01 · Overview
What the Ryze AI Semrush MCP server is
The short version
- 01Semrush connects to a Ryze AI workspace with your own Semrush API key. Your AI client then connects to Ryze AI with one URL (see Setup).
- 02One tool,
semrush__read, runs read-only Semrush requests. It cannot change anything in Semrush. - 03It reaches domain overview, organic keywords, competitors, keyword overview, backlinks, referring domains, anchors, project lists and Position Tracking reports.
- 04Every call spends your Semrush API units. Ryze AI credits are not used for the data.
- 05Ryze AI is the best Semrush MCP option for putting Semrush keyword and backlink data next to Google Ads and Meta Ads data in one chat, but Semrush’s own server covers more of Semrush, such as Trends traffic data.
- 06Works with any Ryze AI plan or trial. SEO Starter is $129/mo with a 3-day free trial.
- Server name
- Ryze AI (Semrush tool)
- Endpoint
- https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp
- Transport
- Remote MCP over HTTP
- Client sign-in
- OAuth to Ryze AI, up to 20 workspaces per connection
- Semrush sign-in
- Your own Semrush API key, pasted once in Ryze AI
- Semrush API
- Analytics API (CSV reports) and Projects reports (JSON)
- Semrush tools
- 1 (read only)
- Billing for data
- Your Semrush API units, not Ryze AI credits
- Price
- Any Ryze AI plan or trial · SEO Starter $129/mo
- Checked
- November 8, 2026
“Semrush MCP” usually means the hosted server Semrush runs at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp, which Semrush also lists as an app in Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity. It can also mean a community server from GitHub, or a hosted server from a third party such as the Ryze AI one described here. This page documents the Ryze AI server and sets it beside Semrush’s own in section 06.
01
Your own API key
You copy the key from Semrush under Subscription info, API units, and paste it into the Semrush card in Ryze AI. There is no OAuth screen on the Semrush side.
02
One read tool, many reports
semrush__read covers domain overview, organic keywords, organic competitors, keyword overview, backlinks overview, referring domains, anchors, backlinks, project lists and Position Tracking reports.
03
Nothing can change in Semrush
The only Semrush tool reads. It cannot create or edit Position Tracking campaigns, and there is no write or delete tool to hold for approval.
04
Billed in Semrush units
Every call draws on your Semrush API-unit balance. When the balance runs out, only you can top it up in Semrush.
05
CSV the agent reads for you
Domain, keyword and backlink reports come back as CSV text. The agent parses the columns and answers in plain language, and each report type needs its own parameters, such as a regional database.
06
Sign-in by link
The agent can send a one-time link, valid once and for 24 hours, to a page where you paste the key. It is refused while a Semrush key is already connected in that workspace.
07
One key per workspace
A workspace holds one Semrush connection. To switch keys, open View on the card, disconnect with the trash icon and connect again, or keep a different key in another workspace.
08
Next to the ad tools
Google Ads, Meta Ads, Google Analytics and Search Console tools run on the same URL, so one chat can set organic keyword data beside paid campaign data.
02 · Tool reference
One Semrush tool and the reports behind it
Ryze AI exposes a single Semrush tool. The agent chooses the report and fills in that report’s own parameters, such as the domain or the phrase list and the regional database. The tool name comes from the Ryze AI app source; no workspace had Semrush connected when this page was checked, so the tool list was not seen live in a client.
| Tool | Access | What it does | Inputs |
|---|---|---|---|
semrush__read | read | Runs a read-only Semrush Analytics API request and returns the report. Also lists Semrush projects and reads Position Tracking reports for tracking campaigns. | the report and its own parameters, such as the domain or phrases and the regional database |
Report families
| Report | What comes back | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Domain overview | Domain-level metrics for one domain | Analytics API, CSV |
| Organic keywords | Keywords a domain ranks for, with position, search volume, CPC, URL and traffic | Analytics API, CSV |
| Organic competitors | Domains that compete with a domain in organic results | Analytics API, CSV |
| Keyword overview | Volume, CPC and competition for a list of phrases in one regional database | Analytics API, CSV |
| Backlinks overview | Authority Score and link totals for a domain | Analytics API, CSV |
| Referring domains, anchors, backlinks | The sites that link to a domain, the anchor texts and the individual links | Analytics API, CSV |
| Projects and Position Tracking | The project list, then Position Tracking reports for a tracking campaign | Projects reports, JSON |
The Position Tracking and project reads come from the tool description in the Ryze AI source; the help center names domain and keyword analytics, backlinks and referring domains. Ad and analytics tools on the same URL are documented on Google Ads MCP, Meta Ads MCP and Google Analytics MCP.
