Ahrefs MCP Server

The Ahrefs MCP Server brings the data from your Ahrefs account straight into your AI assistant. Instead of clicking through Site Explorer, exporting tables and pasting them into a spreadsheet, you simply ask Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor for a competitor's referring domains or for keywords with high potential, and the assistant pulls the matching Ahrefs reports. MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that such assistants use to work with external tools. Ahrefs runs the server itself and provides it at https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp. No local installation is required.

Hosted rather than local

There used to be a local Ahrefs server distributed as an npm package. That repository is now archived, and Ahrefs explicitly advises against using it. The current server runs exclusively as a hosted service over Streamable HTTP. According to the documentation, once set up, your connection is available on every device linked to your personal or company account. Ahrefs provides step-by-step guides for Claude on the web and desktop, Claude Mobile, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Lovable, n8n, Manus, Mistral's Le Chat and OpenClaw.

Which data is available?

The tools are organised into groups. According to the documentation, these include overviews and detailed reports from Site Explorer (Domain Rating, backlinks, referring domains, anchors, organic keywords, top pages, competitors), Keywords Explorer with search volume, history and related terms, SERP overviews, Rank Tracker, Site Audit with projects and detected issues, Brand Radar, Web Analytics, Google Search Console data, social media metrics, the Content Helper, batch analysis and account management. Because some clients cap the number of tools, you can use the tools URL parameter to load only specific groups, or use tools=essentials for a curated selection of the most important tools.

API units and limits

According to Ahrefs, the MCP server is available from the paid Lite plan upwards. Every query uses API units from your plan's monthly allowance, just like direct API usage. Higher plans include more units, and every plan caps the number of rows per request. According to the documentation, a billable request costs at least 50 units; some areas such as Rank Tracker, management and public endpoints are free. Keys created when you connect via OAuth come with their own monthly limit by default, which workspace admins can adjust in the API keys report. You can check your current usage in account settings under limits and usage.

Terms of use

Ahrefs makes clear that the MCP endpoint may only be used with supported AI tools. According to the documentation, custom scripts, bridges or home-built HTTP clients that talk to the endpoint directly are not permitted. Programmatic access is what the regular Ahrefs API is for.

Cost

The server itself carries no extra charge, but it requires a paid Ahrefs subscription from Lite upwards. How many API units and rows per request you get depends on the plan. You will find current terms on Ahrefs' official pricing page.

Who is the Ahrefs MCP Server for?

It pays off for SEO teams and agencies that already use Ahrefs and want to get analyses done faster: competitor comparisons, link building research, keyword clusters or client reports. Because the assistant can combine several reports and comment on the result right away, you get in minutes what would otherwise take several exports. Keep an eye on unit consumption and limit the tool groups to what you actually need.

A paid Ahrefs subscription from the Lite plan upwards and an MCP client with HTTP transport and OAuth, such as Claude Code, Claude on the web or desktop, ChatGPT or Cursor. For the MCP key variant, additionally Node.js (for npx and mcp-remote).

Step 1: Check your Ahrefs plan

Sign in at app.ahrefs.com and make sure your account has at least the Lite plan. The MCP server does not work with a free account. Later on, you can check your monthly API unit consumption under account settings, limits and usage.

Step 2: Add it to Claude Code

Open a terminal and run this command:

claude mcp add ahrefs https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp -t http

Start Claude Code and enter:

/mcp

Select ahrefs and then Authenticate. In the browser, sign in to Ahrefs, pick your workspace and click Allow. Afterwards /mcp shows the server as connected.

Step 3: Alternatively in Claude on the web or desktop

Open claude.ai, go to Customize and then Connectors. Click the plus sign, search for Ahrefs and click Connect. Choose your Ahrefs workspace and confirm with Allow. Then enable the connector in the chat via the tools menu.

Step 4: Alternatively in Cursor

In Cursor, open the file ~/.cursor/mcp.json and add this entry:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ahrefs": {
      "url": "https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Save, restart Cursor and sign in via OAuth in the browser on first use.

Step 5: Alternatively use an MCP key instead of OAuth

If your client does not support OAuth, generate an MCP key: in Ahrefs, go to account settings, API Keys, click Generate MCP key and copy the key. Then add this entry to your client's configuration file (for example claude_desktop_config.json) and replace YOUR_MCP_KEY with the key you copied:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ahrefs": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer YOUR_MCP_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then fully restart the client.

Step 6: Limit the tools (recommended)

Ahrefs offers a very large number of tools. Some clients cut the list short, and important reports suddenly go missing. So load only the groups you need by appending the tools parameter to the address. In Claude Code, remove the old entry and add it again:

claude mcp remove ahrefs
claude mcp add ahrefs "https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp?tools=site-explorer-overview,site-explorer-reports,keywords-explorer" -t http

For a ready-made selection of the most important tools, use this instead:

claude mcp add ahrefs "https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp?tools=essentials" -t http

Step 7: Test the connection

Ask your assistant, for example:

Using Ahrefs, show me the ten strongest referring domains of example.com in a table.

If a table appears, you are all set. Afterwards, check under limits and usage how many units the request used.

OAuth with a consent screen, which creates a dedicated API key with MCP scope in your Ahrefs account. Alternatively, a manually generated MCP key as a bearer token in the Authorization header; Enterprise customers can also use regular API keys.

Read access to Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, SERP overviews, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, Brand Radar, Web Analytics, Google Search Console data and social media metrics; the management group additionally allows managing projects, keyword lists and Brand Radar settings.

Requests go through api.ahrefs.com. Retrieved reports, including data from your own projects in Web Analytics and Google Search Console, enter the AI client context and therefore reach the model provider.

An assistant can trigger many queries without asking and use up the monthly API unit allowance. The management group can change project settings. An MCP key stored in a configuration file grants access to your account.