Check Backlinks in Screaming Frog: Step-by-Step Audit Guide

• Switch Screaming Frog to List Mode to crawl external backlink URLs in bulk.
• Use Custom Extraction with XPath to extract anchor text and rel attributes.
• Verify live HTTP status codes to detect broken or redirected placements.

To check backlinks in Screaming Frog, switch the crawler to List Mode. Then upload your external link URLs. The tool tests if host pages return HTTP 200. It pulls live anchor text. It also checks if links pass search equity. This workflow lets link builders and SEO agencies audit hundreds of guest posts without tedious manual verification.

Step-by-step workflow to audit backlinks in Screaming Frog

Auditing external links with a desktop crawler requires precise configuration. Follow this five-step process.

Step 1: Export your target backlink URL list

Screaming Frog is a site crawler rather than an open search index, meaning it cannot discover inbound links across the wider web automatically. You must provide a list of URLs.

Export your link URLs from Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Semrush. Pull them directly from internal order spreadsheets or client reports. Read our guide on how to check backlinks in Google Search Console. Save the URLs as a plain text or CSV file. Put one full HTTPS address on each row.

Step 2: Switch the crawler to List Mode

By default, Screaming Frog runs in Spider Mode. Spider Mode crawls an entire site by following internal links. For backlink checks, you only want to crawl the exact pages hosting your links.

Click Mode in the top menu bar. Then select List. The top search box changes to an Upload button. Now the tool will only crawl the URLs you import. It will not crawl entire host domains. The official Screaming Frog backlink audit tutorial outlines this batch workflow.

Step 3: Configure Custom Extraction for your target domain

Set up an extraction rule before you start the crawl. This confirms your link exists and pulls its anchor text. Open Configuration, go to Custom, and pick Extraction.

Click Add and name your extractor rule. Pick XPath from the dropdown list. To pull the target URL, set the mode to Extract Attribute. Type href in the attribute box. Enter an XPath rule with double quotes like //a[contains(@href, "yourdomain.com")]/@href. Next, add a second extractor to pull visible link text. Use the expression //a[contains(@href, "yourdomain.com")] and choose the Extract Text option. Search standards in the Google Search Central links documentation confirm that clean anchor tags are vital for link discovery.

Step 4: Upload your link list and run the audit

Click the Upload button at the top of the app. Pick your file or paste your list of links. The crawl starts right away.

Watch the progress bar as the crawler scans each page. The software tests server response codes. It reads meta robots tags. It also pulls your link data. Per the Screaming Frog pricing page, the free plan crawls up to 500 URLs. Custom Extraction needs a paid licence. To compare counts by hand, read our guide on how to check backlinks manually.

Step 5: Inspect response codes, anchor text, and rel attributes

When the crawl finishes, review your results across the data tabs. The Response Codes tab shows 404 errors, 301 redirects, and blocked pages.

Next, click the Custom Extraction tab. Check your extracted links and anchor copy. If a cell is blank, the host site dropped your link. Blank cells mean immediate reclamation is required.

To check link tags, see our guide on how to check if a backlink is dofollow. It shows how to spot rel="nofollow" tags that block link value.

Screaming Frog backlink audit configuration matrix

The table below summarizes common backlink audit objectives, recommended Screaming Frog settings, and expected diagnostic outcomes.

Applying these crawler settings saves time. Export the sheet for reporting.

How to handle broken or altered backlinks discovered in your audit

Altered links happen.

Follow these corrective steps:

• Fix 404 errors on target pages immediately. Contact the webmaster to fix the link, or read our guide to find broken backlinks.
• Ask for an edit if a partner switched your link to nofollow without notice.
• Keep anchor text balanced. Consult our guide on how to check backlink anchor text.
• Check server uptime across vendor domains with our checklist on how to check backlink status.

High link quality demands steady monitoring. To get verified guest posts with live link guarantees and zero PBN risk, check our vetted placement inventory and pricing.

Frequently asked questions