Connect SEO Score API to OpenAI Codex

Add three lines to ~/.codex/config.toml: a [mcp_servers.seoscoreapi] table with url = "https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp" and bearer_token_env_var = "SEO_SCORE_API_KEY". Or run codex mcp add seoscoreapi --url https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp and codex mcp login seoscoreapi to sign in.

Once it is connected, Codex can run SEO Score API's tools for you: SEO audits with 80+ checks, GEO and AI-visibility checks, ADA / WCAG accessibility audits, AI citation tracking, site crawls and Deep Audits, all on your own plan.

Set it up

Get a key. Copy your API key from your dashboard, or get a free one.
Set the key. Add export SEO_SCORE_API_KEY=ssa_... to your shell profile.
Add the server. Paste the TOML below into ~/.codex/config.toml.
Check it. In the codex terminal UI type /mcp (or run codex mcp list). SEO Score API should be listed.
Ask. Try one of the prompts below.

The config

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.seoscoreapi]
url = "https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "SEO_SCORE_API_KEY"

Or sign in instead of a key

codex mcp add seoscoreapi --url https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp
codex mcp login seoscoreapi

The Codex CLI, the Codex IDE extension and the ChatGPT desktop app share this MCP configuration, so you set it up once. A project-only server can go in .codex/config.toml in a trusted project.

No browser on this machine? Run codex mcp login seoscoreapi --no-browser, open the printed link elsewhere and paste the redirect URL back.

Prompts to try first

Swap in your own URL. The plan column says who can run each one.

Ask	Tool	Plan
Audit https://example.com and list the top 5 fixes, most important first.	`audit`	Free key
How well can AI assistants read https://example.com? Run an AI readability check.	`ai_readability`	Free key
Score the conversion of https://example.com/pricing and tell me what is costing sign-ups.	`conversion`	Free key (full fix list on paid plans)
Is https://example.com visible to ChatGPT and AI search? Run a GEO audit.	`geo_audit`	Basic ($15/mo) and up
Check https://example.com for ADA / WCAG 2.1 AA issues and list the critical ones with fixes.	`accessibility_audit`	Paid plans, from Starter ($5/mo)
Generate an llms.txt file for example.com.	`llms_txt`	Any key
Crawl example.com and show me the broken pages, redirects and orphan pages.	`crawl_site`	Pro ($39/mo), Ultra or a Deep Audit credit
Track whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude mention Acme when people ask for an SEO tool. Build starter prompts, create a citation tracker and run it.	`create_citation_tracker`	Starter ($5/mo) and up
Run a Deep Audit on https://example.com and list the high-severity findings.	`deep_audit`	Pro ($39/mo), Ultra or credits

Troubleshooting

Tool calls fail with an authentication error

Codex reads the key from SEO_SCORE_API_KEY when it starts. Set it in the shell that launches Codex (or your profile) and restart.

The server isn't listed in /mcp

Check the table name is [mcp_servers.seoscoreapi] (underscore, plural) and that the file is ~/.codex/config.toml.

The tools are listed but every call fails with an authentication error

Listing tools needs no key; running one does. Check the key starts with ssa_, that the header reads exactly Authorization: Bearer ssa_... (one space after Bearer) or X-API-Key: ssa_..., and that the key was not rotated in your dashboard since.

A tool says it needs a higher plan

Some tools are on paid plans only (GEO audits from Basic, accessibility audits and citation trackers from Starter, crawls and Deep Audits from Pro). The message names the plan; your free audits keep working.

A tool says you have used this month's audits

The free plan includes 20 audits a month. The message gives the reset date and a one-click upgrade.

FAQ

Does this also work in the Codex IDE extension?

Yes. The CLI, the IDE extension and the ChatGPT desktop app read the same MCP configuration.

Is this the same as adding it to ChatGPT on the web?

No. ChatGPT on the web adds MCP servers through Plugins and signs in with OAuth; see the ChatGPT guide.

Is it free?

Yes, to start. A free SEO Score API key includes 20 audits a month and needs no card. GEO audits, accessibility audits, citation tracking, crawls and Deep Audits need a paid plan; plans start at Starter ($5/mo). Every tool call uses your plan's allowance exactly as the REST API does.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The server is hosted at https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp, so you add a URL, not a program. If your assistant only runs local servers, the same tools are in the open-source npm package: npx -y seoscoreapi-mcp with SEO_SCORE_API_KEY set.

API key or sign-in: which should I use?

Either works. Assistants that let you set a request header can send your key as Authorization: Bearer ssa_... or X-API-Key: ssa_.... Assistants with MCP sign-in open seoscoreapi.com, you sign in with an email link, Google or GitHub (or create a free account), approve, and you are done. Listing the tools works without either; running one needs one of them.

What can't it do?

It does not download PDF reports (a tool result is text; the audit tool returns the same data), it does not change account settings such as auto-reload, and it cannot create, upgrade or rotate keys. Those stay in your dashboard.

Prefer a local server?

The same tools ship as an open-source npm package that runs on your machine over stdio. Any client that runs local MCP servers can use it:

Local stdio server (npm)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seoscoreapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "seoscoreapi-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SEO_SCORE_API_KEY": "ssa_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Source: github.com/SeoScoreAPI/seoscoreapi-mcp.

Other assistants

ChatGPT · Claude · Claude Code · Cursor · VS Code / GitHub Copilot · Gemini CLI · Windsurf / Devin Desktop · Copilot Studio

Questions? Email aaron@seoscoreapi.com. See every AI assistant guide, all integrations and the API docs.