03 · Use cases
Keyword, competitor and backlink questions to ask
Each prompt below describes what comes back. No sample numbers are shown, because every answer is drawn from your own Semrush account. Since each call spends units, the table shows how Semrush charges for them.
| Semrush charging rule | What it means for prompts |
|---|---|
| Per-line reports | Domain reports charge by the rows returned, so a long keyword list costs more than a short one. |
| Fixed-cost requests | Some reports, such as the backlinks overview, charge a flat amount whatever comes back. |
| Historical data | Costs noticeably more than current data. |
| Empty results | A request that returns no data does not use API units. |
| Capping rows | Semrush's API takes a display_limit parameter and a column list, so asking for the top 20 rows and only the columns you need spends fewer units. |
From Semrush’s API units documentation, checked Nov 8, 2026.
- “List the organic competitors of our domain in the US database, then show keywords the top 3 rank for that we do not.”
- “Which of our organic keywords have the highest CPC? I want to compare them with what we bid on in Google Ads.”
- “Give me the keyword overview for these 25 phrases in the UK database and sort by competition.”
- “List my Semrush projects, then show the Position Tracking report for the first one.”
- “Which tracked keywords lost the most positions since the last report? Read only, change nothing.”
- “Compare Position Tracking visibility for our domain against the competitors tracked in the same campaign.”
- “Give the backlinks overview for our domain and 3 competitors: Authority Score and referring domains side by side.”
- “List the top anchors pointing at our pricing page and flag any that look off-brand.”
- “Which referring domains link to two of the competitors but not to us?”
- “Take our top 20 organic keywords from Semrush and check whether the same terms spend in Google Ads.”
- “Pull the keywords a competitor ranks for, then compare their volume with our Search Console impressions.”
- “Which Semrush competitor domains also show up in my Meta Ads research?”
The Search Console side of an organic review is covered in how to connect Claude to Google Search Console.
04 · Setup
Paste your Semrush key once, then add the URL to each client
Step 1: connect Semrush in Ryze AI
- 01In Semrush, open Subscription info, go to the API units tab and copy the API key. The plan needs API access.
- 02In the Ryze AI app, open Integrations, click Connect on the Semrush card, paste the key into API key and click Continue.
- 03Or ask the Ryze AI agent in Claude or ChatGPT to connect Semrush. It sends a one-time link, valid once and for 24 hours, to a page where you paste the key.
- 04Add the Ryze AI connector in your client (below) and include the workspace. If the connector was added before Semrush was connected, remove it, add it again and start a new chat, because Claude and ChatGPT keep the tool list from the moment of connecting.
Screens for each step are in the Ryze AI Semrush guide.
Claude on the web or desktop
- 01Go to Customize, Connectors.
- 02Choose + Add, then Add custom connector. Enter Ryze AI as the name and
https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcpas the remote MCP server URL, then click Continue. Leave authentication on OAuth; do not pick No sign in. - 03Click Add, then Connect. On the Ryze AI page choose the workspaces Claude can reach and press Allow connection.
- 04Start a fresh chat. Connectors can be switched on or off per conversation from the + button.
Anthropic lists Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise; Free allows one custom connector. On Team plans only Owners and Primary Owners can add a custom connector, and members then connect to it one by one.
ChatGPT
OpenAI documents custom MCP servers as full access on Business and Enterprise/Edu and as read/fetch only on Pro. Because the Semrush tool only reads, a Pro plan covers it, but OpenAI’s article does not mention Free, Go or Plus. On the web, open Plugins, select the plus button, then Add custom MCP server. Name it Ryze AI, enter the URL under Connection, choose OAuth, accept the risk notice and create it. Sign in to Ryze AI, allow the workspace, install it, then type @ and pick Ryze AI in a new chat. On Business, an admin or owner has to create and publish it. Custom MCP servers cannot be connected on mobile.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp --scope userType /mcp, choose ryze and finish sign-in in the browser. --scope user loads it in every project; --scope project writes a shared .mcp.json instead. Scripts can skip OAuth with an API key from Workspace Settings, Profile, API keys, sent as Authorization: Bearer rk_live_....
Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code
{ "mcpServers": {
"ryze": { "url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp" }
} }{ "mcpServers": {
"ryze": { "type": "http", "url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp" }
} }Cursor asks for approval before using MCP tools by default. Windsurf (Devin Desktop) reads the same ryze entry, with url, from ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json. Each client opens a sign-in window the first time a tool runs. Setup for more clients is on the developer page.
Grok Bot and other clients
The Ryze AI help center says Ryze AI is a built-in app in Grok Bot’s Connect apps: search Ryze AI, Add, sign in. If it is not listed, add it as a custom MCP server with the same URL. Any other client that accepts a remote MCP URL with OAuth can use the same address.
05 · Access and plans
Who can connect, and which Semrush plan has API access
| Who can connect | Anyone with the Semrush API key for a Semrush plan that includes API access. The key is on the Subscription info page, API units tab, in Semrush. |
| What the key reaches | The key spends your API-unit balance, so anyone holding it can use your units. Semrush's help page warns not to share it publicly. |
| Which Ryze AI users | The key is stored for the workspace. Inside Claude or ChatGPT, one connection to Ryze AI covers up to 20 workspaces, and each workspace holds its own Semrush key. |
| Semrush API access | What Semrush states |
|---|---|
| Standard API (SEO data and Projects) | A qualifying Semrush plan: Semrush One Starter, Semrush One Pro+, SEO Classic Pro or SEO Classic Guru. Units can also be bought as a separate package. |
| Included units | Semrush states 50,000 units with the qualifying plans for its own MCP server. Larger packages of 2M, 5M, 10M and 20M units are sold by Semrush. |
| Trends API (traffic data) | A separate Trends API subscription, Basic or Premium. The Ryze AI Semrush tool lists no traffic reports, so this does not apply to it. |
| Enterprise | Semrush handles enterprise API terms through sales. |
Plan names and unit figures are from Semrush’s MCP documentation and knowledge base, checked Nov 8, 2026. Semrush changes plans often, so confirm on its pricing page before buying units.
Removing access
In Ryze AI, open View on the Semrush card and use the trash icon to remove the key from the workspace. Semrush says the v3 API key cannot be revoked or deleted, so keep it private. In Claude, open Customize, Connectors, Ryze AI and click Disconnect, which cuts off every workspace at once.
06 · Compare
Ryze AI vs Semrush’s own MCP server
What gets called Semrush MCP
| Option | Built for | How you connect | Data | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI hosted server | SEO and ad teams who want Semrush next to ad data | Semrush API key pasted in Ryze AI, then OAuth sign-in from the client | Domain, keyword and backlink reports, project lists, Position Tracking reports | Read only |
| Semrush MCP server (mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp) | Anyone who only needs Semrush | OAuth 2.1, or an Authorization: Apikey header | All SEO API endpoints, Trends API by subscription, read-only Projects API | Read only, no create, edit or delete in Projects |
| Semrush app in Claude, ChatGPT or Perplexity | Semrush users who want a built-in listing | Connect from the client's apps or connectors screen and approve | The same Semrush server's data | Read only |
| Semrush Enterprise-Managed Authorization | Corporate Semrush accounts on Claude Team or Enterprise | One identity issuer (Okta or Claude) for the whole organization | Same as the Semrush server | Read only |
| Community servers on GitHub and directories | Developers who self-host | Varies by project, usually a Semrush API key in an environment variable | Depends on the project | Depends on the project |
Semrush lists Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Lovable and Notion as supported clients for its server, which uses streamable HTTP only. Sources: developer.semrush.com and semrush.com/kb/1618-mcp, checked Nov 8, 2026. Community servers were not tested for this page.
The two hosted options side by side
| Ryze AI | Semrush MCP server | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in to Semrush | Your API key, pasted once in Ryze AI | OAuth 2.1 by default, or an API key header |
| Reports | Domain and keyword analytics, backlinks, referring domains, project lists, Position Tracking | All SEO API endpoints, Trends API by subscription, read-only Projects API |
| Traffic analytics (Trends) | Not listed in the Ryze AI facts | Yes, with a Trends API subscription |
| Changes in Semrush | None, the tool is read only | None, Projects methods are read only |
| Other data in the same chat | Google Ads, Meta Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console and the other Ryze AI platforms | Semrush only |
| Several workspaces | Up to 20 workspaces per client connection, one Semrush key each | One Semrush identity per connection |
| Billed for data | Your Semrush API units | Your Semrush API units |
| Price of the connector | Free to add; tools need a Ryze AI plan or trial, SEO Starter $129/mo with a 3-day trial | No extra fee from Semrush for the server; units come from your Semrush plan |
As published on Nov 8, 2026. Semrush adds endpoints and clients often, so check its documentation before you decide.
