// SKILL

DATAFORSEO EXTENSION
LIVE COMMERCIAL DATA

When you need paid live SEO data, the DataForSEO extension wires Claude SEO into commercial SERP, keyword, backlink, content, listing, and AI-mention routes through the DataForSEO MCP server. Its 23 commands use approximate cost checks and a local daily ledger. Provider credentials, credits, and billing still apply.

By Daniel Agrici · Command surface verified: 2026-08-27

$

/seo dataforseo serp "your query"

REQUIRES CLAUDE SEO INSTALLED IN CLAUDE CODE

// RUN PREVIEW

What will happen if you start this extension?

Every provider request is paid, credentialed, and returned as dated evidence with coverage limits.

OUTCOME

A provider snapshot for the selected SERP, keyword, backlink, business, on-page, or AI-data route.

REQUIRED INPUT

A narrow command such as /seo dataforseo serp <keyword>, plus an API login and generated API password.

READINESS

Needs Node 20 or newer, the installed extension, valid Basic Authentication credentials, provider balance, and available quota.

LOCAL OUTPUT

Returned provider data with request scope and limitations, plus an approximate entry in the local daily cost ledger.

SIDE EFFECTS

Sends a paid provider request and writes local cost-ledger state. It does not change rankings or provider billing records.

COST + APPROVAL

Check the current estimate and provider pricing, then explicitly approve the paid request before execution.

Listen to the DataForSEO summary

A 64-second spoken orientation to setup, authentication, cost controls, command selection, and provider-data limits.

1:04 AUDIO

AI-generated narration using Daniel's authorized voice at 1.1x. The user-supplied music bed is mixed at 0.02 linear gain with a 2-second fade in and a 3-second fade out. An integrated-loudness comparison measures the speech stem 24.00 LU above the music stem. The 20 LU internal mix target is an engineering proxy, not a WCAG conformance measurement. Transcript alignment is 0.9176 against the intended script. This 63.981-second candidate passed technical checks. Human listening review is pending, so the audio is not approved for release.

// HOW IT WORKS

What does the DataForSEO extension include?

The base Claude SEO skills can use available public and credentialed sources without DataForSEO. When you need paid live SERP results, deeper backlink data, LLM mention datasets, or larger keyword workflows, the extension wraps the DataForSEO MCP server with 23 user-facing commands and local cost guardrails.

Before a DataForSEO call, the workflow checks an approximate endpoint estimate. Calls above the configured threshold require approval, and calls over the local daily budget are blocked. Completed calls must be logged to the daily ledger. There is no implemented session-spend ledger, and the provider's actual pricing and bill remain authoritative.

Primary references: the official DataForSEO API v3 documentation describes the available APIs, while the SERP API overview documents supported search engines, locations, devices, and result formats.

The Nine API Modules

Each module covers a different DataForSEO surface. You rarely need all of them at once. Pick the module that matches your current question.

01
LIVE SERP
Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, Google Images. Country and device-specific. JSON or natural-language results.

02

KEYWORD RESEARCH

Search volume, difficulty, intent classification, trend data, related keywords. Bulk lookups supported.

03

BACKLINK DATA

Live referring domains, anchor distribution, new/lost links, competitor backlink data, history. Powers /seo backlinks.

04

AI VISIBILITY

Use the ChatGPT scraper route for query responses, or the cross-platform LLM Mentions dataset for mention and citation aggregates. Pair with /seo geo.

05

COST GUARDRAILS

Approximate endpoint checks can require approval or block the local daily budget. The ledger is daily only; provider billing remains authoritative.

06

9 API MODULES

SERP, keywords, backlinks, on-page (Lighthouse + content), content analysis, business listings, AI visibility, domain analytics, competitor research.

// USAGE

How do you run DataForSEO commands?

Representative Commands

The extension ships 23 commands in total. Below is a representative subset covering the most common workflows. Run /seo dataforseo with no arguments to see the full menu.

Command	What it does
`/seo dataforseo serp <keyword>`	Live Google organic SERP. Supports Bing and Yahoo via parameter.
`/seo dataforseo serp-images <keyword>`	Google Images SERP with domain dominance and alt text patterns.
`/seo dataforseo serp-youtube <keyword>`	YouTube search results. Critical for AI citation analysis.
`/seo dataforseo keywords <seed>`	Keyword ideas, suggestions, and related terms from a seed.
`/seo dataforseo volume <keywords>`	Monthly search volume, CPC, competition, and trend.
`/seo dataforseo backlinks <domain>`	Full backlink profile: domains, anchors, history, spam score.
`/seo dataforseo competitors <domain>`	Competing domains with keyword overlap and traffic estimates.
`/seo dataforseo onpage <url>`	Lighthouse audit plus content parsing for a single URL.
`/seo dataforseo ai-scrape <query>`	Scrape ChatGPT web search to see which sources it cites.
`/seo dataforseo ai-mentions <brand>`	Track LLM brand mentions, top cited domains, and trends.

