Backlink MCP for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor
Ask your AI assistant who links to a site, which links were lost, and which sites link to your competitors but not to you. CalmSEO fetches the backlink data and the assistant analyzes it in the same conversation.
What is a backlink MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants call external tools. A backlink MCP server gives the assistant tools that return backlink data: who links to a domain or page, how strong those linking sites are, and which links are new or lost.
CalmSEO's backlink tools use the DataForSEO Backlinks API, which is built on DataForSEO's own continuously crawled backlink index. They sit on the same MCP endpoint as CalmSEO's free Google Search Console tools and its keyword, SERP, and page audit tools, so one conversation can mix all of them.
Three backlink tools
| Tool | What it returns | Options | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
get_backlink_summary | An overview of a domain or a single page: rank (0 to 100), total backlinks, referring domains, nofollow counts, spam score, broken backlinks, and the top linking TLDs and countries. | Domain or full page URL. Subdomains are included by default. | 5 credits, about $0.17 |
get_backlinks | A list of backlinks with the linking URL, anchor text, dofollow status, the linking site's rank, first and last seen dates, and new or lost flags. | One link per linking site by default, strongest first. You can sort by newest, return only dofollow links, list lost links, or return every link instead of one per site. | Up to 100 rows: 5 credits, about $0.17. 101 to 1,000 rows: 15 credits, about $0.50. |
find_backlink_gaps | Sites that link to every competitor you list but not to you, ranked by the linking site's rank, with how many backlinks each competitor gets from that site. | 1 to 20 competitors, with an optional dofollow filter. One to three competitors give the broadest list, since each extra competitor narrows it. | Up to 100 rows: 5 credits, about $0.17. 101 to 1,000 rows: 15 credits, about $0.50. |
Every tool accepts any domain, so you can check competitors as easily as your own site. get_backlink_summary and get_backlinks also accept a full page URL to look at the links to one page.
Rank is DataForSEO's own 0 to 100 score for how strong a site or page is, based on the links pointing to it. Other backlink tools use their own scales, so compare rank numbers only with other rank numbers from the same source.
Example prompts
Replace example.com and the competitor domains with your own. These work the same way in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Claude Code.
Use CalmSEO to get a backlink summary for example.com. Explain the rank, referring domains, nofollow share, spam score, and broken backlinks in plain terms.One get_backlink_summary call, then a short reading of the numbers. Broken backlinks point at pages on your site that return an error, so they are usually the first thing to fix.
Who links to example.com? List the 50 strongest linking sites with the linking page, anchor text, and whether the link is dofollow.get_backlinks with its defaults: one link per linking site, sorted by the linking site's rank.
Show the newest backlinks to example.com and tell me which ones were first seen in the last 30 days.get_backlinks sorted by newest. The assistant reads the first seen dates and filters the rows.
Which backlinks to example.com were lost? Group them by linking site and tell me which ones look worth asking back.get_backlinks with the lost status. Each row keeps its last seen date and the page that used to link.
Find sites that link to competitor-a.com and competitor-b.com but not to example.com. Dofollow links only. Show the top 50 by rank.find_backlink_gaps with two competitors. Each row shows the linking site, its rank, and its backlink count to each competitor.
Check the top 10 Google results for "your target query", then get a backlink summary for the top three URLs and for my ranking page. Compare referring domains.One search_serp call and four get_backlink_summary calls on page URLs. This shows whether links are a likely reason the other pages rank higher.
For a full walkthrough with real output, see how to check backlinks and how to run a backlink gap analysis.
What it returned for calmseo.com
We ran the summary tool on our own site in November 2026. It reported a rank of 26, 284 backlinks from 123 referring domains, 40 referring domains with nofollow links, and 7 broken backlinks, meaning links that point at URLs on our site that return an error. A dofollow-only backlink list returned 82 linking sites, one link each.
A link gap against two SEO data providers, dataforseo.com and serpapi.com, found 567 sites that link to both of them and not to us. The gap analysis post walks through how we read that list and what to check before contacting any of those sites.
What backlink checks cost
Backlink tools use credits from your plan. Dollar amounts below use the Lite rate of $10 for 300 credits.
- Backlink summary: 5 credits, about $0.17
- Top 100 backlinks: 5 credits, about $0.17
- Link gap, top 100 sites: 5 credits, about $0.17
A session with all three comes to 15 credits, about $0.50. Lists of 101 to 1,000 rows cost 15 credits, about $0.50 per call. Search Console tools are free, so pairing backlink data with your own clicks and queries adds no cost. Each paid call reports the credits it used and your remaining balance.
Credits are charged on every successful call, including repeat calls for the same site.
What it does not do
CalmSEO is a small set of backlink tools for questions you can ask in a chat. It is not a full backlink suite. It does not include:
- Historical backlink charts or timelines of new and lost links over time. Each link has first and last seen dates and new or lost flags, but there is no trend view.
