📌 Overview
When you add a website to your publisher dashboard, Search Atlas checks its Domain Authority (DA) to decide whether the domain can be marked active. Sometimes a newly added domain shows a DA of 0 and an inactive status, even though another SEO tool reports a much higher score, such as 41. This article explains why that happens and what you can do about it.
❓ What You May See
- A domain you recently added appears in your publisher dashboard with the status Inactive.
- The DA column shows 0.
- Another SEO tool, browser extension, or metrics checker shows a higher DA for the same website.
🧠 Why This Happens
Domain Authority is not an official Google metric. It is a score calculated by third-party providers, and each tool uses its own data and update schedule. A DA of 0 on a newly added domain usually has one of the following causes:
- The metric has not refreshed yet. When a domain is added, its authority data may not be pulled in right away. The dashboard can show 0 until the first successful update.
- Different data sources. Two tools can report different DA values for the same site because they update at different times and use different link databases.
- Domain format differences. The root domain, the www version, and a subdomain can return different results. For example, a tool may check example.co.uk while another checks www.example.co.uk.
- Country-specific domain endings. Domains ending in .co.uk or other regional extensions are sometimes not matched correctly on the first lookup.
- Temporary lookup failure. If the metric provider did not return data when the domain was added, the value may default to 0 until the next successful check.
🛠️ What to Check First
Before reaching out, run through these quick checks. They often resolve the issue or give our team what they need to fix it faster.
- Confirm the domain was entered correctly. Open your publisher dashboard and check the spelling, the extension (for example, .co.uk instead of .com), and that no extra characters or paths were added.
- Use the root domain. Enter the domain without extra pages or folders, such as example.co.uk rather than example.co.uk/blog/post.
- Check that the website is live. Open the site in your browser and make sure it loads normally and is not redirecting to another domain or showing an error.
- Give it some time. If you added the domain recently, wait and then refresh your dashboard. Metrics can take time to update after a domain is first added.
- Compare like for like. Check the DA for the exact same version of the domain in your other tool, and note which tool you used and the date of the check.
✅ How to Get the DA Rechecked
If the domain still shows DA 0 and inactive after you have completed the checks above, our team can review the listing and request a recheck. To speed things up, prepare the following information:
- The exact domain as it appears in your dashboard (for example, celebrityfigures.co.uk).
- The DA value you see in your other SEO tool.
- The name of that tool and the date you checked.
- A screenshot of your publisher dashboard showing the DA and status, if possible.
With these details, the team can verify the domain, trigger a metric refresh where needed, and confirm whether the domain qualifies to be set as active.
⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind
- Search Atlas may use a different DA source than the tool you are comparing against, so the numbers will not always match exactly.
- A domain can only be marked active if it meets the publisher requirements at the time of review. A recheck does not guarantee activation, but it ensures the decision is based on current data.
- Avoid removing and re-adding the same domain repeatedly. This does not speed up the update and can make the listing harder to track.
💡 Quick Troubleshooting Summary
- DA 0 right after adding a domain: wait for the metric to refresh, then check again.
- DA differs from another tool: this is normal, since each tool uses its own data and schedule.
- Still inactive after waiting: verify the domain spelling, make sure the site loads, and request a review with your evidence.
💬 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.