Monitor backlinks free. Know when one breaks.
Swappsy opens every page that links to your sites when you add it, then weekly on Free and daily on paid plans. When a link is removed, changes its rel or anchor text, or stops giving the link type you agreed, you get a notification and an email that says what changed.
Free to start
No credit card. Your plan sets how many links you can watch.
Deals are added for you
Links from your Swappsy deals and placements join the list on their own.
Prefer to do it by hand?
A manual tracker template is open source on GitHub (AGPL-3.0). It doesn't crawl pages or send alerts. Manual tracker on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
85%do-follow (182 of 214 live links). 132 free, 74 link exchange and 34 paid links.
| Placement URL | Target URL | Anchor text | Link type | How you got it | Status | Last check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| growthstack.blog/best-crm-for-startups | acme-crm.com | CRM for startups | Do-follow | FreeAdded by hand | Live | 2 hours ago |
| saasweekly.io/tools/2026-roundup | acme-crm.com/pricing | Acme CRM | Do-follow | PaidBought | RemovedPage no longer exists | 3 hours ago |
| dentistry-today.co.uk/choosing-a-dentist | brightdental.co | Bright Dental | Do-followPage: No-follow | FreeImported | Doesn’t match | 5 hours ago |
| startupstack.io/best-startup-tools | acme-crm.com | this tool | Do-follow | Link exchangeFrom a deal | ChangedAnchor text changed from “Acme CRM” to “this tool” | 6 hours ago |
| marketerdigest.com/email-outreach-guide | acme-crm.com/blog/outreach | outreach templates | Do-follow | Link exchangeFrom a deal | PendingNot on the page yet | 1 hour ago |
Fig. 1The underline on each link repeats its status. Sample data.
How backlink monitoring works
Three steps, and only the first one is yours.
Step 1: Add your links
Paste the pages that link to you, upload a CSV, or drop in an export from Ahrefs, Semrush or Search Console. Links from your Swappsy deals and placements are already there.
Your planUp to your limitAn import that would go over your limit adds nothing, so it is never half done.Step 2: Swappsy checks them on a schedule
Every link is checked when you add it. After that, each linking page is opened weekly on Free and daily on paid plans. Is your link still on it, where does it point, which anchor text and rel does it carry, and can Google index the page?
First checkAt once, by handImported links are picked up on the next hourly pass.Step 3: You hear when something changes
A removed, restored or changed link sends a notification in the app and an email that names the page and says what changed. Once a week, a digest counts the links removed that week.
AlertsApp and emailTurn the email off under Link alerts in Settings.
What each check catches
Swappsy reads each linking page itself, on every check. What you see is what is on the page today, not what a backlink index saw weeks ago.
- Live
- On the page, as expected.
- Removed
- The link or the page is gone. Marked after two checks in a row, so one slow load is no false alarm.
- Pending
- Added, but not on the page yet.
- Changed
- Still there, but its rel, anchor text or indexing changed. It stays flagged until you mark it as reviewed.
- Doesn’t match
- Live, but the rel gives a different link type from the one you agreed. Listed under the Changed filter.
Fig. 2The marks and words used on the Backlinks page.
Changes are compared with the last time the link was seen, so nothing is reported on the first check. A page that blocks Swappsy or times out never marks a link as removed. The link keeps its last status and is tried again at the next check.
- Removed
Link removed
The page still loads, but the link to your site is not on it any more.
- Removed
Page gone
The page returns 404 or 410, or its domain no longer resolves, so the link went with it.
- Followed
Page redirected
Swappsy follows up to five redirects and reads the page it lands on. If your link is there, nothing changes. If it is not, the link counts as removed.
- Changed
Rel changed
A do-follow link became no-follow, sponsored or UGC, or the other way round.
- Changed
Anchor text changed
The link is still there, but the words on it are different.
- Changed
Noindex added
A noindex tag or header now tells Google to leave the page out of search.
- Doesn’t match
Link type no longer matches
The link is live, but its rel is not the link type you agreed. No-follow accepts any link that passes no credit.
- Live
Removed link back
A removed link is found again and becomes Live. On links you added yourself, you are told it is back.
Alerts that say what changed
Each alert names the page and says what is different, and takes you straight to the link in Swappsy.
An email for each alert
A removed, restored or changed link sends a notification in the app and an email, unless you turn the email off under Link alerts in Settings. At most three emails of one kind go out a day; the rest wait in your notifications.
