Semrush publishes an official remote MCP server at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp, exposing the SEO API, the Trends API and a read-only view of Projects as about a dozen named tools. It bills in the same API units as the regular Semrush API, which is the part worth planning for: an agent asks more questions than a person.
Last updated September 14, 2026. Primary source is Semrush's own documentation; the endpoint behaviour below was checked directly on that date. New to the protocol? What MCP is.
What the Semrush MCP server exposes
| Surface | What you get |
|---|---|
| Standard (SEO) API | domain_overview, organic_research, keyword_research, competitors_research, backlinks_research, paid_search_research, shopping_research |
| Trends API | traffic_overview and audience_research — traffic estimates and market data for any domain |
| Projects API v3 | position_tracking, site_audit and projects — read-only, so a model can read your setup but not change it |
| Generic reporting | get_report_schema and execute_report, for reports without a dedicated tool |
The endpoint is https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp. It answered our unauthenticated probe on September 14, 2026 with a 401 and a WWW-Authenticate header pointing at its OAuth metadata, which is exactly what a healthy remote server does. It speaks streamable HTTP only, and accepts either OAuth or an API key passed as an Authorization header.
Connecting it
1. Open your client's connector settings
In Claude, Settings then Customize then Connectors. In ChatGPT, enable Developer mode under Settings then Security and login, then add the app under Settings then Plugins.
2. Paste the endpoint
Add a custom connector pointing at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp and leave the advanced fields alone. A well-built remote server publishes its own OAuth client metadata, so there is no client ID or secret to supply.
3. Sign in and read the scopes
The consent screen is the one moment you see what you are granting. Read it rather than clicking through it, and grant the narrow scopes where the choice exists.
4. Confirm the tools arrived
Ask the assistant what the connector can do. An empty list after a successful sign-in means the token is not being accepted, so disconnect and reconnect to clear a stale grant.
The exact path for thirteen clients is in the MCP client directory.
What it costs
- SEO data needs Semrush One Starter or Pro+, or SEO Classic Pro or Guru. Those plans include 50,000 API units, refreshing on renewal.
- Traffic and market data needs any Trends API subscription, Basic or Premium.
- Units are consumed per request and the cost varies by report type and volume, exactly as with the regular API. Scalable packages run from 2M to 20M units.
- The MCP server itself costs nothing extra. Your subscription is the price.
What it will not do
The part the vendor documentation does not lead with, and the reason to read this page rather than that one.
- It spends units, and an agent is not a person. A human runs one keyword report. An agent asked an open question may run six before it answers. The 50,000 included units are generous for manual work and finite for conversational work — watch the first month rather than assuming.
- Projects is read-only by design. You can read position tracking and site audit results; you cannot create or reconfigure a project. This is a good decision by Semrush and worth copying as a mental model, but it means the server reports rather than manages.
- Tool availability tracks your subscription. Which Trends endpoints answer depends on your tier, so two people running the same prompt against the same server can get different results. That is confusing in a chat window, where nothing explains why.
- It knows the market, not your account. Semrush data is external. It has never seen your ad spend, your conversions or your CMS, so it cannot tell you whether the keyword it just found is one you are already paying for.
Where it stops for marketing
Semrush answers "what is out there" extremely well and "what should I do about it in my account" not at all, because it cannot see your account. The moment a research answer implies an action — bid on this, write this page, stop paying for that term — you are back to doing the joining yourself, in a second tool.
That is not a criticism of a server doing its own job well. It is the reason a marketing stack ends up with two or three: the specialist for the channel that spends money, and this one for what it is actually for. Search Console and your CMS over MCP is the other half here.
Before you grant write access
MCP defines no approval step, so a write tool reached by a model applies immediately unless the server chose to stage it. Three questions that take a minute: what scopes does the consent screen actually ask for, what gates a write, and how do you revoke it. The rest of the threat model is in is MCP safe.
Related
- The best MCP servers for SEO
- HubSpot MCP
- Every MCP server worth connecting for marketing
- The Claude connector shortlist
Semrush MCP questions
What is the Semrush MCP endpoint?
https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp, over streamable HTTP only. It authenticates with OAuth by default, or with an API key sent as an Authorization header in the form "Apikey YOUR_API_KEY".
Is the Semrush MCP server free?
The server costs nothing, the data does not. SEO tools need Semrush One Starter or Pro+, or SEO Classic Pro or Guru, which include 50,000 API units. Trends tools need a Trends subscription.
Does Semrush MCP use API units?
Yes, the same unit system as the regular API, priced per request by report type and volume. This is the main thing to budget for, because an agent asks more questions than a person does to reach the same answer.
Can an AI agent change my Semrush projects?
No. Projects API access is read-only through the MCP server, so an assistant can read position tracking and site audit data but cannot create or reconfigure anything.
Which Semrush MCP tools are there?
Around a dozen, including domain_overview, organic_research, keyword_research, competitors_research, backlinks_research, audience_research, traffic_overview, paid_search_research, shopping_research, position_tracking and site_audit, plus get_report_schema and execute_report for anything without a dedicated tool.
Can I use Semrush MCP with Claude and ChatGPT?
Yes. It is a standard remote MCP server, so it works as a Claude custom connector on any plan and in ChatGPT through developer mode, as well as in Cursor, Codex, Gemini and the rest.