Import backlinks

import_backlinks Store a backlink export the user already owns, from Ahrefs, Search Console, Semrush, Majestic, Moz, DataForSEO, Linkody or a generic CSV, as discovery candidates. Costs nothing and buys nothing: the user already paid their supplier. The supplier is named in provenance and its dates stay supplier dates, separate from any check we run. An import NEVER claims complete coverage, because nothing in an export says whether it is the whole result or one filtered page. Rejected rows come back with the response, identified by position; none is dropped. Re-importing the same rows returns the same run rather than duplicating candidates. Imported rows are not verified links, are not enrolled in monitoring, and never enter a shared corpus.

Hosted MCP registration verified. These schemas describe the development contract; confirm supported inputs with tools/list. Generic CLI/HTTP calls require a matching development server. Configure LINKTRAIL_API_URL; production does not expose these command routes.

Access	Behavior
`discovery:write`	Writes or admits work

Reading saved data does not start a verification job. Mutations can change saved records or access; the effects below apply.

Example request

Connect through MCP, CLI, or HTTP. Replace example identifiers with records from your workspace.

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "import_backlinks",
    "arguments": {
      "projectId": "project_example",
      "supplier": "ahrefs",
      "targetKind": "domain",
      "target": "example.com",
      "includeSubdomains": false,
      "backlinksStatus": "live",
      "rows": [
        {
          "source_url": "https://publisher.example.com/resources",
          "target_url": "https://example.com/guide"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

linktrail call import_backlinks --args '{"projectId":"project_example","supplier":"ahrefs","targetKind":"domain","target":"example.com","includeSubdomains":false,"backlinksStatus":"live","rows":[{"source_url":"https://publisher.example.com/resources","target_url":"https://example.com/guide"}]}'

curl "$LINKTRAIL_API_URL/v1/commands/import_backlinks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKTRAIL_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{"projectId":"project_example","supplier":"ahrefs","targetKind":"domain","target":"example.com","includeSubdomains":false,"backlinksStatus":"live","rows":[{"source_url":"https://publisher.example.com/resources","target_url":"https://example.com/guide"}]}'

Returned result

Illustrative data validated against the documented response schema. IDs and dates are examples, not a live account capture. MCP returns this data in structuredContent and in a text content block; generic HTTP and CLI return the JSON result directly.

{
  "v": 1,
  "id": "dr_import_example",
  "workspace_id": "ws_example",
  "project_id": "project_example",
  "provider": "imported",
  "data_mode": "imported",
  "query": {
    "target_kind": "domain",
    "target": "example.com",
    "include_subdomains": false,
    "backlinks_status_type": "live",
    "exclude_internal_backlinks": true,
    "mode": "as_is",
    "filters": null,
    "order_by": [
      "as_supplied"
    ],
    "rank_scale": null,
    "page_limit": 1,
    "row_limit": 1
  },
  "status": "partial",
  "created_at": "2026-09-13T12:00:00.000Z",
  "started_at": "2026-09-13T12:00:00.000Z",
  "finished_at": "2026-09-13T12:00:00.000Z",
  "coverage": "partial",
  "coverage_reason": "import_scope_unknown",
  "provider_total_count": null,
  "usage": {
    "unit": "discovery",
    "currency": "USD",
    "quote_id": "import_example",
    "max_cost_microusd": 0,
    "reserved_cost_microusd": 0,
    "provider_reported_cost_microusd": 0,
    "request_count": 1,
    "returned_rows": 1,
    "accepted_candidates": 1,
    "rejected_rows": 0,
    "duplicate_rows": 0
  },
  "operation": "backlinks",
  "coverage_scope": "customer_import",
  "whole_web_coverage": false,
  "replayed": false,
  "rejected": [],
  "duplicates": [],
  "rejected_total": 0,
  "duplicates_total": 0
}

Input fields

Omit optional fields when you do not want to supply them. Null is accepted only where listed. Unknown input properties are rejected.

