> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.seoutils.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.seoutils.app/guide/set-up-seo-utils.md). # Set Up SEO Utils Most SEO Utils tools need something set up first: a DataForSEO account, a Google service account, an AI provider key. The **Onboarding** page works out what your tools need and gets you there two ways: your AI app (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others) walks you through each step (recommended), or you follow a checklist yourself. {% hint style="info" %} **What you need:** SEO Utils with an active license key, and for the AI path an AI app on the same computer. The [MCP add-on](/guide/mcp-server.md#setting-up-the-mcp-server) is **not** required: without it, your AI app can set up SEO Utils but cannot run its other tools (the AI path shows **Setup mode** instead of **Full access**). {% endhint %} ## Start the Onboarding Page A new install opens the Onboarding page by itself. To come back to it later, click **Finish setup** on the Dashboard, or choose **Onboarding** in the **Quick Links** menu. Once every tool is set up, the Dashboard button is called **Onboarding** instead. Until your license key is active, both stay locked behind **Enter your license key to start**. {% stepper %} {% step %} #### Tell SEO Utils What You Do Under **What do you do?**, pick every answer that fits: **Agency**, **Local SEO**, **Content & affiliate sites**, **In-house SEO**, **Technical SEO** or **AI search (AEO / GEO)**. Your answers choose the tools to set up and what each one needs. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Choose How to Set Up Under **How do you want to set up?**, pick one: * **Set up with your AI app** (recommended): click **Set up with AI** * **Set up myself**: click **Set up manually** You can switch between the two at any time.

Onboarding with two answers picked: the goals (1) and the two ways to set up (2)

{% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ## Set Up with Your AI App (Recommended) {% embed url="" %} Setting up SEO Utils with your AI app (shown with Claude Desktop) {% endembed %} {% stepper %} {% step %} #### Choose Your App Under **Which AI app do you use?**, pick **Claude Desktop**, **Claude Code**, **ChatGPT / Codex**, **Cursor**, **VS Code**, **OpenCode** or **Another app**. Apps SEO Utils has heard from before show **Connected before** and skip the next step.

The three setup steps (1) and the apps to choose from (2)

{% endstep %} {% step %} #### Connect and Check Click the **Connect** button with your app's name, for example **Connect Claude Code**. One click does three things: * Turns on the SEO Utils MCP server * Adds SEO Utils to your app * Installs the SEO Utils skill where the app reads one (Claude Desktop takes it as a plugin: the page shows the marketplace to add in Claude) The list shows **What Connect did**. Then restart your app so it loads SEO Utils: | App | What to do | | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Claude Desktop | Quit it from the menu bar (closing its window is not enough), then open it again | | Claude Code | Start a new session: run `claude` in any folder | | ChatGPT / Codex | In the ChatGPT desktop app, select **Restart** in its MCP settings. In the Codex CLI, start a new session | | Cursor, VS Code | Confirm adding SEO Utils in the app | | OpenCode | Restart OpenCode | | Another app | Add the connection settings in your app, then restart it. **Open the MCP settings** shows them | SEO Utils notices the moment your app loads it: the page turns green by itself and moves on. If nothing happens after 30 seconds, it shows a tip for your app. If you changed anything, click **Connect again**. If it still doesn't work, see [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting).

Connect Claude Code (1), what the button does (2), and the restart SEO Utils waits for (3)

{% endstep %} {% step %} #### Set Up Your Tools The page now reads **Set up your tools with** your app. Click **Copy prompt** under **Paste this into** your app's name and paste it into a new chat. The prompt names your answers from the first screen, for example: "Help me set up SEO Utils for: Local SEO, Content & affiliate sites. Start with what my tools need most, and tell me what to set up next." Your AI app checks what is already set up, explains what each missing step is for and what it costs, opens the right page in SEO Utils for you, checks again after you save, and suggests the next tool. It also reads the pages of this help site to explain a step. Prefer one tool at a time? **Or set up one tool at a time** lists your tools as **Ready to use** or **Needs** with the missing steps. **Copy prompt** on a row asks the AI for just that tool, and each row updates by itself. **Extras** and **More tools for your goals** are optional.

The starter prompt to paste into your app (1) and the tools it will set up (2)

{% endstep %} {% endstepper %} {% hint style="warning" %} **Keys and passwords go in SEO Utils, never in the chat.** When a step needs an API key, your AI app opens the right settings page and you paste the value there and click **Save**. If you paste a secret into the chat by mistake, the AI tells you to enter it in SEO Utils instead. {% endhint %} ## Set Up Yourself **Set up manually** opens **Set up SEO Utils yourself**: the things your tools need, in order, with the next one already open. The counter (1), for example **2 of 4 done**, updates as you go. Each step offers: * **Connect Google** (2): creates the Google service account or the Places API key for you (see [Connect Google Automatically](#connect-google-automatically)) * **Open settings** (3): takes you to the right settings page and highlights the field to fill * **Set up with your AI app** (4): hands that one step to your AI app * **Read the guide**: opens the help page for the step **Your tools** below the steps shows each tool as **Ready to use** or **Needs** with what is missing.

