Is It Normal for 40 Referring Domains to Become 8 After Cleanup?

If you've been cleaning up backlink profiles, you may have noticed something alarming: a sharp drop in the number of referring domains. One common scenario I often see is a profile with 40 referring domains suddenly dropping to 8 after a proper cleanup. At first glance, this might seem drastic or even concerning. But in reality, it’s often not only normal—it’s a sign you’re on the right track towards improving your backlink profile’s health.

In this post, I’ll break down exactly why this happens, how spam backlinks inflate your filter spam backlinks metrics in tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer, and how to use the Ahrefs "Best links" feature effectively. I’ll also cover the difference between filtering and disavowing bad links—and why that matters when you’re striving for quality links only.

The 40 to 8 Example: Why So Many Go Away?

Let’s start with a quick real-world example to ground the discussion: a client’s backlink profile initially shows 40 referring domains. After cleanup, only 8 remain.

Why so many disappeared? Because many were low-quality, spammy, or outright toxic domains. What’s the impact? Your backlink profile sheds spam bloat metrics, leaving only quality links that actually matter for SEO.

Now, this isn’t an uncommon situation. One audit I did recently uncovered 3,192 spam domains linking to a client’s site via low-quality PBNs and link farms. These spammy links bloated the domain’s metrics in Ahrefs massively and artificially inflated their referring domain count.

When you do a proper cleanup—spotting link farms, PBN footprints, and junk directories—those numbers will shrink dramatically. For instance, going from 40 to 8 referring domains after removing spam is a sign you are getting rid of spam bloat.

Spam Backlinks Inflate Ahrefs Metrics

Tools like Ahrefs collect tons of backlink data, but not all of it is created equal. What the tool calls "referring domains" includes every domain linking, regardless of quality. Spam backlinks—links from low-quality or irrelevant sites—inflate your total counts and can mess with your true SEO potential.

Here’s why you need to watch out:

Metrics Mislead You: High domain and backlink counts look good on the surface, but spam bloat distorts the reality. False Confidence: You might be ranking poorly despite having tens of referring domains because many are toxic or irrelevant. Cleanup Complexity: Manual and tool-assisted audits are a must to filter out spam. Merely relying on raw tool data can hurt your strategy.

Remember: Don’t confuse bulk numbers with genuine SEO strength. Always prioritize quality links only.

How to Use Ahrefs "Best links" Feature With a Custom Exclusion List

Ahrefs introduced the "Best links" feature to help sift through backlink clutter. It smartly filters links based on quality signals such as:

Link type (dofollow vs nofollow) Domain relevance Link visibility Anchor text quality

By default, this view aims to surface your most valuable backlinks. However, for a truly clean picture, I always recommend applying a custom exclusion list alongside this feature.

Why add a custom exclusion list?

Ahrefs’s default filters don’t catch every spam domain or classic PBN footprint. Consistent offenders (e.g., certain spam sites you repeatedly see across clients) can be added to a personal blocklist. Excluding these domains reduces metric inflation and shows only genuine authority links.

Tip: Save your custom exclusion list as a filter in Ahrefs and apply it anytime during audits for quicker, more reliable results.

Saving a Default View in Site Explorer for Faster Cleanup Workflows

One huge time-saver when dealing with backlink cleanups is saving your preferred view in Ahrefs Site Explorer. Once you set up filtering to exclude spammy domains and use the "Best links" filter, you can save this as a default view to jump straight into a clean, easy-to-read report every time.

Benefits of saving a default view include:

Consistency: You and your team always look at the same filtered data. Efficiency: No need to repeat manual filter applications on every report. Accuracy: Reduces risk of analyzing spam skewed metrics, leading to better decisions.

To save a default view in Ahrefs:

Apply your filters and custom exclusions. Click "Save as default" (available for logged-in users). Next time you open the report, the clean view loads automatically.

This simple step can save you hours, especially when managing multiple clients or large domains.

Filtering vs. Disavowing Links: Why It Matters

As someone who has done over a decade of backlink audits, I see confusion all the time between filtering links inside tools vs. formally disavowing backlinks through Google Search Console.

Filtering refers to:

Adjusting views within your SEO tool (like Ahrefs) to exclude spam domains temporarily. Getting accurate data insights without permanently affecting your backlink profile.

Disavowing is:

Submitting a disavow file to Google to tell them to ignore certain backlinks completely. A permanent action meant only for seriously toxic backlinks that can cause penalties.

Why should you care about the difference?

Over-disavowing: Sending too many domains to disavow—especially borderline or decent links—can hurt your rankings. Rely on filtering early: You can use filtering in Ahrefs and other tools to narrow your cleanup scope and spot real problem links. Use disavow wisely: Disavow only after thorough audit and when links pose a genuine risk.

Filtering helps you analyze and plan; disavowing helps you execute when necessary.

Summary: Quality Links Only

So, is it normal for 40 referring domains to become 8 after cleanup? Yes. And here’s why you shouldn’t panic:

Before Cleanup After Cleanup Why This Matters 40 referring domains (many spammy) 8 referring domains (high quality) Spam backlinks inflate Ahrefs metrics, giving a false picture. Metrics bloated by 3,192 spam domains Clean profile with focused quality links only Better SEO health, accurate domain authority measurement

Use Ahrefs Site Explorer’s “Best links” with a custom exclusion list to spot true quality. Save default views for quick access and streamline your audit process. Remember, filtering is your data hygiene step, while disavow is a last resort tool that requires careful consideration.

Managing spam bloat metrics isn’t about chasing numbers. It’s about focusing on the links that genuinely deliver value—quality links only.

Final Tips

Build and maintain a personal blocklist of repeat-offender spam domains for faster cleanup. Don’t confuse filters within Ahrefs with Google’s spam score or penalty filters. Use disavow sparingly; most cleanup can be done by smart filtering and manual outreach.

Cleaning backlink profiles is tedious but vital work. Embrace the drop from 40 to 8 referring domains as a step toward a powerful, future-proof SEO profile.