Field	Type	Presence	Meaning and constraints
`projectId`	string	Required	Identifier of the project returned by its create or list operation. pattern: ”^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{1,128}$“
`supplier`	string	Required	Source of imported candidate evidence, retained as provenance. values: “ahrefs”, “google_search_console”, “semrush”, “majestic”, “moz”, “dataforseo”, “linkody”, “csv”
`targetKind`	string	Required	Whether target identifies an exact URL or a domain. values: “domain”, “exact_url”
`target`	string	Required	Exact URL or domain to query, interpreted according to targetKind. minLength: 1; maxLength: 4096
`includeSubdomains`	boolean	Required	Include subdomains of the selected domain in this query.
`backlinksStatus`	string	Required	Supplier-reported backlink status filter; this is not Linktrail verification. values: “live”, “lost”, “all”
`rows`	array	Required	Each row requires source_url and target_url. target_url is the row destination; the outer target defines the import scope. Optional fields are shown in the row schema. Invalid rows return positional errors without rejecting valid neighbors. Example: {“source_url”:“https://publisher.example/article”,“target_url”:“https://example.com/”,“anchor”:“Example”}. minItems: 1; maxItems: 1000
`rows[].source_url`	string	Required	See the typed schema and response example for this field. maxLength: 4096
`rows[].target_url`	string	Required	See the typed schema and response example for this field. maxLength: 4096
`rows[].anchor`	string / null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].rel`	object / null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].dofollow`	boolean,null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].link_type`	string / null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].first_seen`	string / null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].last_seen`	string / null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].is_lost`	boolean,null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`rows[].supplier_row_id`	string / null	Optional	Identifier returned by the related operation.
`rows[].supplier_metrics`	object / null	Optional	See the typed schema and response example for this field.
`supplierGeneratedAt`	string / null	Optional	Supplier export generation timestamp, distinct from import time. default: null
`idempotencyKey`	string	Optional	Caller-generated key reused only for retries of the same operation and arguments in this workspace. pattern: ”^[\x21-\x7e]{1,200}$“

Validation and omitted values

includeSubdomains and backlinksStatus are required import scope choices. Omitted supplierGeneratedAt remains null, rather than using the import date as a supplier date. Omitted idempotencyKey uses deterministic content-based import identity. Re-importing the same scope, supplier and rows as supplied reuses the run. Imported order remains as_supplied. Every row requires source_url and target_url. Optional supplier metadata retains its provenance; invalid rows are returned with their positions while valid neighbors continue.

Defaults when omitted

Field	Default
`supplierGeneratedAt`	`null`

Output fields

Fields inside optional or nullable parents apply only when that parent exists. Common schema conventions explain evidence states, empty lists and extensions.