Both partners hear about deal links
When a link from a Swappsy deal is removed or stops matching the deal's link type, you and your partner are both told, so it can be put back.
A weekly digest
Every Monday morning in your time zone, one email lists what needs you, including links removed that week and link terms ending soon. If nothing needs you, nothing is sent.
The next step is one click away
On Backlinks, a removed link from a deal has a button to message your partner; any other removed link has Open details and Check again. Open a link to open the page or read its last ten checks.
FromSwappsy
SubjectA backlink was removed
Swappsy
A backlink was removed
saasweekly.io/tools/2026-roundup no longer links to acme-crm.com/pricing.
You get this because you have an account on Swappsy. Change which emails you get in Settings.
Fig. 3The two lines under the email are notifications in the app. Sample data.
Bring the links you already have
Links from your Swappsy exchanges and placements are already on the list. Add the ones you earned elsewhere in one go.
- Paste URLs
- One placement URL per line, then the target URL, anchor text and link type, split by commas, tabs or semicolons. Only the first URL is required.
- CSV file
- Upload a .csv, .tsv or .txt file up to 5 MB. Put the placement URL first; the rest is read from the order of the columns.
- Ahrefs export
- The header row is skipped and its TRUE/FALSE Nofollow column becomes the link type.
- Semrush export
- Same: the header row is skipped and its Nofollow column becomes the link type.
- Search Console
- In Links, choose Export external links, then Latest links, upload the file, and enter the page your links point to.
Links without a link type get the one found on the page, marked “Read from the page” until you confirm it. Links already in your list are skipped.
Fig. 4The form on the Backlinks page. Sample data.
See which partners hold their links
Live versus removed links, your do-follow share and a table by partner update with every check. When a client wants the detail, export it as a CSV.
By partner
Links, how many are live, how many were removed, and the share that stayed live, for each partner.
Filter and search
Show only Live, Removed, Changed, Pending or Ending soon links, or search by page, target, anchor text or partner.
Export to CSV
Every link with its status, link type, partner, term and what you paid, for spreadsheets, clients and accounting.
| Partner | Links | Live | Removed | Still live |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| growthnotes.co | 24 | 23 | 1 | 96% |
| marketerdigest.com | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% |
| startupstack.io | 18 | 16 | 2 | 89% |
| saasweekly.io | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% |
Fig. 5Still live is live links out of live plus removed. Sample data.
Everything you need to track your backlinks
A practical workflow for recording placements, checking their status automatically and protecting the SEO value you worked for.
Track every backlink in one place
Add links from partners, guest posts, outreach, organic mentions or paid placements. Links from your Swappsy deals and marketplace orders join the list on their own.
Automatic status checks
Each linking page is opened when you add the link, then weekly on Free and daily on paid plans, to see whether your link is still on it, where it points, and which anchor text and rel it carries.
Notes, invoices and proof
Keep notes, the partner's email, payment notes, invoices and files with each link. A change stays flagged until you mark it as reviewed.
Link type and how you got it
Swappsy reads whether a link is do-follow, no-follow, sponsored or UGC and warns you when it differs from the link type you agreed. You tag it Free, Link exchange or Paid.
Exchange tracking
For a swap you set up yourself, record what you received and where you linked back: page, target URL and anchor text. Deals made in Swappsy are tracked for you.
Paid link tracking
Log the amount paid, payment notes and invoices, paid or unpaid. Backlinks totals what you spent, and by link type. Paid plans add end dates with renewal reminders.
Status verification
Each check follows redirects and reads whether the page loads, whether your link is on it, its anchor text and rel, and whether the page is noindex. Anything off is flagged.
Clear reports and insights
See live versus removed links, your do-follow share, how reliable each partner is and what changed on each link, without another messy spreadsheet.
Free, link exchange or paid, each link keeps its story
Whether you earned a link, traded one with a partner or paid for it, Swappsy keeps the details so you can manage and report on it properly.
Earned, not asked for
Track earned mentions, organic citations and unsolicited backlinks with the basic placement details.
- Placement URL and target URL
- Anchor text and partner
- Do-follow, no-follow, sponsored or UGC link type
Both sides of a swap
Record both sides of a swap so every link exchange stays transparent and easier to audit later.
- Exchange details and notes
- Where you placed their link
- Their target URL and anchor text
What you paid, and for what
Keep a clear record of sponsored placements, spend and status history for your own reporting.
