Semrush MCP: setup guide and alternatives

Semrush MCP is Semrush's official MCP server. It connects AI agents such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor to Semrush's SEO data: keywords, domain analytics, backlinks, competitors, position tracking and site audits. The server is hosted by Semrush at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp and signs you in with OAuth or a Semrush API key. You need an eligible Semrush subscription, and every request spends API units from it.

This guide covers which plans include Semrush MCP, how to connect it in Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor, the problems people hit with plan access and unit usage, example prompts, and when a hosted alternative like Manifold fits better.

What is Semrush MCP?#

Semrush MCP is the bridge between your agent and the Semrush API. You ask a question in plain language, and the agent picks a Semrush report, fills in its parameters and runs it. According to Semrush's MCP documentation, it serves data from:

• The Standard (SEO) API: keywords, domains, organic and paid search, backlinks and competitors
• The Trends API: website traffic and market data, depending on your Trends API plan
• The Projects API: data from your existing Semrush projects. It can read projects but not create them or change their settings

Rather than one tool per endpoint, the server gives your agent a small set of tools. Discovery tools such as domain_overview, organic_research, keyword_research, competitors_research, backlinks_research, traffic_overview, position_tracking and site_audit find the right report, get_report_schema reads its parameters, and execute_report runs it.

Who Semrush MCP is for#

Semrush MCP fits when:

• You already pay for an eligible Semrush plan and want that data in conversation with your agent
• Your team uses Semrush daily and wants consistent metrics across the app and your agent
• You are comfortable watching your API unit balance

It may not fit when:

• You do not have a Semrush plan and do not want to start one just for MCP
• You only need SEO data now and then
• You want Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools data in the same server
• You want social, Reddit, ad library or lead data alongside SEO

Step 1: check your plan#

Semrush lists these plans for connecting SEO data through MCP:

• Semrush One Starter, Semrush One Pro+, SEO Classic Pro or SEO Classic Guru: each includes 50,000 API units, which refresh on your subscription renewal date
• Semrush One Advanced or SEO Classic Business: works with an added API units package (2, 5, 10 or 20 million units)

At the time of writing, Semrush's pricing page lists Semrush One Starter at $199/mo billed monthly. Traffic and market data needs a separate Trends API plan (Basic or Premium), which includes MCP access.

To see what you have, open My Profile → Subscription info. The Summary tab shows your Standard and Trends API units.

Step 2: connect in Claude#

Semrush is an official app in Claude:

1. Open Claude and go to Customize → Connect your apps
2. Search for Semrush, select it and click Connect
3. Review the permission screen and click Approve
4. In a chat, tag the app as @Semrush and ask your question

In Claude Code, add the server from your terminal, then run /mcp, select Semrush and choose Authenticate:

claude mcp add semrush https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp -t http

Step 3: connect in ChatGPT#

Semrush is also an official ChatGPT app:

1. Go to Settings → Apps
2. Find and select Semrush, then click Connect
3. Click Continue, review the permission screen and click Approve
4. Tag the app as @Semrush in a chat

Semrush says the Claude and ChatGPT apps spend units from your Semrush API subscription, with no extra Claude or ChatGPT fees.

Step 4: connect in Cursor#

In Settings → Cursor Settings → Tools & MCP, add this to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "semrush": {
      "url": "https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor opens the Semrush login page to finish OAuth. Semrush also documents setup for VS Code, Perplexity, Lovable and Antigravity.

Using an API key instead of OAuth#

OAuth is the default. If your client cannot do OAuth, pass your Semrush API key in the Authorization header in this exact format:

Authorization: Apikey YOUR_API_KEY

Note the Apikey prefix: Semrush's docs do not use Bearer. Your API key is not your Semrush password. Semrush's API access guide explains where to find it.

Common problems and fixes#

Your plan does not include MCP access#

Symptom: requests fail, or the agent says it cannot reach the data you asked for.

Fix: check My Profile → Subscription info. Semrush One Starter, Pro+, SEO Classic Pro and Guru include API units. Semrush One Advanced and SEO Classic Business need an API units package. Trends data needs a Trends API plan, so traffic and market questions fail without one even if your SEO data works.

Units run out faster than expected#

Symptom: your unit balance drops quickly.

Cause: Semrush charges units per line of data returned, and the rate depends on the report. In Semrush's own example, one line of the Domain Organic Search Keywords report costs 10 units for live data and 50 units for historical data. A broad request can return thousands of lines.

Fix:

1. Be specific. Ask for "the top 50 keywords in the US database" rather than "all keywords".
2. Always set a result count, a database and filters.
3. Avoid historical data unless you need it.
4. Keep related questions in one chat so the agent can reuse what it already fetched.
5. Check your balance in My Profile → Subscription info.

OAuth problems#

• If you see redirect URI ... is not allowed, contact Semrush support with your client's name and redirect URI.
• If you are not redirected to the Semrush login page, look for a login link in your client and open it by hand.
• If you get a 400 error, clear your browser cookies and start the sign-in again.

Missing tools#

If your agent does not show the discovery tools, get_report_schema and execute_report, check that sign-in finished, that your plan includes API access, and that your client's MCP configuration points at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp.

Example prompts#

Here are prompts you can try once Semrush MCP is connected.

Keyword research#

"Find 20 keywords related to 'email marketing automation' in the US database with at least 500 monthly searches. Show volume, keyword difficulty, CPC and competitive density."

Rank check#

"Check where example.com ranks in the US for 'project management software' and 'team collaboration tools'. Show the current position and the ranking URL."

Competitor backlinks#

"Show the top 20 referring domains linking to competitor.com, with their authority score and the most common anchor texts."

Domain overview#

"Give me an overview of example.com in the US database: organic traffic, number of ranked keywords, top 10 keywords by traffic and top 5 organic competitors."

Keyword gap#

"Compare example.com with competitor.com and list keywords they rank for that we do not, with at least 1,000 monthly searches and keyword difficulty under 40. Limit to 50 rows."

When to use Manifold instead#

Semrush MCP is a strong choice when you already pay for Semrush and want its data in conversation. The trade-offs:

• You need an eligible Semrush subscription, plus a Trends API plan for traffic and market data
• Unit usage depends on the report and the number of lines, so it can be hard to predict
• No Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools data
• No social, Reddit, ad library or lead data in the same server

Manifold is a hosted MCP server that puts SEO data from DataForSEO alongside Search Console, Bing, AI answers, social, Reddit, ad libraries and leads. It fits better when:

• You want a hosted server with no API keys of your own to manage
• You prefer paying per call to taking on a subscription for MCP access
• You want Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools data next to SEO data, at 0 credits per call
• You want to see what ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity say about your category
• You want social, Reddit, ad library and lead data in the same server

Both answer the same kinds of SEO questions: keywords, rankings, backlinks and domain metrics. The numbers will not match, because Semrush and DataForSEO run separate databases. Volumes, difficulty scores and traffic estimates are estimates either way, so pick one source and stick with it when you track trends.

With Manifold you also get:

• Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools data for your own sites, at 0 credits per call
• AI visibility: what ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity say and cite
• Reddit tools to search posts and comments and find subreddits
• Ad library and lead tools

For a side by side of every SEO server, read the best SEO MCP servers. To see how Manifold maps to Semrush's features, read Semrush MCP alternative, or see pricing.