🔍 Overview
Many customers building custom client dashboards want to populate sections like Top Referring Domains and Recent Backlinks using the Search Atlas MCP or API. This article explains the current state of backlink data access, what tools are available, and how to work effectively with the data while improvements are in progress.
📊 What Backlink Data Is Currently Available
Search Atlas provides backlink and referring domain data through the platform's Authority section. You can access this data manually by navigating to Left sidebar → Authority → Campaigns to review link-building activity, or explore related tools under the Authority menu.
The following MCP tools exist for programmatic backlink access:
- se_get_backlinks — intended to return backlink-level data for a target domain
- se_get_referring_domains — intended to return a list of referring domains pointing to a target domain
⚠️ Known Issue: MCP Backlink Tools Returning No Data
There is a known active issue where se_get_backlinks and se_get_referring_domains return no data on all tested domains. Our engineering team is actively investigating this bug. Until the fix is deployed, these two MCP tools are not reliable for populating custom dashboards.
This is not a configuration error on your end. If you are calling these tools and receiving empty responses, the issue is on the platform side and is being resolved.
🛠️ Workarounds While the Fix Is in Progress
While the MCP backlink tools are under repair, consider the following options to keep your custom dashboards functional:
- Export data manually from the platform. Navigate to Left sidebar → Authority → Campaigns to review backlink campaign data. Use any available export options to pull data into your reporting workflow.
- Use the URL Indexer for link visibility. Go to Left sidebar → Authority → Indexer (URL Indexer) to check indexation status of backlink URLs you already know about.
- Combine with other available API endpoints. If your dashboard includes additional SEO metrics such as keyword rankings or organic traffic, those endpoints may already be functional. Build around the working data points while backlink tools are restored.
- Monitor the platform for updates. Once the engineering fix is deployed, se_get_backlinks and se_get_referring_domains will return data as expected and you can integrate them directly into your dashboard pipeline.
🚀 What to Expect After the Fix
Once the issue is resolved, you will be able to use the MCP tools as follows:
- Call se_get_referring_domains with a target domain to retrieve a list of domains linking to it — ideal for populating a Top Referring Domains table in your dashboard.
- Call se_get_backlinks with a target domain or URL to retrieve individual backlink records — ideal for a Recent Backlinks feed or table.
Both tools are designed to return structured data that can be mapped directly to dashboard components. No additional configuration should be required once the data pipeline is restored.
💡 Tips for Building a Reliable Custom Dashboard
- Build your dashboard with graceful empty states for backlink sections so incomplete data does not break the layout for clients.
- Add error handling around MCP tool calls so your integration can distinguish between an empty result and a failed request.
- Use caching where possible — backlink data does not change minute to minute, so storing the last successful response protects your dashboard during any future API interruptions.
🙋 Need Further Help?
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.