SE Ranking MCP Server

Connects AI assistants to SE Ranking's SEO and project management APIs

README.md

SE Ranking MCP Server

This Model Context Protocol (MCP) server connects AI assistants to SE Ranking's SEO data and project management APIs. It enables natural language queries for:

  • Keyword research and competitive analysis
  • Backlink analysis and monitoring
  • Domain traffic and ranking insights
  • Website audits and technical SEO
  • AI search visibility tracking
  • Project and rank tracking management

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please ensure you have the following software and accounts ready:

  • SE Ranking Account: You will need an active SE Ranking account to generate an API token. If you don’t have one, you can sign up here.
  • Docker: A platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers. If you don’t have it, you can download it from the official Docker website.
  • Git: A free and open-source distributed version control system. You can download it from the official Git website.
  • AI Assistant: You will need an MCP-compatible client, such as Claude Desktop or the Gemini CLI.

API Tokens

This MCP server supports two types of API access:

Token Environment Variable Format Purpose
Data API DATA_API_TOKEN UUID (e.g., 80cfee7d-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-fc8500816bb3) Access to keyword research, domain analysis, backlinks data, SERP analysis, and website audits. Tools prefixed with DATA_.
Project API PROJECT_API_TOKEN 40-char hex (e.g., 253a73adxxxxxxxxxxxx340aa0a939) Access to project management, rank tracking, backlink monitoring, and account management. Tools prefixed with PROJECT_.

Get your tokens from: https://online.seranking.com/admin.api.dashboard.html

You can use one or both tokens depending on which tools you need. If you only use Data API tools, you can omit PROJECT_API_TOKEN, and vice versa.

Rate Limits

API Default Rate Limit
Data API 10 requests per second
Project API 5 requests per second

Rate limits are customizable. Contact api@seranking.com to request adjustments.

Installation

Choose the installation method that best fits your needs:

  • Option 1: Docker (Recommended) - Best for standard usage, stability, and ease of updates. Use this if you just want to run the tool without managing dependencies.
  • Option 2: Local Node.js Server (For Developers) - Best for development, debugging, or environments where Docker isn't available (like Replit). Use this if you need to modify the code or run a custom setup.

Option 1: Docker (Recommended)

  1. Open your terminal (or Command Prompt/PowerShell on Windows).
  2. Clone the project repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/seranking/seo-data-api-mcp-server.git
  1. Navigate into the new directory:
cd seo-data-api-mcp-server
  1. Build the Docker Image:
docker build -t se-ranking/seo-data-api-mcp-server .
# Check that the image is built and named `se-ranking/seo-data-api-mcp-server`:
docker image ls
How to Update SEO-MCP (Docker)

To ensure you have the latest features, pull the latest changes and rebuild:

git pull origin main
docker build -t se-ranking/seo-data-api-mcp-server .

Option 2: Local Node.js Server (For Developers)

In order to run the local Node server, you need to have Node.js 20+ version installed on your machine.

  1. Install dependencies:
npm install
  1. Build the project:
npm run build
  1. Start the server:
npm run start-http

Then your HTTP server should be running at: http://0.0.0.0:5000/mcp.

In case you'd like to modify the HOST and PORT, you can do so by creating a .env file in the root directory of the project with the settings you want to override, for example:

HOST=127.0.0.1
PORT=5555

Additionally, when running in external environments like Replit, you can set the DATA_API_TOKEN and PROJECT_API_TOKEN environment variables in the configuration panel.

Note: If you change the API token values when the server is running, you need to restart the server.

Verifying the HTTP Server

To send a sample test request and verify your setup:

./test-http-server-curl-request.sh '<your-api-token-here>'

For batch MCP Requests testing:

./test-batch-http-server-curl-request.sh '<your-api-token-here>'

Connect to Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop reads its configuration from claude_desktop_config.json.

  • Click on the Claude menu and select Settings....
  • In the Settings window, navigate to the Developer tab in the left sidebar.
  • Click the Edit Config button to open the configuration

Tools 4

DATA_keyword_researchPerforms keyword research and competitive analysis.
DATA_backlink_analysisRetrieves backlink data for a specific domain.
PROJECT_rank_trackingRetrieves current rank tracking data for a project.
DATA_website_auditInitiates or retrieves results for a technical website audit.

Environment Variables

DATA_API_TOKENUUID token for accessing keyword research, domain analysis, and website audits.
PROJECT_API_TOKEN40-char hex token for accessing project management and rank tracking.

Try it

Perform keyword research for 'best project management software' in the United States.
Analyze the backlink profile for example.com and summarize the top referring domains.
Check the current search rankings for my project with ID 12345.
Run a technical SEO audit for my website and list the top 5 critical errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of SE Ranking?

Keyword research and competitive analysis. Backlink analysis and monitoring. Domain traffic and ranking insights. Technical website audits. Project and rank tracking management.

What can I use SE Ranking for?

SEO specialists automating keyword discovery and competitive benchmarking.. Content marketers analyzing backlink profiles to improve domain authority.. Web developers monitoring technical SEO health via automated audit reports.. Project managers tracking search ranking fluctuations for client websites..

How do I install SE Ranking?

Install SE Ranking by running: docker build -t se-ranking/seo-data-api-mcp-server .

What MCP clients work with SE Ranking?

SE Ranking works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep SE Ranking docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

Open Conare