Trust Flow and Citation Flow are Majestic's two core metrics for analyzing a site's backlink profile, and they tell very different stories about a domain. Trust Flow (TF) estimates the quality of links based on proximity to trusted seed sites, while Citation Flow (CF) simply measures link volume and strength. The TF/CF ratio is one of the most useful spam signals available to expired domain buyers: a wide gap between the two is a red flag. Understanding how to read these metrics can save you from buying a domain that looks authoritative but is built on junk links.
What Trust Flow is
Trust Flow estimates the quality of a site's backlinks by looking at closeness to trusted seed sites. The idea is that sites linked directly from a trusted seed deserve more trust than sites that are many links away from one: the further from the trusted seeds, the lower the Trust Flow.
Trust Flow is a quality metric: it reflects whether your backlinks come from legitimate sources or from junk. Majestic documents the exact method, so check its site for the details.
What Citation Flow is
Citation Flow estimates link volume and power. A site with many backlinks from strong domains will have high CF, regardless of whether those domains are spammy or legitimate. CF is not a quality signal; it is a quantity and strength signal.
CF can sit well above TF. A domain with CF 40 and TF 15 (a hypothetical example) has lots of link volume, but many of those links probably come from low-quality sources. That gap is the warning sign.
The TF/CF ratio and why it matters
The TF/CF ratio is the key metric for spotting spam. If a domain has high CF but low TF, the links are strong in quantity and domain strength, but weak in quality. This is a classic sign of artificial link building, PBN links, or links from marginally spammy networks.
A domain with TF 20, CF 20 has balanced, quality backlinks. A domain with TF 5, CF 50 has lots of links from strong domains, but most of them are not from trusted sources. That domain might be on a private blog network or has attracted links from link-farming operations.
For expired domains, the rule of thumb is simple: the wider the gap between CF and TF, the more cautious you should be. A TF far below CF suggests many low-quality links, and the more extreme the gap, the more likely the domain was used for link-farming or sits in a link network, which makes buying it high-risk.
Good values and thresholds
There are no official thresholds. What counts as good TF and CF depends on the domain's age, niche and intended use, so treat the bands below as rough rules of thumb, not facts:
- TF 0-5, CF 0-5: Minimal backlink profile, likely new or obscure. Low risk if the history is clean, low upside.
- TF 5-15, CF 10-30: Reasonable for newer sites or niche domains. If TF and CF are roughly aligned (TF about half of CF or better), the links are more likely to be legitimate.
- TF 15-30, CF 25-50: Good authority with quality backlinks. This is a solid target for expired domain buyers. High TF relative to CF is a positive signal.
- TF 30+, CF 50+: Strong domain with established authority. Check the Wayback Machine and archive history carefully, as these domains attract scrutiny.
A domain with TF 25, CF 28 is healthier than a domain with TF 10, CF 50. The first has genuine, balanced authority. The second is built on quantity, not quality.
Topical Trust Flow: relevance
Beyond the overall TF score, Majestic provides Topical Trust Flow, which breaks down trust by topic. It shows which industries or categories your backlinks come from. This matters because a finance domain with high TF from gambling and CBD sites has toxic links that won't help rank in finance.
When you check a domain, look at the topics of the linking sites. If you plan to build a health and wellness blog on an expired domain, and the Topical Trust Flow shows it has most links from pharmaceutical spam or weight-loss sites, the links are useless to you. Google's expired domain abuse policy targets expired domains repurposed primarily to manipulate rankings with content of little value, and a mismatch between the old link topics and the new content is one more reason to be careful.
Free ways to check Trust Flow and Citation Flow
Trust Flow and Citation Flow are Majestic metrics, so Majestic is the source. Majestic may offer limited free lookups, but what is free changes over time, so check its site for the current options. Semrush's Authority Score is a different metric and not a substitute for TF/CF.
For deeper analysis, like the Topical Trust Flow breakdown and referring domain detail, expect to need a paid plan. Even a basic lookup is usually enough to spot obvious spam (CF way higher than TF) and rule out junk domains quickly. If you find promising domains, hunter.domains provides detailed metrics and alerts.
Reading Trust Flow alongside Domain Rating
The combination of Domain Rating (Ahrefs), Trust Flow (Majestic), and their alignment tells you the most complete story about a domain's backlink profile.
A domain with DR 50, TF 25, and CF 30 is solid. The DR is high, the TF/CF ratio is balanced, and the backlinks are quality. A domain with DR 45, TF 8, CF 45 is suspicious. The DR is lower, the TF/CF ratio is unbalanced, and Majestic sees low trust despite the high CF. This domain might have gotten links from a PBN that Ahrefs sees as strong but Majestic sees as low-trust.
When evaluating on hunter.domains, we combine DR, Trust Flow, and referring domain count to surface domains worth investigating. A single metric can lie; the combination is harder to game.
Use this combination as your shortlist filter: look for domains with reasonable DR (20-50 depending on your niche), TF at least about half of CF (a ratio of 1:2 or better), and referring domain count in the dozens rather than single digits. This combination signals legitimate authority rather than artificial or spam-driven profiles.
Why the metrics diverge
Ahrefs and Majestic use different backlink databases and may discover links at different times. A domain might have new links that one tool has seen and the other has not, causing temporary divergence. More importantly, they measure different things. DR reflects the strength of the referring domains; Majestic's TF reflects proximity to trusted seed sites. This means a domain with links from strong but untrusted sites might have high DR but lower TF. Neither disagreement means the domain is bad; it means the tools are measuring different aspects of the backlink profile. Check both and ask: what story do they tell together?
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Trust Flow?
For most sites, TF 15-30 is solid, especially if the TF/CF ratio is balanced. For expired domains, TF 20 or higher from quality seed-site neighborhoods is a positive sign. Lower TF with low CF can still be acceptable if the domain name and history are strong. Context matters: a TF of 5 on a three-year-old domain is less concerning than TF 5 on a domain that was supposedly active for 15 years.
What is a good TF/CF ratio?
A TF/CF ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 is healthy: Trust Flow equal to Citation Flow, or close. For expired domains, aim for TF at least about half of CF. If CF is far above TF, question the links. At an extreme gap, the domain may have been used for link schemes.
How do you increase Trust Flow?
Trust Flow increases when high-trust sites link to you. These are legitimate editorial links from established, trusted sources: news outlets, universities, industry associations. You cannot fake TF easily. Bulk-buying links tends to raise CF without raising TF. Growing TF requires earning links from quality sites, which is slow and cannot be shortcut. For expired domains, TF is fixed at purchase; you can only build it post-acquisition through quality content and outreach.
