Connect SEO Score API to Cursor

Add SEO Score API to ~/.cursor/mcp.json with the URL https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp and your key in an Authorization header (read from an environment variable as below). Or leave the header out and sign in to seoscoreapi.com when Cursor asks.

Once it is connected, Cursor 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 (or set it in your system environment) and restart Cursor.
Add the server. Paste the JSON below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (this project).
Check it. Open Customize in the sidebar, find SEO Score API and make sure its toggle is on. Its tools appear under Available Tools.
Ask. Try one of the prompts below in the agent.

The config

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seoscoreapi": {
      "url": "https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:SEO_SCORE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or sign in instead of a key

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seoscoreapi": {
      "url": "https://seoscoreapi.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor resolves ${env:NAME} in url and headers. For a remote server it reads the variable from your shell profile or system environment (envFile is for local servers only).

Without a header, Cursor signs in with OAuth: it opens seoscoreapi.com, you sign in and approve.

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

The server shows an authentication error

Cursor didn't see SEO_SCORE_API_KEY. Set it in your shell profile or system environment and restart Cursor completely.

The agent doesn't use the tools

Check the toggle under Customize, then ask for the tool by name ("use the SEO Score API audit tool on https://...").

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 Cursor support signing in instead of an API key?

Yes. Cursor supports OAuth for remote MCP servers, so you can leave the header out and sign in to your SEO Score API account.

Can I commit .cursor/mcp.json?

Yes, with the ${env:SEO_SCORE_API_KEY} form: the file holds no key.

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 · VS Code / GitHub Copilot · Gemini CLI · Codex · Windsurf / Devin Desktop · Copilot Studio

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