Overview
When clients ask what link-building work was completed, a single 'backlinks added' number rarely tells the full story. Search Atlas lets you report on each backlink source — Cloud Stacks, Press Releases, guest posts, and more — so every deliverable is visible and easy to explain. This article explains how to pull a source-level backlink report for a campaign directly from the platform.
Step 1: Access Your Campaign in the Authority Section
All link-building activity is tracked under the Authority section of Search Atlas. To get there:
- Log in to Search Atlas and select the relevant project from the project selector at the top of the dashboard.
- In the left-hand navigation, click Authority to expand the section.
- Locate the campaign you want to report on. Campaigns are listed by name under the Authority section and correspond to the project you selected.
Step 2: View Backlinks by Source Type
Within your campaign, each link-building source is tracked separately. To find and review activity by source:
- Open your campaign and look for the source tabs or filters — these include categories such as Cloud Stacks, Press Releases, Guest Posts, and Niche Edits.
- Select each source type in turn. For each source you will see individual placements with their current status: Submitted, Live, or Indexed.
- For Press Release campaigns, live pickup URLs are listed directly in the Press Release section of the Authority area. Each pickup row shows the referring domain, the live URL, and the publication date.
- For Cloud Stacks, the Cloud Stacks section shows each property in the stack, the target URL it points to, and the anchor text used.
- For guest posts and niche edits, outreach records including the target site, anchor text, and target URL are available in the Outreach section within Authority.
Step 3: Check Indexing Status with the URL Indexer
To confirm which links have been indexed by search engines:
- Navigate to Authority → Indexer (URL Indexer) in the left-hand menu.
- Any URLs you have submitted for indexing will appear here with their current indexing status.
- Use this data to distinguish live-but-not-yet-indexed links from confirmed indexed links when reporting to clients — indexed links carry the strongest demonstrable value.
Step 4: Compile the Client Report
Once you have reviewed each source section, compile your report by grouping deliverables by source type. A complete source-level client report typically includes:
- A summary of all link-building activities completed during the reporting period, grouped by source (Cloud Stacks, Press Releases, Guest Posts, Niche Edits, etc.)
- Status for each placement (Submitted, Live, or Indexed)
- Live pickup URLs where available (copy directly from the Press Release or Outreach sections)
- Referring domain, target URL, and anchor text for each manual placement
- Indexing confirmation from the URL Indexer for your strongest placements
If You Cannot Locate a Specific Source or Campaign
If a campaign or source type does not appear in the Authority section, check that the work was logged under the correct project. Switch projects using the project selector at the top of the dashboard and re-open the Authority section. If the data is still missing, note the campaign name, project name, and the source type you are looking for before reaching out — this will allow the support team to locate your data quickly.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.
Additional Notes
Label the Cloud Stacks section 'Cloud Stack Properties Built' and reference the number of properties alongside target URLs so clients can verify the work. Also: Press Release CSV exports are a primary workflow for client reporting (OTTO Authority Building tab mentioned as second workflow).