Search Console links vs third-party backlink tools

Search Console links vs third-party backlink tools

The myth: third-party crawlers (Ahrefs, Majestic) show your "real" backlink profile better than Google.

Reality: for disavow purposes, only one index matters — Google's. And the closest mirror of that is the Links report inside Search Console itself.

— Third-party tools: bigger numbers, more spam surfaced, lots of links Google never counted in the first place.
— Search Console Links: smaller, but it's the set Google actually associates with you.

Actually, the bigger third-party number is a feature for selling audits and a bug for sane decision-making. You disavow links Google doesn't even credit.

Reality check: start from Search Console's list, treat third-party tools as a supplement — not the source of truth.