Expired domain metrics: DR, TF and RD explained
Expired domain metrics are third-party scores used to compare names before buying. This guide explains DR, TF, RD and DA, how each is calculated, and how to read them honestly when you evaluate an expired domain.
What expired domain metrics measure
DR: the Ahrefs Domain Rating
Domain Rating, or DR, is a score from Ahrefs that runs from 0 to 100. It estimates the strength of a website's backlink profile based on the quantity and quality of the links pointing to it.
The scale is logarithmic, not linear, so a jump from DR 20 to DR 40 is not the same effort as going from 60 to 80. The higher a name sits, the harder it is to climb, because each step needs more links from stronger sites.
TF and CF: Trust Flow and Citation Flow
Majestic splits link strength into two scores. Trust Flow estimates how trustworthy a domain is, based on how close its links sit to a set of trusted seed sites, on a scale from 0 to 100.
Citation Flow measures the volume of links regardless of their quality. A name can have a high Citation Flow and a low Trust Flow, which usually means many links come from weak or irrelevant pages.
RD: referring domains and why they count
What a referring domain actually is
A referring domain is one unique website that links to the domain you are checking. If the same site links to you from twenty different pages, most tools still count it as a single referring domain.
RD is one of the most useful expired domain metrics because it tells you how many distinct sources still link to the name. A higher RD often matters more than a large number of links from a handful of sites.
RD versus the total number of backlinks
Total backlinks count every link, even when several come from one domain. RD instead counts each linking website once, which gives a cleaner picture of how widely a name is referenced across the web.
When you check an expired domain, look at both numbers together. A name whose links are spread across many different domains is usually healthier than one whose links all come from a handful of sites.
DA: Domain Authority by Moz
A predictive score on a 0 to 100 scale
Domain Authority, or DA, is a Moz metric that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results, on a scale from 0 to 100. It is trained on many signals, including the number of linking root domains.
DA is a relative comparison, not an absolute measure. A DA of 30 has meaning mainly when you compare it against other sites in the same niche, not as a fixed score in itself.
Why DA is not a Google metric
None of these scores come from Google. DA, DR, TF and CF are third-party estimates, and Google has repeatedly stated that it does not use them as a ranking factor.
They are useful for comparing names before you buy, but they do not guarantee rankings. A high score on a dropped name is a signal worth checking, never a promise of results.
How to use expired domain metrics honestly
Compare across several tools
No single score tells the whole story. Check DR, TF and RD together so a weakness in one tool is caught by another, and look at the raw links rather than trusting one number.
You can read about the value those links hold in our guide to expired domain SEO juice. The metric is a shortcut, but the actual backlinks are what you are really buying.
A metric cannot replace a manual review
Scores change when a tool updates its algorithm or re-crawls the web, so a number you saw last month may differ today. Treat any metric as a snapshot, not a fixed fact.
Before you buy, follow the steps in how to buy an expired domain and verify the name's history. Combined with what is an expired domain, metrics help you filter, but the final decision is always yours.
Common mistakes when reading these scores
Buying a name for its score alone
A strong DR or DA can hide a spammy link profile if the links come from low-quality directories or link farms. Always look at where the links come from, not just at the final score.
Some names keep a high score for a while after their links have already been removed or the site has gone dark. Re-check the metrics right before you commit, because a stale score can mislead you.
Comparing scores from different tools as if equal
DR, DA and TF all use a 0 to 100 scale, but they are calculated differently and are not interchangeable. A DA of 40 is not the same strength as a DR of 40.
Read each metric inside the tool that produced it, and compare like with like. Mixing scores from different providers gives you a number that looks precise but means very little.