Search Console and Google Analytics come with your Google sign-in. Research is optional and uses a key from your own account, so the provider bills you directly for what you use.
What each key adds
| Provider | What it adds | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| DataForSEO or Ahrefs | Keyword metrics, ranked keywords, SERPs, competitors and backlinks | seo_research |
Analytics tools other than Google Analytics, such as Clicky, run on your own machine with the CLI. The analytics guide explains how.
Research rows also get a free Domain Rating column, with no key needed. It is Domain Rating by Ahrefs.
Add keys on the sign-in page
This works in every client.
- Remove the SEO Skill server from your agent, then add it again with
https://seoskill.dev/mcp. - On the sign-in page, open Add your own API keys and enter the keys you want.
- Continue with Google.
The keys are sealed into the sign-in your agent keeps. To change them, remove the server and connect again.
Or send keys as headers
Clients such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and VS Code can send headers with each request. A header wins over a key from the sign-in page.
claude mcp add --transport http seoskill https://seoskill.dev/mcp \
--header "X-Ahrefs-Key: ${AHREFS_API_KEY}"
| Provider | Headers |
|---|---|
| DataForSEO | X-DataForSEO-Login, X-DataForSEO-Password |
| Ahrefs | X-Ahrefs-Key |
Keep keys in your shell environment or keychain, never in a chat or a repository file. On cloud agents and CI, put them in the platform secrets and follow the cloud agents guide.
How keys are handled
A key arrives sealed inside your sign-in token or as a header on the request. The server uses it for that request only and never saves it. The what is stored page covers the rest.
When the hosted MCP needs a key it does not have, its message links to this page.