Updated: June 2026
You can use Ahrefs for free without entering your card details or paying for a monthly subscription.
The best place to start is Ahrefs Free, previously called Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. It gives website owners access to Site Explorer, Site Audit and Web Analytics for websites they can verify.
Ahrefs also offers a collection of free SEO tools that anyone can use for quick keyword, backlink and ranking checks.
The free version will not replace a paid subscription for an agency carrying out large-scale competitor research. However, it gives small businesses, bloggers and website owners enough data to make useful SEO decisions.
This guide explains how to use Ahrefs for free, which tools deserve your attention and how to turn the data into a practical SEO plan.
Can You Really Use Ahrefs for Free?
Yes. Ahrefs offers two different ways to use its data without paying.
| Free Ahrefs option | Best use | Account required? |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Free | Analyse websites you own or manage | Yes |
| Standalone free SEO tools | Run quick keyword, backlink and competitor checks | Usually no |
The first option gives you the most value.
Create an Ahrefs Free account, add your website and prove that you control the domain. Once verified, you can inspect your rankings, backlinks and technical SEO issues.
The standalone tools are useful when you want to check a competitor, research a keyword or run a quick Domain Rating check.
What Is Ahrefs Free?
Ahrefs Free is the current name for the service previously known as Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, or AWT.
You may still see the older name on websites, YouTube videos and Ahrefs pages. The important point is simple: the free account is designed for websites you own or manage.
The current free account includes:
| Tool | What it does | Free limit |
|---|---|---|
| Site Explorer | Shows ranking keywords, backlinks and top pages | Up to 1,000 backlinks and keywords visible at once |
| Site Audit | Checks technical and on-page SEO issues | 5,000 crawl credits per month, per project |
| Web Analytics | Tracks traffic, sources and visitor activity | Up to 1 million events per project |
| Social Media Manager | Helps schedule and publish social posts | Unlimited channels and posts |
| AI Content Helper | Reviews topic coverage while you write | One document per month |
| Ahrefs SEO Toolbar | Checks on-page elements while browsing | Free on-page features with limited metrics |
| Verified websites | Adds websites you own or manage | Unlimited |
For a small website, these limits are enough to uncover technical problems, ranking opportunities and backlink issues.
How to Set Up Ahrefs for Free
Visit Ahrefs Free and create an account.
Then add your website as a project. Ahrefs will ask you to verify ownership.
The quickest method for many website owners is to import the website through Google Search Console. You can also use one of the other verification methods offered during setup.
Follow these steps:
- Create an Ahrefs Free account.
- Add your website as a project.
- Verify ownership of the domain.
- Import your project from Google Search Console where possible.
- Run your first Site Audit crawl.
- Open Site Explorer.
- Review your organic keywords.
- Check your backlinks and referring domains.
- Install the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar.
Do not open every report at once. Start with the reports most likely to reveal useful work.
The 30-Minute Ahrefs Free SEO Check
A first review does not need to take hours.
Use this simple process:
| Time | Task | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| First 10 minutes | Find technical problems | Site Audit |
| Next 10 minutes | Find pages ranking between positions 4 and 20 | Site Explorer |
| Final 10 minutes | Check backlinks and internal-link opportunities | Site Explorer |
This gives you a short list of tasks you can act on immediately.
SEO software becomes useful only when the reports lead to changes on your website.
1. Run a Free SEO Audit With Ahrefs Site Audit
Start with Ahrefs Site Audit.
Site Audit crawls your website and checks for more than 170 technical and on-page SEO problems.
It groups findings into errors, warnings and notices. This makes it easier to focus on serious issues first.
Check these problems first
- Pages returning 404 errors
- Broken internal links
- Redirect chains
- Pages blocked from indexing
- Incorrect canonical tags
- Missing title tags
- Duplicate title tags
- Missing meta descriptions
- Orphan pages
- Sitemap issues
- Robots.txt problems
- Slow pages
- Images without descriptive alt text
Do not chase a perfect health score.
A page accidentally blocked from Google deserves urgent attention. A minor warning on an old image may not.
Why broken internal links matter
Broken links frustrate readers. They also make it harder for search engines to move through your website.
A technical audit can reveal links pointing to:
- Deleted articles
- Old URL structures
- Pages moved without a redirect
- External websites that no longer exist
- Misspelled URLs
Update the URL, add a redirect or remove the link.