Which to pick: if the work stays inside Semrush, or you need Trends traffic data, Semrush’s own server is the direct route and signs in with OAuth. Ryze AI fits when a question crosses tools, such as organic keywords next to paid search terms, or when one agency login has to hold a different Semrush key per client workspace.
07 · API limits
What a Semrush request costs and where it stops
| API units | Every call spends your Semrush API units. Per-line reports charge by rows, some reports charge a fixed amount, and historical data costs more. |
| Out of units | SEO API reports return ERROR 132. The Projects API returns an HTTP 403. Some endpoints return partial results for the lines your balance covers. |
| Free balance check | Semrush offers a free balance request, and the Subscription info page, API units tab shows what is left. |
| Empty results | A request that returns no data does not consume units. |
| Plan required | The Standard API needs a Semrush plan with API access. Without it Semrush rejects the key. |
| Rate limits | Semrush allows up to 10 requests per second and 10 simultaneous requests per account on every API method. |
| Report format | SEO reports are CSV text, so a very wide report is long. Ask for the columns you need. |
| Regional databases | Keyword and domain reports use a regional database such as US or UK. Name the country in the prompt. |
| Position Tracking | Reports only. Campaigns cannot be created or edited through this tool. |
| Client plans | Claude: any plan, with one custom connector on Free. ChatGPT: OpenAI lists full custom MCP support for Business and Enterprise/Edu, and read-only for Pro. |
From Semrush’s API units, SEO API and MCP pages, plus the Ryze AI help center, checked Nov 8, 2026.
08 · Approvals and safety
Why there is little to approve, and what to watch
A read tool only
The Semrush tool does not change anything in Semrush, so the connector has no edit or delete to hold back. The cost to watch is API units.
Approvals in Claude
Claude sets approvals per tool under Customize, Connectors, Ryze AI, Tool permissions. Set the Semrush tool to Needs approval if you want to see each call before it spends units.
Approvals in the Ryze AI app
The Tool approvals picker in the Ryze AI chat starts on Skip all approvals. Change it if you want a pause before tools that touch your data.
Watch the unit balance
A broad request, such as every keyword of a large domain, can spend many units. Ask for a capped row count first.
Keep the key private
Anyone with the key can spend your units. Semrush asks you not to share it publicly and says the v3 key cannot be revoked or deleted.
Policies
Read the MCP privacy policy, the MCP terms, the security policy and the permissions guide.
09 · Errors and fixes
Semrush connection errors and what they mean
| Message or symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Key rejected when connecting | The Semrush plan has no API access, or the key was copied only in part. | Confirm the plan includes API access and copy the full key from the API units tab. |
| Reports stop with a units error | The Semrush API-unit balance reached zero. | Check the API units tab in Semrush and top up there. Ryze AI credits do not pay for these calls. |
| Semrush tools are not in Claude or ChatGPT | Semrush was connected after the connector was added, and the client kept the old tool list. | Remove the Ryze AI connector, add it again and open a new chat. |
| The connection link is refused | A Semrush key is already connected in that workspace. | Open View on the Semrush card, disconnect with the trash icon, then connect the new key. |
| Tools reply that a subscription is required | The workspace has no active Ryze AI plan or trial. | Start a plan or trial under Organization Settings, Billing, then retry. |
| A report returns no rows | The domain has no data in that regional database. | Try another database, such as US instead of UK, or a different domain format. Empty results cost no units. |
| The answer is cut short | A wide or long report was requested. | Ask for fewer rows and named columns, then page through the rest. |
| Position Tracking cannot be changed | The tool is read only. | Create or edit the campaign in Semrush, then read the report here. |
| ERROR 132 from Semrush | Documented by Semrush as not enough API units for the request in the SEO API, Trends API, Position Tracking and Site Audit. | Add units in Semrush. |
| HTTP 403 from the Projects API | Semrush documents this for the Projects API when units run short. | Add units in Semrush, then retry. |
The first eight rows are Ryze AI connections. The last two are Semrush’s own documented responses. No community-reported errors were collected for this page. More Ryze AI answers are in the integrations FAQ.
10 · FAQ
Semrush MCP server questions
What is a Semrush MCP server?
An MCP server lets AI clients such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor call Semrush through tools. Semrush runs its own hosted server at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp. Ryze AI runs a hosted one with a single read-only Semrush tool, semrush__read, on the same URL as its Google Ads and Meta Ads tools.
