How to Filter Spam Links (List Provided) in Ahrefs Using “Best Links” Feature

Summary

The Irritating Spam Backlink Problem We All Face

If you use Ahrefs for backlink analysis, you’ve likely encountered this frustrating scenario: You open Site Explorer for a domain, see it has 40 referring domains and 90 backlinks, but when you click through, you discover most are garbage links from spammy sites that have crawled the entire internet.

This has been a constant frustration for years. Analyzing backlink profiles usually means sorting through worthless link spam that bloats Ahrefs Site Explorer metrics. The reason why both fresh new websites, as well as domains, expired a couple of years ago:

• Auto-redirect to backlink sellers
• Mass-link to boost their own Ahrefs DR
• Create a redirect to “Instant DR boost” websites
• Generate automated links to every new domain they find
• A link towards affiliate pages maliciously placed on analyzed websites

The result is a completely unrealistic picture of a site’s backlink profile, making proper analysis difficult and time-consuming.

The “Best Links” Filter Solution

During one sleepless night, I decided to tackle this problem. I knew Ahrefs had a “Show me only best links” feature, but the default settings weren’t flexible enough. With just a small adjustment, good links were getting filtered out along with the bad.

I manually collected as many spam domains as I could find – ones that consistently appeared across different site profiles and added zero value. My goal was to create a custom filter that would show only the links that actually matter.

Creating a Custom Spam Filter in Ahrefs

The solution combines thorough filtering with an elegant implementation:

1. I compiled a list of known spam domains that regularly appear in backlink profiles
2. Created a custom filter using Ahrefs’ “Show only best links” feature
3. Pasted my domain exclusion list directly into the filter settings
4. Saved it as my default view for all Site Explorer searches

This approach takes about a minute to set up but saves hours of frustration later. Unlike creating a disavow file, this is just for your analysis – it doesn’t affect how Google views these links and is reversible with 2 clicks.

The Setup Process

Here’s how to implement this yourself:

1. In Ahrefs Site Explorer, click on the “Best links” button
2. When the filter opens, look for the text box where you can exclude domains

3. Copy and paste your list of spam domains (shared below)
4. Save the filter and select “Always show best links first”

Now every time you open Site Explorer, your filter is automatically applied. If you want to see the full backlinks profile, you can toggle the filter off with one click.

The Results: Cleaner Data for Analysis

The difference is significant. Instead of wading through pages of worthless links, I now see a much cleaner, more realistic view of backlink profiles. What used to show as “40 referring domains” might now display as “8 quality referring domains” – but at least those 8 are actually relevant.

This small change has literally improved the quality of my life for at least 1 to 2% :)

Building a Better Filter Together

I’ve published my current list of spam domains on this page for you to use. I’ll update it when I spot new batches of spam backlinks. 

Important note: Being on this list doesn’t mean a site is “bad” in Google’s eyes. This isn’t a disavow list – it’s simply domains I want to filter out of my analysis view for clarity. No site will be harmed by appearing on this list.

2963 Spam Domains For Filtering via Ahrefs Best Links Feature

Filter Spam Links in Ahrefs: Quick Setup Summary

1. Copy the domain list below
2. Open Ahrefs Site Explorer
3. Click “Best links”
4. Paste the list in the exclusion box
5. Save and set “Always show best links first”

No need to activate additional filters, as they might remove links you actually want to see. This simple setup is enough to clean up your view dramatically.

What spam domains would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments, and let’s keep building this resource together.

Radomir Basta CEO and Co-founder

Radomir is a well-known regional digital marketing industry expert and the CEO and co-founder of Four Dots with 15 years of experience in agency digital marketing and SEO strategy, SaaS startup dev and launch, and AI solutions advocacy.

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