Trust Flow (TF) is a metric developed by Majestic that measures the quality and trustworthiness of a website based on the quality of sites linking to it. Scored from 0-100, Trust Flow indicates how trustworthy a site is based on its backlink profile's quality rather than quantity.
How Trust Flow Works#
The Concept#
Trust Flow is based on the idea that:
- Trust flows through links
- Links from trusted sites confer trust
- Trust decays across link distance
- Quality matters more than quantity
Seed Sites#
Majestic uses "seed sites"—manually curated trusted websites—as the foundation:
- Government sites
- Major educational institutions
- Established, trusted publications
- Industry authorities
Sites close to seed sites (in link distance) have higher Trust Flow.
The Algorithm#
Trust Flow measures:
- How many clicks away from seed sites
- Quality of sites in the link chain
- Strength of trust signals along the path
Trust Flow vs Citation Flow#
The Pair#
Majestic provides two complementary metrics:
| Trust Flow (TF) | Citation Flow (CF) | |-----------------|-------------------| | Measures quality | Measures quantity | | How trustworthy | How influential | | Based on link quality | Based on link volume | | Harder to manipulate | Easier to inflate |
Using Them Together#
TF:CF ratio reveals link profile health:
| Ratio | Interpretation | |-------|----------------| | TF ≈ CF | Balanced, healthy profile | | TF much greater than CF | Rare, very high quality | | TF much less than CF | Many low-quality links |
The Ratio Rule of Thumb#
Healthy: TF is at least 50% of CF
Warning: TF is less than 25% of CF
Example:
- TF 30, CF 35 = Healthy (ratio ≈ 0.86)
- TF 15, CF 60 = Concerning (ratio = 0.25)
Interpreting Trust Flow Scores#
Score Ranges#
| TF Range | Typical Sites | |----------|---------------| | 0-10 | New sites, low authority | | 10-25 | Established small sites | | 25-40 | Good authority sites | | 40-60 | Strong authority | | 60+ | Major trusted sites |
Context Matters#
Trust Flow is relative:
- Industry benchmarks vary
- Compare to competitors
- Consider alongside other metrics
- Not a Google ranking factor
Trust Flow in Link Building#
Prospecting#
Use Trust Flow to filter prospects:
Minimum TF: Set based on your goals
- TF 10+: Basic quality
- TF 20+: Moderate quality
- TF 30+: Good quality
- TF 40+: High quality
TF:CF check: Verify ratio indicates quality
Evaluating Opportunities#
Good prospect indicators:
- TF at least 50% of CF
- TF appropriate for the site type
- Topical relevance present
- Real traffic alongside metrics
Warning signs:
- Very low TF with high CF
- TF/CF mismatch with site appearance
- Metrics inconsistent with content quality
Improving Trust Flow#
What Helps#
Quality backlinks: Links from high-TF sites
Cleaning profile: Removing/disavowing spam
Patience: Trust builds over time
Relevance: Industry-relevant quality links
What Doesn't Help#
Quantity: More links without quality
Spam: Low-quality links hurt TF
Link schemes: May inflate CF but not TF
Purchased links: Usually low trust
Trust Flow Limitations#
What It Isn't#
Not a Google metric: Google doesn't use Trust Flow
Not a ranking factor: Correlation isn't causation
Not absolute: A score, not a guarantee
Use Cases#
Best for:
- Comparing sites relatively
- Quick quality assessment
- Prospecting filters
- Profile health checks
Not best for:
- Predicting exact rankings
- Single-metric decisions
- Ignoring other factors
Topical Trust Flow#
What It Is#
Majestic also provides Topical Trust Flow:
- Trust Flow broken down by topic
- Shows which categories a site is trusted in
- Helps assess relevance
Using Topical TF#
A site might have:
- Overall TF: 35
- Health/Medical TF: 42
- Business TF: 28
- Arts TF: 12
This indicates stronger trust in health topics—valuable if you're in healthcare, less relevant otherwise.
Trust Flow vs Other Metrics#
Comparison#
| Metric | Provider | Focus | |--------|----------|-------| | Trust Flow | Majestic | Link quality/trust | | Domain Authority | Moz | Ranking potential | | Domain Rating | Ahrefs | Link profile strength | | Citation Flow | Majestic | Link quantity |
Which to Use#
Use Trust Flow when:
- Quality assessment is priority
- Evaluating link cleanliness
- Majestic is your primary tool (see top Majestic alternatives if you're comparing options)
Use alongside:
- Citation Flow (same tool)
- Other authority metrics
- Traffic data
- Manual quality assessment
Summary#
Trust Flow is Majestic's quality metric:
What it measures:
- Trustworthiness based on link quality
- Proximity to manually-curated seed sites
- Quality of sites in link chain
How to use it:
- Compare TF to CF ratio
- Use for prospecting filters
- Assess link profile health
- Consider alongside other metrics
Key points:
- Higher TF = higher quality links
- TF:CF ratio reveals profile health
- Not a Google ranking factor
- One tool among many
Use Trust Flow as part of comprehensive link evaluation, not as the sole decision factor.