- Amount paid
- Payment notes and invoices
- Last ten checks, with the result
Backlink monitoring for SEO teams
Swappsy follows the way link builders work: monitor backlinks, track backlinks, check SEO links, and follow up when a valuable placement changes.
Monitor backlinks automatically
Save the placement URL, target URL, anchor text, link type and partner, and Swappsy opens the page for you instead of you checking every partner page by hand.
- Detect removed backlinks
- Catch changed anchor text
- Follow redirects and spot dead pages
Backlink tracking vs backlink monitoring
Tracking keeps a record of placements. Monitoring checks those placements over time. Swappsy does both, so every link record also has a live status.
- Track where each backlink was placed
- Monitor whether the link stays live
- Keep notes for exchanges, paid links and deals
SEO link monitoring for link builders
It matters most when you manage many exchanges, paid placements and content partnerships. One list keeps a lost link from quietly lowering a campaign's value.
- Review do-follow, no-follow, sponsored and UGC link types
- Filter by Live, Removed, Changed, Pending or Ending soon
- Export a CSV for campaign reports
Automatic link monitoring
Swappsy checks your placements for you and flags links that change or disappear, so you can follow up while a placement is still fixable. Prefer a simple manual workflow? The open-source template on GitHub (AGPL-3.0) does not crawl pages: you review and update each link yourself, and it sends no alerts.
- Confirms the link is still on the page
- Confirms the anchor text and rel attribute
- Follows redirects and detects 404s and removed pages
Learn more about backlink monitoring
Guides on link building and on using Swappsy well.
Backlink monitoring questions
1What is backlink monitoring?
Backlink monitoring is the process of checking whether backlinks you earned, exchanged, or paid for are still live, pointing to the right URL, and using the expected anchor text and rel attributes.
2How often are links checked?
Every link is checked when you add it, then weekly on Free and daily on paid plans. A link you add by hand is checked at once, and links you import are picked up on the next hourly pass. Links from your deals and orders are checked every day. Each link shows when it was last checked, so you can see how fresh its status is.
3What counts as a removed link?
A link counts as removed when two checks in a row find that the page no longer links to your site, the page returns 404 or 410, or it redirects to a page without your link. If the link is still there but its rel or anchor text changed, or the page now has a noindex tag, it shows as Changed instead, so you can decide whether it matters.
4What does Swappsy check on each link?
Whether the page loads, whether your target URL is on it, which anchor text and rel it carries (nofollow, sponsored, ugc), whether the page has a noindex tag, and whether the link still gives the link type you agreed.
5Is this an automatic backlink checker?
Yes. Swappsy automatically checks whether your backlinks are still live, point to the right URL and keep the expected anchor and rel attribute. The open-source GitHub repo is a manual tracking template, not a crawler or backlink checker.
6What if a site blocks crawlers?
Some sites block bots or show a challenge page instead of the article. When Swappsy can't open a page, it doesn't mark the link as removed. The link keeps its last status, a Removed or Pending link says the page didn't load at the last check, and it is tried again at the next check. You can also press Check now on a link to retry at once.
7How many links can I track?
The Free plan watches up to 1,000 links, with no credit card. Paid plans watch more. Links from your Swappsy deals and placements are added for you, and you can import the rest from a spreadsheet, Ahrefs, Semrush or Search Console in one go.
8What's the difference between backlink tracking and backlink monitoring?
Tracking means keeping a record of your backlinks: where each one is, what it points to and its anchor text. Monitoring means checking each one again on a schedule and being told when something changes. Swappsy does both: every link is recorded with its source, then checked again on a schedule: weekly on Free and daily on paid plans.
9Can I track link exchanges and paid placements too?
Yes. Mark each link as Free, Link exchange or Paid, and add notes, payment details and invoices. Links from your Swappsy deals, including content collaborations, are tracked for you.
10Will I get notified if a backlink is removed?
Yes. A removed, restored or changed link sends a notification in the app and an email, unless you turn the email off under Link alerts in Settings. For links in a deal, both partners are told when a link is removed. The open-source template does not send alerts.
11Can I use Swappsy for SEO link monitoring after link exchanges?
Yes. Swappsy is built for SEO link monitoring across link exchanges, content collaborations, guest posts, paid placements, and tool and listicle mentions, so you can keep each relationship accountable.