For a wider review of your existing pages, read How to Conduct a Content Audit: A Guide.
2. Find Pages Close to the First Page of Google
Many website owners spend too much time publishing new articles.
A faster route to more traffic often starts with pages that already rank between positions 4 and 20.
Open Site Explorer and review the Organic Keywords report for your verified website.
Look for pages that appear close to page one or near the top of page one.
Then improve those pages.
You may need to:
- Answer the main question sooner
- Improve the SEO title
- Rewrite the meta description
- Update outdated facts
- Add a comparison table
- Add missing subtopics
- Improve internal links
- Remove weak sections
- Add first-hand examples
- Add a stronger author bio
A page moving from position 11 to position 5 can gain more clicks than a new article that takes months to rank.
Use Google Search Console as well. It shows verified Google impressions, clicks, click-through rate and average position.
Ahrefs adds keyword estimates, backlink reports and technical checks.
3. Find Internal-Link Opportunities
Internal links connect one page on your website to another.
They help readers discover related articles. They also help search engines understand which pages matter most and how topics fit together.
Use Site Audit and Site Explorer to identify:
- Orphan pages
- Important pages with few internal links
- Old articles that can link to newer guides
- Pages with backlinks that could support other articles
- Overlapping pages competing for the same topic
Do not add random links to hit a target.
The best internal links sit naturally inside the article and help the reader take the next step.
The Marketing Blog’s guide to organising website content for maximum visibility explains how keyword research, content structure and internal links work together.
4. Check Your Backlinks for Free
A backlink is a link from another website to yours.
Backlinks matter because links from relevant, trusted websites can act as signals that a page deserves attention.
Open Site Explorer and review:
- Backlinks
- Referring domains
- Anchor text
- Best pages by links
- Internal links
- New links
- Lost links
- Broken backlinks
Look for pages with good backlinks but weak search traffic.
Those pages may need updating. They may also provide useful places to add internal links to newer articles.
Do not delete an old article without checking its backlink profile first.
A dated page can still have value if other websites link to it.
5. Check Competitor Backlinks With the Free Backlink Checker
Use the standalone Ahrefs Backlink Checker to inspect another website or page.
The free version shows the top 20 backlinks pointing to a URL.
That sample can reveal why a competing article attracts links.
Look for pages containing:
- Original research
- Statistics
- Surveys
- Expert quotes
- Free templates
- Glossaries
- Calculators
- Detailed comparison tables
- Timely reporting
- Useful explanations
Do not copy another website.
Ask a better question: why did other website owners decide that page was worth citing?
Then create something that offers a clearer answer, fresher information or a more useful resource.
6. Find Broken Backlink Opportunities
The free Broken Link Checker helps you find broken links pointing to or from a website.
This can support a simple link-building tactic.
Imagine a competitor previously published a useful statistics page. Other websites linked to it. The page has since disappeared.
You could create a current replacement and contact websites still linking to the dead page.
Your outreach message should explain:
- Which link is broken
- Where it appears
- Why your resource may help their readers
- What your page adds
This works best when your replacement page genuinely improves the reader’s experience.
7. Research Keywords for Free
Use the Ahrefs Keyword Generator to find topic ideas.
Enter a phrase and choose your target country.
For example, searching email marketing software may reveal related terms such as:
- Free email marketing software
- Email marketing software for small businesses
- Mailchimp alternatives
- Email newsletter platforms
- Email automation tools
- Best email marketing platforms
Keywords are not simply phrases to repeat.
They reveal what people want.
Group terms with the same search intent into one strong article. Create separate pages only when the reader wants a different answer.
| Keyword | Search intent | Best page type |
|---|---|---|
| How to use Ahrefs for free | Learn which tools are free and how to use them | Detailed guide |
| Ahrefs free trial | Find out whether a trial exists | FAQ or short supporting article |
| Ahrefs alternatives | Compare competing SEO platforms | Comparison guide |
| Ahrefs vs Semrush | Choose between two products | Side-by-side comparison |
| Free backlink checker | Inspect links pointing to a website | Tool-led guide |
This reduces the risk of keyword cannibalisation.
8. Use Keyword Difficulty Carefully
The free Keyword Difficulty Checker estimates how hard it may be to rank in the top 10 for a keyword.