- Rank tracking.
- A full-site crawler or site audit. Page audits check one URL at a time.
- Outreach tools, such as contact finding or email sequences.
DataForSEO's index is smaller than Ahrefs', so counts will often be lower than what Ahrefs reports for the same site. If link building is a large part of your work, Ahrefs or Semrush is the deeper tool. See the Ahrefs MCP alternative and Semrush MCP alternative pages for how CalmSEO compares overall.
CalmSEO fits when you want backlink answers inside your AI assistant, pay per call instead of a suite subscription, and want to combine links with your Search Console data and keyword tools in one conversation.
Set up CalmSEO in your AI client
- Create a CalmSEO account. New accounts start with 30 credits.
- Add the MCP server URL https://mcp.calmseo.com/mcp to your client.
- Claude web and Claude Desktop: add a custom connector. See the Claude setup docs.
- Claude Code: run this command.
claude mcp add calmseo --transport http https://mcp.calmseo.com/mcp - ChatGPT: create an app in developer mode. See the ChatGPT setup docs.
- Cursor: add CalmSEO to your MCP configuration. See the Cursor setup docs.
- Sign in to CalmSEO when your client asks, then try Use CalmSEO to get a backlink summary for example.com.
The docs cover every client and the full tool list.
Pricing
Search Console tools are free. Backlink, keyword, SERP, and audit tools use credits from your plan.
For trying it out
Get started- 30 credits to start
- Enough for one full SEO fix run
- Search Console tools with basic limits
- MCP and REST API access
- OAuth-secured
For occasional research
Get started- 300 credits / month
- About 20 search volume checks (up to 1,000 keywords each), 300 SERP checks, or 60 page audits
- Search Console tools with higher limits
- MCP and REST API access
- Email support
For growing workflows
Get started- 1,500 credits / month
- About 100 search volume checks (up to 1,000 keywords each), 1,500 SERP checks, or 300 page audits
- Search Console tools with higher limits
- MCP and REST API access
- Email support
For agencies
Get started- 3,500 credits / month
- About 233 search volume checks (up to 1,000 keywords each), 3,500 SERP checks, or 700 page audits
- Search Console tools with higher limits
- MCP and REST API access
- Priority support
What each tool costs
Dollar amounts use the Lite rate of $10 for 300 credits. Search Console tools are free.
- SERP check (top 10 results)
- 1 credit, about $0.03
- Page audit
- 5 credits, about $0.17
- Ranked keywords (up to 100)
- 5 credits, about $0.17
- Search volume check (up to 1,000 keywords)
- 15 credits, about $0.50
- Keyword ideas (up to 50)
- 15 credits, about $0.50
- Backlink summary
- 5 credits, about $0.17
- Backlinks or link gap (up to 100)
- 5 credits, about $0.17
Frequently asked questions
What is a backlink MCP server?+
An MCP server that gives AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor tools for backlink data. The assistant calls the tools, gets the links, and answers your question in the chat, without you opening a separate backlink tool.
Where does the backlink data come from?+
From the DataForSEO Backlinks API, which uses DataForSEO's own continuously crawled backlink index. Every backlink tool has its own index, so counts differ between tools.
What does the rank number mean?+
Rank is DataForSEO's 0 to 100 score for a site or page, based on the links pointing to it. Higher means stronger links. It uses its own scale, so compare it only with other DataForSEO rank values.
Can I check a competitor's backlinks?+
Yes. All three tools accept any domain, and you do not need to own or verify it. The link gap tool takes 1 to 20 competitor domains and returns sites that link to all of them but not to you.
How much does it cost?+
A backlink summary costs 5 credits, about $0.17. A backlink list or link gap of up to 100 rows costs 5 credits, about $0.17. Up to 1,000 rows costs 15 credits, about $0.50. The Free plan starts with 30 credits. Paid plans start at $10 per month for 300 credits.
Is there a free way to check my own backlinks?+
Yes. The Links report in Google Search Console shows top linking sites, linked pages, and anchor text for sites you have verified. Google's Search Console API does not include that report, so CalmSEO's free Search Console tools cannot read it. The backlink checking guide covers both routes.
Does it include historical backlink data or alerts?+
No. You get current links, recently lost links, and first and last seen dates for each link, but no historical charts, trend timelines, or alerts.
Does it replace Ahrefs or Semrush?+
Not for heavy link work. Ahrefs and Semrush have deeper backlink features, and Ahrefs has a larger index. CalmSEO covers the common questions inside your AI assistant with pay-per-call credits.
Which AI clients does it work with?+
Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code, and any client that supports remote MCP servers with OAuth. The docs cover setup for each.
Check backlinks from your AI assistant
30 free credits + free Google Search Console tools. No card required.