DataForSEO
Enables AI assistants to access comprehensive SEO data through DataForSEO APIs, including SERP results, keyword research, backlink analysis, on-page metrics, and domain analytics. Supports real-time search engine data from Google, Bing, and Yahoo wit
What is DataForSEO?
DataForSEO is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables ai assistants to access comprehensive seo data through dataforseo apis, including serp results, keyword research, backlink analysis, on-page metrics, and domain analytics. supports real-time s...
Enables AI assistants to access comprehensive SEO data through DataForSEO APIs, including SERP results, keyword research, backlink analysis, on-page metrics, and domain analytics. Supports real-time search engine data from Google, Bing, and Yahoo wit
This server falls under the Marketing & SEO and Search & Data Extraction categories on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables AI assistants to access comprehensive SEO data throu
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y dataforseo-mcp-serverManual Installation
npx -y dataforseo-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use DataForSEO
The DataForSEO MCP server is a TypeScript-based bridge that gives AI assistants direct access to the DataForSEO API suite, covering SERP results, keyword research, backlink analysis, on-page metrics, domain analytics, business data, and content analysis across Google, Bing, and Yahoo. It exposes these capabilities through modular tool groups (called modules such as SERP, KEYWORDS_DATA, BACKLINKS, ONPAGE, DATAFORSEO_LABS, DOMAIN_ANALYTICS, and more) and supports both stdio and HTTP transports, including deployment to Cloudflare Workers for team-wide access. SEO professionals and developers can use it to pull live search data, run competitive analysis, and automate reporting entirely through natural language in Claude or Cursor.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ installed (for npx/local usage)
- A DataForSEO account with API credentials — obtain your username and password from app.dataforseo.com
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code Copilot
- Docker (optional, for containerised deployment)
- Wrangler CLI (optional, for Cloudflare Workers deployment)
Create a DataForSEO account and get credentials
Sign up at dataforseo.com and log in to the dashboard at app.dataforseo.com. Your API username is your account email and your password is found in the API access section. Note both values — they map to DATAFORSEO_USERNAME and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD.
Install the package globally (optional)
You can install the package globally for repeated use, or run it directly with npx without installing. The npx approach always uses the latest published version.
npm install -g dataforseo-mcp-server@latest
# or run directly without installing:
npx -y dataforseo-mcp-serverConfigure Claude Desktop
Edit claude_desktop_config.json to add the DataForSEO MCP server. Supply your credentials via environment variables. You can optionally restrict which modules are active with ENABLED_MODULES.
{
"mcpServers": {
"dataforseo": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "dataforseo-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"DATAFORSEO_USERNAME": "[email protected]",
"DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD": "your_api_password",
"ENABLED_MODULES": "SERP,KEYWORDS_DATA,BACKLINKS,ONPAGE,DATAFORSEO_LABS"
}
}
}
}Start in HTTP mode for shared or team access
Run the server in HTTP mode to expose it as a network endpoint that multiple clients can connect to simultaneously.
[email protected] \
DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD=your_api_password \
npx dataforseo-mcp-server@latest httpRestart Claude Desktop and test an SEO query
Restart Claude Desktop to load the configuration. Ask Claude for SERP results or keyword data to confirm the server is responding.
DataForSEO Examples
Client configuration
claude_desktop_config.json entry for DataForSEO MCP server with credentials and selected modules.
{
"mcpServers": {
"dataforseo": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "dataforseo-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"DATAFORSEO_USERNAME": "[email protected]",
"DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD": "your_api_password",
"ENABLED_MODULES": "SERP,KEYWORDS_DATA,BACKLINKS,DOMAIN_ANALYTICS",
"DATAFORSEO_FULL_RESPONSE": "false"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example SEO research prompts that leverage the DataForSEO MCP tools.
- "Show me the top 10 Google SERP results for 'best project management software'."
- "What are the keyword search volume and CPC for 'mcp server' in the US?"
- "Analyse the backlink profile for example.com — how many referring domains does it have?"
- "Run an on-page audit for https://example.com and list the top issues."
- "Compare the organic search traffic trends for competitor1.com and competitor2.com."Troubleshooting DataForSEO
API returns 401 Unauthorized or 'You have not enough credits'
Verify DATAFORSEO_USERNAME and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD are correct by testing them at app.dataforseo.com. DataForSEO is a pay-per-use API — ensure your account has sufficient credits before making requests.
Only some modules are available or certain tools are missing
Check ENABLED_MODULES in your config. If set, only the listed modules are activated. Remove the variable to enable all modules, or add the missing module name (e.g. CONTENT_ANALYSIS, MERCHANT) to the comma-separated list.
Server exits immediately when launched by Claude Desktop
Run 'npx -y dataforseo-mcp-server' in your terminal to see error output directly. Common causes are missing environment variables or a network error reaching the DataForSEO API. Ensure DATAFORSEO_USERNAME and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD are set in the env block.
Frequently Asked Questions about DataForSEO
What is DataForSEO?
DataForSEO is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables ai assistants to access comprehensive seo data through dataforseo apis, including serp results, keyword research, backlink analysis, on-page metrics, and domain analytics. supports real-time search engine data from google, bing, and yahoo wit It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install DataForSEO?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y dataforseo-mcp-server. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with DataForSEO?
DataForSEO works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is DataForSEO free to use?
Yes, DataForSEO is open source and available under the Apache 2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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