The manual checklist: the counter (1) and the buttons of the Google Places API key step (2 to 4)

The checklist lists only what your answers need. Each step has a guide: | Step | What to do | Guide | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | License key | Paste the key from your purchase email and activate it | [Manage License Key](/guide/manage-license-key.md) | | DataForSEO API | Create an account, top up at least $50 (or rent a key for a smaller budget), paste the API login and password in the DataForSEO card | [SEO Data Source](/guide/seo-data-source.md#how-to-connect-your-dataforseo-account-to-seo-utils), [Rent DataForSEO API Key](/guide/rent-dataforseo-api-key.md) | | Google service account | Create it in Google Cloud and add its key on the Google Service Accounts page, then add its email to your Search Console and GA4 properties | [Google Service Accounts](/guide/google-service-accounts.md) | | Google Places API key | Create a key for the Places, Maps JavaScript and Geocoding APIs and paste it in the Google Business Rank Tracker settings | [GMB Rank Tracker](/guide/google-my-business-rank-tracker.md#setup-the-google-places-api) | | AI key for LLM Rank Tracker | Paste an OpenAI or OpenRouter key in the AI Settings card | [LLM Rank Tracker](/guide/llm-rank-tracker.md) | | SMTP credentials | Add your mailbox's host, port, user and password on the SMTP page | [SMTP Credentials](/guide/smtp-credentials.md) | | IndexNow key | Create the key, upload its file to your site and paste the key in IndexNow | [IndexNow](/guide/indexnow.md) | | Chrome or Edge | Install one of them on this computer | — | | **Extras** | Workspaces, the S3 cache, Remote Access and the MCP add-on are optional | [Workspace](/guide/workspace.md), [S3 Cache for DataForSEO Data](/guide/data-sharing-with-s3.md), [Remote Access](/guide/remote-access.md), [MCP Server](/guide/mcp-server.md) | Other keys (an AI provider, TypeSafe, NLP and so on) appear only when a tool you picked needs them, and each step names the card to paste the key in. ## When a Tool Is Not Set Up A tool that still misses something lists each missing step with the same buttons, including **Set up with your AI app**. On a run form the panel reads **Set up** the tool **to start**. On a tool that already has reports, a notice above them reads **New runs are paused: a setup step needs you** and your reports stay. A team member sees whom to ask instead. If an AI app used SEO Utils recently, **Set up with your AI app** copies the prompt for that step and tells you where to paste it. Otherwise it opens the AI path above. After you leave Onboarding, a **Resume Onboarding** pill with a count such as **4/9 tools** appears on other pages until every tool is ready. Click it to come back, or click **×** to hide it.

The setup notice on a tool page (1), its Set up with your AI app button (2) and the Resume Onboarding pill (3)

## Connect Google Automatically A Google service account (Search Console, Indexing, Google Analytics 4, SEO Tests) and the Places API key (GMB tools) normally take a long visit to the Google Cloud console. **Connect Google** does it for you. Start it from any of these: * **Connect Google** on the [Google Service Accounts](/guide/google-service-accounts.md) page, next to **Add Account** * **Connect Google** on the Google service account and Google Places API key steps of Onboarding and of a tool's setup panel * **Create a key automatically**, under the Google Places API Key in the Google Business Rank Tracker settings: it opens Connect Google with the Google Maps tools switched on Your AI app can start it too when you ask it to set up the Google service account. {% stepper %} {% step %} #### Choose What to Set Up **Search Console, Indexing and Google Analytics 4** are always included, and free. Switch on **Google Maps tools** to add a Places API key for GMB Rank Tracker, GMB Reviews and NAP Finder. Click **Connect Google**.

The Connect Google page: what it sets up (1) and the Connect Google button (2)