Ahrefs shortens the metric to KD.
Use KD as an early filter.
Do not treat it as a guarantee.
Before writing an article, ask:
- What type of page ranks in Google?
- Are the results current?
- Do the top pages answer the question properly?
- Can you add original insight?
- Do you have related pages that can link to the new article?
- Does the topic fit your website?
- Could you earn relevant backlinks?
A low KD score does not guarantee traffic.
A higher KD score does not make a topic impossible.
9. Analyse Search Results With the SERP Checker
Use the Ahrefs SERP Checker to review the top 10 search results for a keyword in a chosen country.
This matters because results can vary by location.
A UK search may show different pages from a US search.
Review the page types Google currently favours.
| Google results dominated by | What you may need to publish |
|---|---|
| Detailed guides | A well-structured article |
| Product pages | A commercial landing page |
| Comparison articles | A side-by-side review |
| Videos | A video or article with an embedded video |
| Tools | A calculator or interactive resource |
| News stories | A timely report with verified sources |
| Forum discussions | A practical article answering real questions |
Do not publish a 2,000-word article when users want a calculator.
Do not publish a thin landing page when readers want a detailed explanation.
10. Check Rankings by Country
Use the free Keyword Rank Checker to check where a website ranks for a keyword in a chosen country.
Record the ranking before updating a page.
Check it again after Google has had time to recrawl the article.
Rankings move regularly. Look for trends over several weeks rather than checking every few hours.
For international SEO advice, read How to Build an Effective SEO Strategy Across Multiple International Markets.
11. Check Domain Rating
The free Website Authority Checker shows a website’s Domain Rating, commonly called DR.
DR is an Ahrefs metric measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
It estimates the strength of a website’s backlink profile.
DR is not a Google ranking factor.
A higher-DR website will not automatically outrank a lower-DR competitor.
Use DR to compare similar websites and assess possible link opportunities. Do not make it your only SEO target.
Traffic, rankings, leads and sales matter more.
12. Estimate Competitor Traffic
Use the free Website Traffic Checker to estimate search traffic for a competing website or webpage.
The figures are estimates, not verified analytics.
However, the tool can still help you identify:
- Competing websites worth studying
- Topics attracting search traffic
- Pages that appear to perform well
- Content gaps
- Search trends
- New competitors
For your own website, use Google Search Console and your analytics platform as the main sources of traffic data.
13. Check Whether Your Brand Appears in AI Answers
Use the free AI Visibility Checker to check whether your brand appears in AI-generated answers.
Ahrefs currently checks platforms including:
- ChatGPT
- Gemini
- Perplexity
- Microsoft Copilot
- Google AI results
Enter your brand name, company name or product.
The tool can show whether AI platforms mention your business and which websites they cite.
This does not replace standard SEO reporting.
However, it gives marketers another way to track visibility as people use AI tools for research.
For more on this subject, read Double Your Strategy: How to Combine SEO and GEO.
14. Install the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar
Install the free Ahrefs SEO Toolbar for Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
It can help you inspect:
- SEO titles
- Meta descriptions
- Heading structure
- Word count
- Canonical tags
- Indexing directives
- Redirects
- Broken links
- Internal links
- External links
- Image alt text
- HTTP headers
Use the toolbar when reviewing your pages and competing articles.
Do not copy another article section by section.
Look for missing information, weak explanations and questions the page does not answer.
Ahrefs Free vs Google Search Console
Ahrefs Free and Google Search Console work well together.
| Tool | Best use |
|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Verified Google clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average rankings |
| Ahrefs Site Explorer | Backlinks, referring domains, organic keywords and top pages |
| Ahrefs Site Audit | Technical SEO issues and crawl problems |
| Ahrefs Web Analytics | Website activity, sources and AI referral traffic |
| Ahrefs free tools | Quick competitor, keyword and ranking checks |
Google Search Console should remain one of your main sources of search-performance data.
Ahrefs adds another layer of analysis.
