How to Identify and Filter Out Domains with High Spam Scores

As you navigate the sea of expiring domains, you'll see a range of metrics used to judge a domain's quality. While high Domain Authority (DA) might catch your eye, there is another, arguably more important, metric that should be your first line of defense: the Spam Score. A low DA domain can be built up, but a domain with a toxic history can be an anchor that drags your project to the bottom of the search rankings.

Ignoring the Spam Score is one of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make. This guide will demystify this crucial metric, explain what it really means, and show you exactly how to use it as a powerful filter to protect yourself from acquiring a problematic digital asset.

What is a Spam Score? (And What It Isn't)

First, let's clear up a common misconception. The Spam Score, a metric developed by the SEO tool company Moz, is NOT a penalty from Google. Google does not use this specific score. Instead, it is a risk indicator based on correlation. Moz analyzed millions of websites that had been penalized or banned by Google and identified dozens of common signals or "spam flags" these sites shared.

A domain's Spam Score is the percentage of sites with similar features that have been penalized. It's a probability score. A score of 50% doesn't mean the site is 50% spam; it means that sites with a similar profile have been penalized 50% of the time. It is a powerful warning sign that a domain might be toxic.

The score is generally broken down into three tiers:

1% - 30% (Low): The domain has few, if any, spam signals. Generally considered safe.
31% - 60% (Medium): A significant number of spam flags are present. Requires a thorough manual review. High risk.
61% - 100% (High): The domain shares a large number of features with known spam sites. Almost always a "no-go."

The Common "Spam Flags" That Increase the Score

To understand the score, it helps to know what signals contribute to it. While Moz's full list of 27 flags is proprietary, some of the most well-known factors include:

Low Number of Pages: Very small sites are sometimes correlated with thin affiliate or link-farm sites.
Abnormally High or Low Link Diversity: Having a huge number of links from a very small number of domains is a classic spam pattern.
High Percentage of "Money" Anchor Text: A link profile dominated by commercial keywords instead of the brand name.
Presence of Site-wide Links: Thousands of links from the footer or sidebar of a single site.
Suspicious TLDs: A domain with a `.com` extension having a large number of links from TLDs known for spam, like `.xyz` or `.click`.
No Contact Information: Legitimate sites usually have contact info; spam sites often do not.

How to Use Spam Score as a Primary Filter

In a discovery tool like Unowna, the Spam Score column is your most powerful first-pass filter. Before you even look at a domain's name or its authority, you should use the Spam Score to clean your list.

Step 1: Set a Hard Maximum Limit

For most users, especially beginners, it's wise to be conservative. In the Unowna filter settings, set the maximum Spam Score to a low number, such as 15% or even 10%. This will instantly hide the vast majority of problematic domains from your view. The time you save by not having to manually vet these high-risk domains is immense. You can be confident that the remaining domains on your list have a much higher probability of being clean.

Step 2: Be Skeptical of "Medium" Scores

What if you find a domain with a fantastic name and a great DA, but a Spam Score of 40%? This is a domain you should approach with extreme caution. A medium score means there are definite red flags that need to be investigated manually. This is where you must dive deep into the backlink profile. Are the links from a PBN? Is the anchor text spammy? More often than not, a medium Spam Score is an indicator of a toxic history that makes the domain a poor investment, regardless of its DA.

Step 3: Always Investigate a Low Score

A low Spam Score (e.g., 1-10%) is a great sign, but it's not a 100% guarantee of cleanliness. It's still possible for a domain to have problematic links that the algorithm didn't weigh heavily. A low Spam Score should be the green light to proceed with your other due diligence steps, like checking Archive.org and manually reviewing the top backlinks. It gets you in the door, but you still need to inspect the house.

The Exception to the Rule: False Positives

Can a good domain have a high Spam Score? It's rare, but possible. For example, a large, legitimate forum might get a higher score because user-generated content can sometimes include spammy links. A very large, old site might have accumulated some bad links over the years. However, identifying a false positive requires a high level of SEO expertise and a deep, time-consuming analysis. For 99% of users, it's a far safer and more efficient strategy to simply trust the score and move on. The potential reward is rarely worth the risk.

Conclusion: Your Most Important Shield

Think of the Spam Score as a shield. It's your first and most important line of defense against the dangers of the expired domain market. By understanding what it means and using it as a primary filter, you can protect your time, your money, and your projects from the negative consequences of a toxic domain history. While Domain Authority tells you what a domain *could* be, the Spam Score tells you what it *has been*. In the world of expired domains, the past matters more than anything.