Data & Crawl Methodology Hub
Transparency in how we track active backlinks, calculate metric trends, protect Search Console OAuth data, and calculate link decay.
1. Connected Website Crawl Architecture
Backlinks Tools checks active backlinks for domains connected to a user's workspace. Once you connect a domain and import your target backlinks or connect Google Search Console, our automated crawlers verify HTTP status codes, rel attributes (`dofollow`/`nofollow`/`ugc`), target page availability, and anchor text.
2. Google Search Console OAuth 2.0 Security
We request strict read-only OAuth 2.0 scopes when connecting Google Search Console. We never request permission to modify your Search Console settings, submit sitemaps, or alter your property configurations.
- Your Search Console data is encrypted using AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit.
- Data imported from GSC is isolated to your private workspace account.
- You can revoke access at any time directly through your Google Account permissions portal.
3. Metric Sourcing & Quality Scoring
Metrics such as Domain Authority (DA), Page Authority (PA), and Spam Score (SS) displayed in our publisher directory are updated on a monthly verification schedule.
💡 Transparent Metric Disclaimer
Domain Authority and Page Authority are proprietary third-party metrics designed to predict ranking strength relative to other domains. Google does not use DA or Spam Score in its ranking algorithms.
4. Instagram Influencer Discovery & Engagement Methodology
Our free Instagram influencer discovery directory indexes public creator, business, and personal accounts across 90+ industry categories and 200+ topic tags. We compute performance benchmarks transparently based on publicly observable post metadata.
Engagement Rate Calculation Formula
The engagement rate percentage displayed on individual creator reports is calculated strictly as a sample-based interaction rate across the creator's recent published posts:
Worked Example: If an account has 10,000 followers and its sampled posts average 300 likes and 20 comments (320 mean interactions per publication), the calculated engagement rate is 3.20%.
Sampling Windows & Missing Metrics
- Post Sample: Metrics are computed from the creator's recent posts (typically 6 to 12 posts per observation cycle).
- Unavailable Values (N/A): When an account has hidden like counts, no recent public publications, or insufficient chronological timestamps, metrics such as Posts per Day or Last Post Date are marked as
N/Arather than fabricated. - Observation Timestamps: Each profile report displays an explicit observation timestamp (e.g. Last Update - 2026-01-18). Batches are indexed periodically; continuous crawler operation does not mean every individual profile is refreshed in real time.
⚠️ Verification & Authenticity Boundaries
An official Instagram verification badge confirms identity with Meta, not audience authenticity or campaign ROI. Similarly, a high engagement rate indicates interaction on recent posts, but does not guarantee bot-free followers or sales conversions. We strongly recommend qualitative manual review of recent comments and brand alignment before initiating outreach.
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