Competitor Backlink Audit

Competitor Backlink Audit via Ahrefs

You run competitive backlink audits using the free Ahrefs Backlink Checker via Chrome DevTools MCP. You navigate a real browser to Ahrefs, extract backlink data for each competitor, and compile a structured report with actionable link-building opportunities.

Before You Start

1. Read the Accumulated Learnings section at the bottom of this file.
2. Read references/ahrefs-gotchas.md for known Ahrefs free tool pitfalls.
3. Read runs.log in this skill's directory (if it exists) to see previous run history.
4. Check if config.json exists in this skill's directory.
   • If it exists: read it for the competitor list and output paths. Proceed to Pre-flight Checks.
   • If it does NOT exist: this is a first run. Proceed to First Run Bootstrap.

First Run Bootstrap

When no config.json exists, you need to discover the product and its competitors before running the audit.

Step 1: Understand the Product

Explore the codebase to understand what the product does:

• Read the README, CLAUDE.md, or any product overview docs
• Check the landing page or marketing copy if available
• Identify the product category, target audience, and key differentiators

Summarize your understanding to the user and confirm you've got it right.

Step 2: Identify Competitors

Based on the product category:

1. Use web search to find direct competitors (same product category, same target audience)
2. Look for competitor mentions in the codebase (docs, marketing copy, config files)
3. Aim for 8-12 competitors spanning:
   • Direct competitors: Same product, same audience
   • Adjacent competitors: Similar product, overlapping audience
   • Market leaders: Dominant players in the broader space (useful for backlink discovery even if not direct competitors)

Present the competitor list to the user. Ask them to confirm, add, or remove entries.

Step 3: Ask About Output Location

Ask the user where audit reports should be saved. Suggest a sensible default based on the project structure (e.g., docs/seo/backlink-audit/ if a docs/ directory exists, or backlink-audit/ at the project root otherwise).

Step 4: Create config.json

After the user confirms the competitor list and output location, create config.json in this skill's directory:

{
  "competitors": [
    { "name": "CompanyName", "domain": "example.com" }
  ],
  "ahrefs_url_template": "https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker/?input={domain}&mode=subdomains",
  "data_files": {
    "raw_data": "<output_dir>/raw-data.md",
    "report": "<output_dir>/report.md"
  }
}

Also create the output directory:

mkdir -p <PROJECT_ROOT>/<output_dir>

Then proceed to Pre-flight Checks.

Pre-flight Checks

1. Chrome DevTools MCP must be connected. Verify by calling list_pages — if it fails, tell the user to open Chrome with remote debugging enabled.
2. Read config.json for the competitor list and output paths.

Procedure

Step 1: Navigate to Ahrefs

For each competitor from config.json, navigate directly to the results URL using the ahrefs_url_template (replace {domain} with the competitor's domain).

Use the Chrome DevTools navigate_page tool with the full URL. This is significantly faster than filling the search form manually.

Step 2: Wait for Results

Use wait_for with text ["Backlink profile for DOMAIN_NAME"] and a 15-second timeout.

Results appear in a dialog modal overlay on the page.

If the wait times out, check for Cloudflare challenge — see references/ahrefs-gotchas.md for handling.

Step 3: Extract Data

The results dialog contains:

• Header metrics: DR (Domain Rating), backlink count (with dofollow %), linking websites count (with dofollow %)
• Backlink table: ~20 rows, one per referring domain — shows referring domain DR, page title, URL, link type

Extract using one of:

• Preferred: take_snapshot for the full accessibility tree
• Fallback: evaluate_script with document.querySelectorAll targeting the dialog content — use this when the snapshot is too large or truncated

Step 4: Record Data

Append each competitor's data to the raw data file (path from config.json → data_files.raw_data) in this format:

## N. CompetitorName (domain.com)

**DR: XX** | Backlinks: XXK (XX% dofollow) | Linking websites: XXK (XX% dofollow)

| DR | Referring Domain | Page Title | Link Type |
|----|-----------------|------------|-----------|
| XX | domain.com | Page Title | Type description |
...

**Key insights:**
- Bullet points summarizing notable patterns

Step 5: Pace Yourself (Cloudflare Mitigation)

Cloudflare Turnstile bot detection activates after several sequential queries. See references/ahrefs-gotchas.md for detailed mitigation strategies.

Quick rules:

• After each competitor, the natural analysis/recording time usually provides enough pause.
• After 4-5 competitors, take a longer pause (2-3 minutes) or close and reopen the Ahrefs tab.
• Record data immediately after each competitor — don't batch.

Step 6: Handle Free Tool Limitations

Some domains trigger free tool limitations:

• "No backlinks in our index": DR is still shown. Record the DR and note the limitation. Try the www. prefix (e.g., www.domain.com instead of domain.com) — the free tool treats these as separate targets and one may return full data.
• "Backlinks cannot be shown because the domain is too large": Aggregate numbers may still be shown. Record what's available, then retry with www. prefix — this often bypasses the limitation.

Post-Run

After completing the audit for all competitors:

1. Generate/update the report (path from config.json → data_files.report):

   • Executive summary table (all competitors, DR, backlinks, linking sites)
   • Common referring domains (sites linking to multiple competitors — highest-value targets)
   • High-DR referring domains (DR 50+) sorted by DR
   • Link type distribution across competitors
   • Actionable recommendations: which sites to target, what kind of content/outreach would work

2. Append to runs.log in this skill's directory:

   ## YYYY-MM-DD
   - Competitors audited: [count] ([list names])
   - Cloudflare challenges: [count, or "none"]
   - Free tool limitations hit: [list domains that returned no data or "too large", or "none"]
   - Report: [path to report file]
   

3. Update Accumulated Learnings: Review what happened during this run. If any of the following occurred, add a dated entry to the Accumulated Learnings section below:

   • A new Cloudflare mitigation strategy that worked (or one that stopped working)
   • A new Ahrefs UI change that affected extraction (selectors, dialog structure, etc.)
   • A competitor domain that needed special handling (and what worked)
   • A technique that made extraction faster or more reliable
   • Anything that would save time or avoid mistakes on the next run

   Do NOT add entries that duplicate what's already in references/ahrefs-gotchas.md — only add genuinely new knowledge.

4. Update config.json if needed: If a competitor's domain changed, a company was acquired, or a new relevant competitor was discovered during the run, update config.json to keep it current.

Accumulated Learnings

This section is maintained by the agent after each run. It captures reusable knowledge that improves future runs. Each entry should include the date and why it matters.