Semrush Advanced

Semrush Advanced is a QuilrAI-built MCP for SEO, keyword, backlink, traffic, market, and project research. It uses a Semrush API key instead of a Semrush OAuth Client ID and Client Secret.

Use this guide when you add Semrush Advanced from the MCP library or register its hosted transport URL manually.

What This MCP Can Do

Capability	Examples	Access
Account usage	Check Standard API and Trends API unit balances	Read only
Domain research	Domain overview, organic and paid keywords, competitors, top pages, keyword gap	Read only
Keyword research	Keyword overview, ideas, questions, SERP results, opportunity briefs	Read only
Backlink research	Backlink overview, details, comparison, and gap analysis	Read only
Traffic and market research	Traffic summaries, time series, channels, content, audience overlap, audience profiles	Read only
Projects	List projects and read Position Tracking and Site Audit data	Read only

The MCP provides 23 tools. Its plural and batch tools accept multiple inputs in one call, preserve input order, and report failures per item. Ask the agent to use batch operations whenever you need the same report for several domains, keywords, projects, or targets.

note

Semrush availability, database coverage, row limits, and API unit consumption depend on the connected Semrush subscription. Some Traffic & Market and Trends capabilities require a separate Trends API entitlement.

Before You Start

You need:

• A Semrush account with API access.
• Enough API units for the reports you plan to run.
• Permission to store the API key in QuilrAI.

Get The Semrush API Key

1. Sign in to Semrush.
2. Open Subscription Info.
3. Open the API Units tab.
4. Copy the API key.

Treat the key as a secret. It can consume the API units associated with the Semrush account.

Register Semrush Advanced

If Semrush Advanced is already present in the MCP library, install it from there. To register it manually:

1. In QuilrAI, open MCP Gateway and click Add MCP.
2. Enter these values:

Field	Value
Name	Semrush Advanced
Slug	semrush-advanced
Transport URL	https://semrush.mcp.quilr.ai/mcp
Description	Advanced Semrush SEO, keyword, backlink, traffic, market, and project research
Auth mode	Upstream API Key

If Auto-detect identifies an upstream API key, continue with the detected option.

3. On the upstream credential screen, configure:

Field	Value
Upstream API Key	Paste the Semrush API key
Credential ownership	Admin shared for one company account, or User required when each user supplies a different Semrush key
Credential placement	Bearer token
Value prefix	Leave empty
Extra upstream headers	None
Extra upstream query parameters	None

4. Click Create.
5. Confirm that QuilrAI can list the Semrush tools.
6. Enable only the tools that the intended users and agents need.

The gateway stores the credential encrypted and sends it to the hosted MCP only when the MCP is called. The hosted MCP validates the key against Semrush and does not persist it.

Choose Credential Ownership

Mode	Use when
Admin shared	The company has one approved Semrush account or service credential for all authorized QuilrAI users.
User required	API usage and unit consumption must be attributed to each user's own Semrush account.

For a shared credential, restrict MCP access to the intended users and agents. A shared key also shares the same Semrush unit balance.

Verify The Connection

Start with a low-cost, read-only request:

Using Semrush Advanced, check my Semrush API unit balance. This is read-only.

Then test a small research request:

Using Semrush Advanced, return a domain overview for example.com in the US database.
Limit the result size and tell me the estimated API-unit cost before running any
additional reports.

To verify batch behavior:

Using Semrush Advanced, compare domain overviews for example.com, example.org,
and example.net in one batch request. Keep the input order and report any
per-domain errors without failing the whole batch.

Use It Effectively

• Prefer batch tools when researching multiple domains, keywords, projects, or backlink targets.
• Start with small row limits and expand only when the first result is useful.
• Specify the country database when geographic results matter.
• Ask for an estimated upper bound before expensive or multi-target reports.
• Use compound research briefs when you need a summarized answer across related Semrush reports.
• Keep write-capable actions disabled. The current Semrush Advanced tool surface is read only.

Troubleshooting

Error	Likely cause	Fix
401 Unauthorized or QuilrAI cannot list tools	Invalid, revoked, or incorrectly pasted Semrush API key	Copy the key again from Subscription Info > API Units, leave Value prefix empty, and retry.
API unit balance is zero	The account has no remaining API units	Add units or use a different approved Semrush account.
Semrush reports an unavailable report or database	The connected plan does not include that API, report, or regional database	Confirm the Semrush subscription and requested database.
Traffic or audience tools fail while standard SEO tools work	Trends API access is not enabled for the account	Add the required Semrush Trends API entitlement or disable those tools.
A batch partially fails	One or more inputs are invalid, unsupported, or exceed provider limits	Inspect each item result, correct only the failed inputs, and retry those items.
Results consume more units than expected	The request uses large limits or several reports	Reduce row limits, target count, and date range before retrying.

Rotate Or Remove The Key

When a key is exposed, rotated, or no longer needed:

1. Rotate or replace it in Semrush.
2. Update the upstream credential in QuilrAI.
3. Re-run the read-only unit-balance test.
4. Revoke or remove the old key according to your organization's credential policy.

References

• Semrush: Find your API key
• Semrush API documentation
• Semrush API authorization