Does Semrush have an official MCP server?
Yes. Semrush documents a hosted MCP server at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp that uses streamable HTTP, signs in with OAuth 2.1 or an API key header, and covers the SEO API, the Trends API by subscription and the read-only Projects API. Semrush also lists apps for Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity.
What is the Semrush MCP server URL?
Semrush’s own server is https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp. The Ryze AI server is https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, the same for every account, and you paste your Semrush API key into Ryze AI instead of into the client.
How do I connect Semrush to Claude?
With Ryze AI, copy your API key from Semrush under Subscription info, API units, paste it on the Semrush card in Ryze AI, then in Claude open Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector, paste https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, click Connect, allow the workspace and open a new chat. If the connector was added before Semrush, remove it and add it again, because Claude keeps the tool list from when it was added. Every client is covered in the setup section.
Is the Semrush MCP server free?
Adding the Ryze AI connector costs nothing, but its tools need a Ryze AI plan or trial: SEO Starter $129/mo with a 3-day free trial, Paid Ads $89/mo with a 7-day free trial or Agency $279/mo, with 30% off the first year on annual billing. Semrush data is billed separately in your own Semrush API units, and the API needs a Semrush plan that includes it. See the pricing page.
What Semrush data can Claude read through Ryze AI?
Through semrush__read, Claude can read a domain overview, the organic keywords a domain ranks for with position, volume, CPC, URL and traffic, organic competitors, keyword overview data for a list of phrases in a regional database, a backlinks overview with Authority Score, referring domains, anchors and backlinks, plus project lists and Position Tracking reports.
Can the AI change anything in my Semrush account?
No. The only Semrush tool reads. It cannot create or edit Position Tracking campaigns, and there is no write or delete tool. The cost to watch is API units, because every call draws on your Semrush balance.
Who pays for the data, Ryze AI or Semrush?
You pay Semrush. Calls run on your own Semrush API units, not Ryze AI credits, and when the units run out only you can top them up in Semrush. Semrush charges by rows for domain reports, a flat amount for some reports such as the backlinks overview, more for historical data, and nothing for a request that returns no data.
Which Semrush plan do I need for the API?
A Semrush plan with API access. For its own MCP server Semrush names Semrush One Starter, Semrush One Pro+, SEO Classic Pro and SEO Classic Guru, with 50,000 units included and packages of 2M, 5M, 10M and 20M units. Plans change, so confirm on Semrush's pricing page. Ryze AI says the key must come from a plan with API access.
Should I use the Ryze AI server or Semrush's own?
Semrush's own server covers more of Semrush than the Ryze AI tool, such as Trends traffic data. If the work stays inside Semrush, use Semrush's server. If a question crosses ad and search tools, Ryze AI keeps them on one connection.
Can I connect more than one Semrush account?
A workspace holds one Semrush connection, and Semrush is not on the Ryze AI list of platforms with several accounts. To switch keys, open View on the Semrush card, disconnect with the trash icon and connect again. A different key can live in another workspace, and one Claude or ChatGPT connection can cover up to 20 workspaces.
Does it work in ChatGPT?
Yes, on plans where OpenAI allows custom MCP servers. OpenAI documents full support on Business and Enterprise/Edu, and read/fetch only on Pro, which fits a read-only Semrush tool. OpenAI's article does not mention Free, Go or Plus, and custom MCP servers cannot be connected on mobile.
Why does Semrush return ERROR 132 or a 403?
Semrush documents ERROR 132 for the SEO API, Trends API, Position Tracking and Site Audit when there are not enough API units for the request, and an HTTP 403 for the Projects API when units run short. Add units in Semrush, then retry.
11 · Compatibility
Where the Semrush tool runs
12 · Related
Other integrations and guides
Sources
- Semrush MCP overview, Semrush developer docs
- Understanding Semrush MCP, Semrush knowledge base
- API units balance, Semrush developer docs
- Semrush API introduction, Semrush developer docs
- Ryze AI Semrush guide, Ryze AI help center
- Custom connectors using remote MCP, Anthropic
- Connecting custom MCP servers in ChatGPT, OpenAI
- Cursor MCP documentation
Changelog
Page checked Nov 8, 2026. First version. The Semrush tool, setup steps, plan and unit figures, billing rules and the comparison with Semrush’s own server were checked on this date against the Ryze AI help center, the Ryze AI app source and Semrush’s documentation.