Field	Type	Presence	Meaning and constraints
`v`	number	Required	v recorded for this result. must equal 1
`id`	string	Required	Resource identifier returned by the operation. minLength: 1; maxLength: 128; pattern: ”^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$“
`workspace_id`	string	Required	Workspace that owns this record. minLength: 1; maxLength: 128; pattern: ”^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$“
`project_id`	string	Required	Project that owns this record. minLength: 1; maxLength: 128; pattern: ”^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$“
`provider`	string	Required	provider recorded for this result. values: “linktrail_corpus”, “dataforseo”, “imported”
`data_mode`	string	Required	data mode recorded for this result. values: “synthetic”, “owned_corpus”, “provider_index”, “imported”
`query`	object	Required	query recorded for this result. additional fields rejected
`query.target_kind`	string	Required	target kind recorded for this result. values: “domain”, “exact_url”
`query.target`	string	Required	target recorded for this result. minLength: 1; maxLength: 4096
`query.include_subdomains`	boolean	Required	include subdomains recorded for this result.
`query.backlinks_status_type`	string	Required	backlinks status type recorded for this result. values: “live”, “lost”, “all”
`query.exclude_internal_backlinks`	boolean	Required	exclude internal backlinks recorded for this result.
`query.mode`	string	Required	mode recorded for this result. must equal “as_is”
`query.filters`	null	Required	filters recorded for this result.
`query.order_by`	array	Required	order by recorded for this result. minItems: 1; maxItems: 1
`query.rank_scale`	string / null	Required	rank scale recorded for this result.
`query.page_limit`	integer	Required	page limit recorded for this result. minimum: 1; maximum: 1000
`query.row_limit`	integer	Required	row limit recorded for this result. minimum: 1; maximum: 1000
`status`	string	Required	Resource lifecycle status. values: “queued”, “running”, “succeeded”, “partial”, “failed”, “reconciliation_required”
`created_at`	string	Required	UTC timestamp when the record was created. format: “date-time”; pattern: ”^(?:(?:\d\d[2468][048]\|\d\d[13579][26]\|\d\d0[48]\|[02468][048]00\|[13579][26]00)-02-29\|\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]\|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]\|[12]\d\|3[01])\|(?:0[469]\|11)-(?:0[1-9]\|[12]\d\|30)\|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]\|1\d\|2[0-8])))T(?:(?:[01]\d\|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d:[0-5]\d\.\d{3}(?:Z))$“
`started_at`	string / null	Required	started at recorded for this result.
`finished_at`	string / null	Required	finished at recorded for this result.
`coverage`	string	Required	Dataset scope and completeness, including limits on what these results establish. values: “pending”, “complete_for_query”, “capped”, “partial”, “unknown”
`coverage_reason`	string / null	Required	coverage reason recorded for this result.
`provider_total_count`	integer / null	Required	provider total count recorded for this result.
`usage`	object	Required	usage recorded for this result. additional fields rejected
`usage.unit`	string	Required	unit recorded for this result. must equal “discovery”
`usage.currency`	string	Required	currency recorded for this result. must equal “USD”
`usage.quote_id`	string	Required	quote id recorded for this result. minLength: 1; maxLength: 128; pattern: ”^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$“
`usage.max_cost_microusd`	integer	Required	max cost microusd recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`usage.reserved_cost_microusd`	integer	Required	reserved cost microusd recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`usage.provider_reported_cost_microusd`	integer / null	Required	provider reported cost microusd recorded for this result.
`usage.request_count`	integer	Required	request count recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`usage.returned_rows`	integer	Required	returned rows recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`usage.accepted_candidates`	integer	Required	accepted candidates recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`usage.rejected_rows`	integer	Required	rejected rows recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`usage.duplicate_rows`	integer	Required	duplicate rows recorded for this result. minimum: 0; maximum: 9007199254740991
`operation`	string	Required	operation recorded for this result. must equal “backlinks”
`coverage_scope`	string	Required	coverage scope recorded for this result. values: “customer_import”, “corpus_subset”, “provider_query”
`whole_web_coverage`	boolean	Required	False: these results do not measure the whole web. must equal false
`replayed`	boolean	Optional	True when the response reuses an earlier request with the same idempotency value.
`rejected`	array	Required	rejected recorded for this result.
`rejected[].row`	number	Required	row recorded for this result.
`rejected[].reason`	string	Required	Recorded explanation; null when no explanation applies.
`duplicates`	array	Required	duplicates recorded for this result.
`duplicates[].row`	number	Required	row recorded for this result.
`duplicates[].first_seen_on_row`	number	Required	first seen on row recorded for this result.
`rejected_total`	number	Required	rejected total recorded for this result.
`duplicates_total`	number	Required	duplicates total recorded for this result.

Download input schema · Download output schema

Errors and retries

The command is annotated idempotent. Reuse an accepted idempotency key when the input provides one; changing the payload under a reused key can conflict. See error recovery for status, scope, cooldown, cursor and retry handling. Unknown observations are result data and do not establish loss.

HTTP resource routes

These existing resource routes share the operation’s domain behavior. Their parameter placement, status and response envelope can differ from generic invocation. See HTTP route details.

Method and route	Success	Details
`POST /v1/discovery/imports`	201	Remaining arguments go in a JSON object body. Supply idempotencyKey as the Idempotency-Key header on this resource route.

Continue

get_discovery_run · list_discovery_candidates Follow the related workflow, inspect capability status, or return to the command index.

Overview

Cloud operations

Repository tools

HTTP and events

Example request

Returned result

Input fields

Validation and omitted values

Defaults when omitted

Output fields

Errors and retries

HTTP resource routes

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​Example request

​Returned result

​Input fields

​Validation and omitted values

​Defaults when omitted

​Output fields

​Errors and retries

​HTTP resource routes

​Continue

Example request

Returned result

Input fields

Validation and omitted values

Defaults when omitted

Output fields

Errors and retries

HTTP resource routes

Continue