Installation

From the Claude SEO repo, run the extension installer:

./extensions/dataforseo/install.sh

The installer requires Node 20+, pins dataforseo-mcp-server@2.8.10, wires the MCP server into Claude Code, and copies the extension skill files. DataForSEO uses your API login and generated API password through Basic Auth, not an API key. The provider currently requires a minimum $50 payment. See the official authentication guide and pricing page, verified August 27, 2026.

Cost Tracking

Cost guardrails wrap every command. Before each DataForSEO MCP call, Claude SEO runs claude-seo run dataforseo_costs.py check <endpoint> [--count N] to estimate cost against your configured threshold. Approved calls proceed, above-threshold calls pause for confirmation, and calls over the daily budget are blocked. Completed calls are logged with claude-seo run dataforseo_costs.py log <endpoint> <actual_cost>.

/seo dataforseo costs today shows today's spending breakdown
/seo dataforseo costs summary shows the 7-day spending history
/seo dataforseo costs config --mode threshold --threshold 0.50 configures approval mode

Load references/cost-tiers.md for approximate per-endpoint estimates, budget presets, and cost-reduction tips. Prices vary, and a missing or incorrect post-call log can make the local ledger diverge from the provider's bill.

Cross-Skill Integration

When DataForSEO is installed, other Claude SEO skills automatically prefer live data:

seo-backlinks uses live referring domain and anchor data instead of free APIs
seo-page pulls real SERP positions from serp_organic_live_advanced
seo-content uses live keyword volume, difficulty, and intent
seo-geo uses ChatGPT scraper and LLM mention tracking for real AI visibility
seo-plan uses real competitor and traffic estimation data

// FAQ

What should you know about DataForSEO?

Is DataForSEO free?

No. DataForSEO is a pay-as-you-go provider and currently requires a minimum $50 payment. The Claude SEO extension is optional. Its local cost estimates and daily ledger are approximate guardrails, not a guarantee or substitute for the provider's billing records.

What does the extension add?

How do cost guardrails work?

Use claude-seo run dataforseo_costs.py check <endpoint> [--count N] before a DataForSEO call. Calls within the configured threshold can proceed, above-threshold calls require approval, and calls over the local daily budget are blocked. Completed calls must be logged. Estimates are approximate and the provider's actual bill remains authoritative.

What is AI visibility tracking?

/seo dataforseo ai-scrape <query> uses the ChatGPT scraper route. /seo dataforseo ai-mentions <brand> queries DataForSEO's cross-platform LLM Mentions dataset for mention and citation aggregates. The current command contract does not describe ai-scrape as a Perplexity scraper. Pair these data routes with /seo geo for qualitative review.

How do I install the extension?

Run extensions/dataforseo/install.sh from the Claude SEO repo. The installer requires Node 20+, pins dataforseo-mcp-server@2.8.10, and asks for your DataForSEO API login plus generated API password for Basic Auth. DataForSEO currently requires a minimum $50 payment.

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// FROM THE BLOG

DATAFORSEO EXTENSION
LIVE COMMERCIAL DATA

What will happen if you start this extension?

What does the DataForSEO extension include?

The Nine API Modules

How do you run DataForSEO commands?

Representative Commands

Installation

Cost Tracking

Cross-Skill Integration

What should you know about DataForSEO?

EXPLORE MORE

RELATED GUIDES

WIRE IN LIVE DATA
WITH COST GUARDRAILS.

DATAFORSEO EXTENSIONLIVE COMMERCIAL DATA

What will happen if you start this extension?

What does the DataForSEO extension include?

The Nine API Modules

How do you run DataForSEO commands?

Representative Commands

Installation

Cost Tracking

Cross-Skill Integration

What should you know about DataForSEO?

EXPLORE MORE

BACKLINKS

TOPIC CLUSTERS

E-COMMERCE SEO

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DATAFORSEO EXTENSION
LIVE COMMERCIAL DATA

WIRE IN LIVE DATA
WITH COST GUARDRAILS.