A Monthly Ahrefs Free Workflow
Use this simple routine each month.
| Week | Task | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Week one | Run a technical crawl | Site Audit |
| Week one | Fix broken links and indexing issues | Site Audit |
| Week two | Find pages ranking between positions 4 and 20 | Site Explorer |
| Week two | Improve titles, answers and internal links | Site Explorer and Google Search Console |
| Week three | Review backlinks and referring domains | Site Explorer |
| Week three | Research competitor backlinks | Backlink Checker |
| Week four | Research one new topic group | Keyword Generator and SERP Checker |
| Week four | Check rankings after updates | Keyword Rank Checker |
| Week four | Review AI mentions | AI Visibility Checker |
This turns Ahrefs into a working SEO routine rather than a collection of reports.
When Should You Pay for Ahrefs?
Ahrefs Free works well for a small website, blog or local business.
A paid plan becomes more useful when you need to:
- Analyse several competitors in depth
- Export larger reports
- Research many keywords
- Track a large list of rankings
- Use deeper historical data
- Compare domains at scale
- Find content gaps across several competitors
- Manage a large website
- Run ongoing link-building campaigns
Start with the free version.
Upgrade when the limits prevent you from completing work that could improve traffic or revenue.
Check the current Ahrefs pricing page before subscribing, as plans and prices may change.
Common Ahrefs Mistakes
Avoid these common mistakes:
- Chasing DR instead of useful traffic
- Trying to fix every Site Audit notice at once
- Publishing several pages for the same search intent
- Copying competing articles
- Deleting old pages before checking backlinks
- Treating traffic estimates as verified analytics
- Ignoring Google Search Console
- Adding random internal links
- Checking rankings too often
- Publishing new articles while older pages remain outdated
SEO tools provide data.
The results come from acting on the right data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ahrefs free?
Yes. Ahrefs offers a permanent free account for verified websites and a collection of standalone free SEO tools.
Does Ahrefs Free require a credit card?
No. You can create a free account without entering card details.
Is Ahrefs Webmaster Tools still available?
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is now called Ahrefs Free. You may still see the older name on some pages and guides.
Can I check backlinks for free?
Yes. Use Ahrefs Free for websites you own. Use the standalone Backlink Checker to view the top 20 backlinks pointing to another website or page.
Can I use Ahrefs without an account?
Yes. Several standalone tools work without an account, including the Keyword Generator, Backlink Checker, Keyword Difficulty Checker, SERP Checker and Website Authority Checker.
Is Domain Rating a Google ranking factor?
No. Domain Rating is an Ahrefs metric that estimates the strength of a website’s backlink profile.
Is Ahrefs better than Google Search Console?
The tools serve different purposes. Use both. Google Search Console gives you verified Google data. Ahrefs adds technical checks, backlink reports and competitor research tools.
Does Ahrefs have a free trial?
Ahrefs promotes a permanent free account and standalone free tools. It does not currently promote a broad free trial of its full paid platform. Check the pricing page before subscribing.
Can Ahrefs track AI search visibility?
Yes. The free AI Visibility Checker can show whether a brand appears in answers generated by AI platforms.
Related Reading
- How to Conduct a Content Audit: A Guide
- Organising Website Content for Maximum Visibility
- Why Your Business Is Not Seeing SEO Results
- Double Your Strategy: How to Combine SEO and GEO
- How SEO Specialists Are Using GEO Strategies
- 26 SEO Terms for Every Letter of the Alphabet
- How to Build an Effective SEO Strategy Across Multiple International Markets
Sources
- Ahrefs Free
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
- Ahrefs Free SEO Tools
- Ahrefs Help Centre: What Can I Use for Free in Ahrefs?
- Ahrefs FAQ
- Ahrefs Site Audit
- Ahrefs Backlink Checker
- Ahrefs Keyword Generator
- Google Search Console
Suggested Images
Featured image alt text: How to use Ahrefs for free to check backlinks, keyword rankings and technical SEO issues
Screenshot alt text: Ahrefs Free dashboard showing Site Explorer, Site Audit and Web Analytics for a verified website
Screenshot alt text: Ahrefs Site Audit report listing technical SEO errors, warnings and notices
Screenshot alt text: Ahrefs Backlink Checker showing links pointing to a competing website
Screenshot alt text: Ahrefs Keyword Generator displaying related keyword ideas and estimated search volumes
Author Bio
Will Corry is the founder and editor of The Marketing Blog. He launched the publication in 2001 after a career in business leadership and publishing, including running a major publishing company in South Africa. He writes about marketing strategy, advertising, digital media and the tools businesses use to reach customers.