Backlinks Anchors API
Anchor text distribution analysis for any backlink profile. Detect over-optimization and plan natural link building from $0.05/call.
Get a breakdown of anchor texts used in backlinks pointing to a target. See the most common anchors, their frequency, and the number of referring domains using each anchor. Critical for understanding link profile diversity and detecting over-optimization.
Try it live
Fill in the fields and hit Run to see a real response.
{
"ok": true,
"data": [
{
"anchor": "click here",
"backlinks": 4500,
"referringDomains": 1200,
"dofollow": 3800,
"nofollow": 700
},
{
"anchor": "example.com",
"backlinks": 3200,
"referringDomains": 2100,
"dofollow": 2900,
"nofollow": 300
}
]
}Features
Each result groups by anchor and returns the total backlinks count using it, so you see the real shape of an anchor profile rather than a flat link list.
The referringDomains field shows how many distinct sites use each anchor, separating one site repeating an anchor 4,000 times from 4,000 sites each linking once.
Every anchor row splits into dofollow and nofollow counts, letting you measure how much link equity each anchor phrase actually carries.
The limit field (default 100) caps how many anchors return; with $0.01 per 100 rows on top of the $0.05 call, a full anchor breakdown stays cheap.
Pricing
$0.05 per call + $0.01 per 100 rows — so a call returning 1,000 rows costs $0.15.
| Rows returned | Price per call |
|---|---|
| 10 | $0.06 |
| 100 | $0.06 |
| 500 | $0.10 |
| 1,000 | $0.15 |
Billed on results actually returned. Failed calls are never charged.
Use cases
Anchor Text Audit
Detect over-optimized or spammy anchor text patterns that could trigger search engine penalties.
Link Profile Diversity Check
Ensure your backlink profile has a natural mix of branded, generic, and keyword-rich anchors.
Quick start
Copy this snippet and start making calls.
const res = await fetch('https://api.yepapi.com/v1/seo/backlinks/anchors', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"target": "example.com",
"limit": 100
}),
});
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);The anchor text API for developers — distribution, frequency & follow ratio per anchor
The Backlinks Anchors API returns the anchor text distribution for any target: each distinct anchor, how many backlinks and referring domains use it, and its dofollow/nofollow split. That is the data you need to judge whether a link profile looks natural or over-optimized.
It complements the raw Backlinks List endpoint by aggregating links into anchor buckets. Behind one YepAPI key you can pull the full link list, the anchor distribution, and the referring-domain breakdown to assemble a complete link-health report.
What is an anchor text API?
An anchor text API aggregates a backlink profile by the clickable text of each link and returns the distribution. Rather than a list of individual links, you get rows like { anchor: "click here", backlinks: 4500, referringDomains: 1200, dofollow: 3800, nofollow: 700 }. That tells you which phrases dominate a profile and whether the spread is healthy. Over-reliance on exact-match commercial anchors is a classic over-optimization signal. YepAPI serves this at /v1/seo/backlinks/anchors: post a target and limit, and receive the anchor groups as JSON ready for charting or scoring.
Build your own anchor audit tool
Build an over-optimization detector that flags when any single keyword-rich anchor exceeds a safe share of the profile, or a diversity scorer that grades the mix of branded, generic, and exact-match anchors. The referringDomains-per-anchor field lets you spot manipulative patterns — thousands of backlinks but few domains means a single source is inflating an anchor. Feed the dofollow/nofollow split into a link-equity model that weights each anchor by the follow links actually backing it.
Anchor text API pricing — $0.05 + $0.01 per 100 rows
Each anchor breakdown costs $0.05 plus $0.01 per 100 anchor rows returned, so a default 100-anchor pull is about six cents. Anchor data is usually buried inside $999/mo backlink suites; here you call it per request and pay for nothing else. Run an anchor audit on every domain you research without watching a monthly quota.
Detect anchor over-optimization across competitors
Run the endpoint against several competitor domains and compare their anchor distributions side by side. A profile that is mostly branded and generic anchors is hard to replicate cheaply; one leaning on exact-match commercial anchors may be vulnerable to a penalty — or a sign of paid links you can investigate. The dofollow/nofollow split per anchor reveals how much of each competitor's anchor strategy is actually passing equity.
Try the anchor text API free
Start with $5 in credit and no credit card. That covers many anchor breakdowns — enough to audit your own profile, compare a competitor, and confirm the dofollow/nofollow and referring-domain fields give your tool what it needs before you spend.
Start making API calls in 30 seconds
$5 free credit on signup. No credit card required. Pay per call.
What developers say
“Switched from SerpAPI and cut our SERP costs by 80%. Same data quality, way simpler billing.”
“One API key for AI models, SERP data, and web scraping. Saved us from managing 4 separate providers.”
“The $5 free credit let us prototype our entire rank tracking feature before committing. No other API does that.”
Frequently asked questions
Get a breakdown of anchor texts used in backlinks pointing to a target. See the most common anchors, their frequency, and the number of referring domains using each anchor. Critical for understanding link profile diversity and detecting over-optimization.
Pricing is $0.05 per call + $0.01 per 100 rows, billed on the number of rows actually returned — a call returning 1,000 rows costs $0.15. Failed calls are never charged. No monthly minimums or subscriptions — you only pay for what you use.
Sign up for a free API key, then send a POST request to /v1/seo/backlinks/anchors. Check the code example above for a ready-to-use snippet in JavaScript, cURL, or Python.
YepAPI bundles SEO, AI, and web scraping APIs under one key with no monthly minimums. You get lower per-call pricing, a unified dashboard, and one billing account instead of managing multiple providers.
Ready to integrate?
Get your API key and start making calls in 30 seconds. $5 free credit on signup — no credit card required.
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