Ahrefs internal links are the internal linking data tracked inside Ahrefs' Site Explorer and Site Audit tools showing which pages on a site link to each other, where links are missing, and where they've broken. This guide walks through what these reports show and how to use them.
What Are Ahrefs Internal Links?
Inside Ahrefs, "internal links" refers to hyperlinks connecting one page of a website to another page on that same domain.
Ahrefs tracks these through a crawl of your site, then surfaces them across a few different reports depending on what you're trying to check existing links, missing links, or broken ones.
It's worth being precise here, because the term gets used loosely.
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Internal Links vs. Internal Backlinks in Ahrefs
Ahrefs itself uses "internal backlinks" and "internal links" more or less interchangeably.
The Internal Backlinks report, specifically, lives in Site Explorer and shows links pointing to a given domain, URL, or subsection from elsewhere on the same site.
Why Internal Links Matter for SEO
Search engines rely on internal links to find and understand pages. A page with no internal links pointing to it an orphan page can still get indexed occasionally, usually through a sitemap or an external backlink, but it's the exception, not the rule.
Internal links also distribute PageRank (link equity) across a site, and anchor text gives search engines additional context about what the linked page covers.
Sitelinks, the extra links Google sometimes shows underneath a search result, are also influenced by how a site's internal structure is organized.
In practice, sites with a clear internal linking pattern tend to have an easier time getting new pages discovered and indexed quickly.
How to Find Internal Links Using Ahrefs
Ahrefs splits internal link data across two main tools, and which one you reach for depends on what you're checking.
Internal Backlinks Report (Site Explorer)
This report shows the internal links pointing to a specific domain, URL, or section of a site including anchor text and whether each link is dofollow or nofollow.
It's useful for three things in particular: finding nofollow internal links that might be blocking crawl access, filtering by HTTP status code to spot broken or redirected pages, and checking whether a page that ranks well with few external backlinks might actually be ranking because of strong internal linking.
Teams commonly run this report before a content refresh, just to see what's already pointing at a page before deciding what to add.
Site Audit Internal Link Reports
Site Audit works from a full crawl of your own site rather than looking at one URL at a time. Within it, the Internal Pages report flags issues like broken (4xx) internal links.
The Links report identifies orphan pages ones with no incoming internal links at all. And the Internal Link Opportunities report suggests where to add new links, based on keyword relevance between pages, and even points to the specific passage where a link could go.
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Ahrefs Internal Link Reports Compared
The table below breaks down which report to use, and when.
|
Report |
Where to Find It |
What It Shows |
Best For |
|
Internal Backlinks |
Site Explorer |
Internal links pointing to a domain, URL, or subsection, with anchor text and follow/nofollow status |
Auditing links already pointing to a page |
|
Internal Pages (Issues) |
Site Audit |
Crawl-based list of internal link problems, including broken links |
Finding broken internal links |
|
Links Report |
Site Audit |
Orphan pages with no incoming internal links |
Finding pages that are hard for Google to discover |
|
Internal Link Opportunities |
Site Audit |
Suggested pages to link together, with placement suggestions |
Finding new internal linking opportunities |
Types of Internal Links
Not every internal link carries the same weight, and it helps to know the categories before deciding where to focus.
Navigational Links
The links in your main menu. Consistent across the site, and usually the primary way visitors get around.
Contextual Links
Links placed within body content inside a paragraph, pointing to a related page. These tend to carry more SEO weight than structural links, since they're editorial rather than templated.
Breadcrumb Links
The trail at the top of a page showing where it sits in the site hierarchy. Google has indicated these are treated as normal links for ranking purposes.
Footer Links
Links at the bottom of a page often policy pages, contact info, or secondary navigation. Useful, but rarely a primary discovery path.
Related Content Links
Modules at the end of an article or in a sidebar, pointing to related pieces. Helpful for surfacing older content that's still relevant.
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How to Build an Internal Linking Structure
Getting internal linking right isn't really about any single tactic it's about a handful of habits applied consistently.
Plan Site Hierarchy First
A pyramid structure, where every page sits within a few clicks of the homepage, tends to make it easier for both users and crawlers to understand how pages relate to each other.
Choose Topic Clusters Over Strict Silos
Grouping content by URL folder is common, but linking purely within those folders can wall off related topics from each other. A pillar page linked to and from related subtopic pages usually works better than a rigid silo.
Prioritize the Pages You Care About
Not every page needs equal internal link weight. Cornerstone content, key product pages, or high-value service pages generally deserve more internal links pointing to them than a minor blog post.
Write Descriptive Anchor Text
"Click here" tells a crawler nothing. Anchor text that describes the destination page and varies naturally across different links to the same page gives more context.
Place Links Where They'll Actually Be Seen
Links in the main body of a page tend to carry more weight than links buried in a footer or sidebar, partly because they're more likely to be clicked.
Avoid Over-Linking
There's no fixed rule for how many internal links a page should have. Somewhere around 3–5 contextual links per article is a reasonable starting point for most content, though it depends on length.
In practice, this usually means asking whether each link genuinely helps a reader not adding links purely for the sake of adding them.
How to Audit and Fix Internal Link Issues in Ahrefs
Internal linking isn't a one-time setup. Sites change, pages get removed, and links break. A periodic audit catches most of what goes wrong.
Finding Broken Internal Links
After a Site Audit crawl, the Internal Pages report flags 4xx errors links pointing to pages that no longer exist. These need to either be removed or redirected, depending on whether the target page had value.
Finding Orphan Pages
The Links report under Site Audit's Issues tab lists pages with no incoming internal links. If an important page shows up here, it's usually a simple fix: add a link to it from a relevant, already-linked page.
Finding and Fixing Nofollow Internal Links
Nofollow tags on internal links block link equity from passing through. Filtering the Internal Backlinks report by nofollow status surfaces these, so they can be reviewed and changed where appropriate.
Finding New Internal Link Opportunities
Rather than manually searching for relevant pages to link between, the Internal Link Opportunities report in Site Audit does this automatically, based on shared keyword relevance across crawled pages.
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Conclusion
Ahrefs internal links data split across Site Explorer and Site Audit helps track what's linked, what's missing, and what's broken. Used regularly, it keeps a site's internal structure easier for both users and search engines to navigate.
FAQ
What is the Ahrefs Internal Backlinks report?
It's a Site Explorer report showing internal links pointing to a chosen domain, URL, or subsection, including anchor text and follow/nofollow status.
How many internal links should a page have?
There's no fixed number. Around 3–5 contextual links per article is a common starting point, adjusted for content length.
Do internal links need to be dofollow?
Generally yes, since nofollow blocks link equity. Nofollow is typically reserved for pages that don't need to be indexed, like login or filter pages.
What is an orphan page?
A page with no internal links pointing to it. It can still get indexed occasionally, but it's harder for search engines and users to find.
What's the difference between Site Explorer and Site Audit for internal links?
Site Explorer's Internal Backlinks report looks at links to one URL or section. Site Audit crawls the whole site and flags issues like broken links and orphan pages.
