month | 2 million |
| Enterprise | $1,499/month | 4 million plus custom units |
See Ahrefs’ pricing page for current plan terms. These are monthly subscription plans with API-unit allowances, not evidence of a standalone pay-per-request option.
The API documentation states a 50-unit minimum request cost. For the DR endpoint, it documents a calculation of two units per row with a 50-unit base request cost. Therefore, 1,000 separate one-row requests would imply at least 50,000 units before any other costs: 1,000 multiplied by the 50-unit minimum. That is arithmetic based on the documented unit rules, not a vendor quote for a thousand-target job. Batch Analysis can have different endpoint-specific costs; calculate the actual units for the request pattern you intend to use. See the API units documentation.
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When a hosted pay-per-use alternative may fit
A surfaced DEV Community article describes a Python checker for 1,000 sites using an Apify actor and identifies its score as Serpstat Domain Rank. That is a different provider metric from Ahrefs DR and Moz Domain Authority. The article could not be retrieved, so the actor’s current availability, price per run, implementation, and service terms are not established here. Treat it as a lead to verify, not a confirmed recommendation. Before using any hosted workflow, check the current actor listing and documentation for the metric returned, target limit, pricing, authentication, and error handling.
Ahrefs also catalogs public or free Domain Rating endpoints. Their existence alone does not show that they support the same volume, access pattern, or service guarantees as paid Site Explorer API calls. Check the endpoint-specific documentation before relying on one for a thousand-target workflow.
Interpret the output as a screening signal
A domain-level backlink score can help compare prospects, but it cannot tell you by itself whether a site is a good fit. A high score does not establish topical relevance or content quality, and a lower score does not automatically make a site unsuitable. Use the score alongside the characteristics that matter to your decision, and preserve the metric’s provider identity whenever you report or compare results.
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