{% endstep %} {% step %} #### Let It Run SEO Utils works through these steps and shows each one under **Progress**: 1. **Get Google's Cloud CLI**: downloads Google's own command-line tool if needed (about 0.5 GB while it runs, removed afterwards). Your own Google Cloud CLI is left alone 2. **Sign in to Google**: your browser opens Google's sign-in page. Sign in and click **Allow**. SEO Utils never sees your password 3. **Create a Google Cloud project** for SEO Utils, or reuse the one an earlier setup made 4. **Turn on the Google APIs** SEO Utils uses 5. **Create the service account** and **add it to SEO Utils**. Its key goes straight into SEO Utils, never through the chat or a log 6. With **Google Maps tools** on: **Create a Google Places API key** that works only with the Maps APIs, then **Billing for the Maps APIs** It takes about 3 minutes. You can leave the page: a pill in the corner shows **Google setup** with the progress, turns amber with **Google setup needs you** when it has a question, and brings you back. **Stop setup** cancels it. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Answer Its Questions When a **Needs you** card appears, answer it in SEO Utils: Google Cloud's terms, a project you already have, a temporary organization role (only when a Workspace organization blocks a step) or a billing account for the Maps tools. SEO Utils changes nothing in your organization or billing until you say yes. Each question is explained in [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting). {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Finish in Google The page now reads **Google is connected** and shows the project, the service account and the Places API key. Under **Finish in Google**, do the two steps only you can do, once for each property (Google does not let any program do them): * **Search Console**: **Settings → Users and permissions → Add user**, paste the service account email (**Copy email**) and choose **Owner** * **Google Analytics 4**: **Admin → Property access management → Add users**, paste the email and choose **Viewer** {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} SEO Utils cleans up after itself: the downloaded tool, its sign-in and any temporary organization role are removed when the run ends. **Delete SEO Utils projects you no longer use** removes projects it made earlier (Google keeps them for 30 days). To do it all by hand, click **Add a service account by hand** and follow [Google Service Accounts](/guide/google-service-accounts.md). ## Troubleshooting
Google Cloud setup asks a question or stops Answer on the **Connect Google** page; the **Google setup needs you** pill follows you to other pages. Your AI app can explain a step but never answers for you. | Question or problem | What to do | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Accept Google Cloud's terms** | Click **Open Google Cloud console**, sign in as the account shown, choose your country, accept the terms (no free trial needed) and click **Done** in SEO Utils | | **Sign in to Google in your browser** | Click **Open the Google sign-in page** if no window opened, then **Allow**. After 10 minutes SEO Utils stops: start again | | Your account can't create projects in your organization | A Google Workspace organization limits it. An administrator can let SEO Utils grant the Project Creator role for at most one hour. Otherwise ask your administrator or use a personal Google (Gmail) account | | Your organization blocks service-account keys | Same fix with the Organization Policy Administrator role, which allows keys in the SEO Utils project only | | **Use a project you already have?** | **Use this project** keeps a billing slot free. **Create a new project** starts fresh | | **Link a billing account for the Maps tools?** | Optional: business search works without it, addresses and the map need it. Pick an account, or **Skip for now** and use **Turn on billing for Maps** later | | Google refused the billing account | Full account: pick another, click **Unlink billing from a project I no longer use**, or free a slot on the billing page (**Open Google Cloud billing**). Closed account: reopen it there or pick another. None open: add one there | | A Free Trial sign-up fails with `OR_BACR2_59` | Google refused the payment verification. Try another card or Google billing support | | Not enough disk space | About 0.5 GB must be free while it runs. Free some space and click **Try again** | | The project can no longer be changed by this account | Sign in with the account that created it, or click **Run the setup again** | For any other stop, click **Try again**, or **Add a service account by hand**.
Your AI app does not see SEO Utils After **Connect**, your app loads SEO Utils only when it starts. Check these in order: 1. **Restart the app the way the page says** (see the table in step 2 above), then click **Connect** again if you changed anything 2. **Open SEO Utils.** The app can start first, but SEO Utils must be running when you ask 3. **Check the MCP server:** in **Settings → Services → MCP Server**, the badge reads **Running (port …)**. If it doesn't, see [MCP Server → Troubleshooting](/guide/mcp-server.md#troubleshooting) 4. **Check the app itself:** | App | Check that SEO Utils is there | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Claude Desktop | **Settings › Developer**: `seo-utils` is running | | Claude Code | Run `/mcp`: `seo-utils` is listed as connected | | ChatGPT / Codex | Run `codex mcp list`: `seo-utils` is listed | | Cursor | **Settings › MCP**: switch `seo-utils` on | | VS Code | Run **MCP: List Servers** and start `seo-utils` | | OpenCode | Run `opencode mcp list`: `seo-utils` is listed | | Another app | Add the connection settings in the app's MCP settings again; some apps need a restart | On Windows, fully quit Claude Desktop (tray icon or Task Manager) before reopening it.
Your AI app says it couldn't reach SEO Utils Your app sees SEO Utils, but its requests don't get through. The AI's error says why, and so does **Settings → Services → MCP Server**: an amber box there names each AI app whose last request failed. The box clears once that app reaches SEO Utils again. | The error says | What to do | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Nothing answers on the port | Open SEO Utils and turn on the MCP server, then ask again | | There is no MCP token in a folder | SEO Utils keeps its data in another folder. Click **Connect** for that app again | | The connection was closed before SEO Utils answered, or it dropped during a call | Antivirus web protection is the usual cause. Add SEO Utils as an exception (below) | | Another program answers on the port | Another app uses that port. Change the port in **Settings → MCP Server**, then click **Connect** again | **Add SEO Utils as an antivirus exception.** Antivirus web protection (such as AVG or Avast Web Shield) can drop the local connections your AI app uses to reach SEO Utils. In AVG or Avast on Windows: 1. Open the antivirus, click **Menu**, then **Settings** 2. On the **General** tab, open **Exceptions** and click **Add exception** 3. Add the SEO Utils program: `C:\Program Files\SEO Utils\SEO Utils\SEO Utils.exe` 4. Fully quit your AI app, open it again with SEO Utils running, and ask again On a Mac, add `/Applications/SEO Utils.app` to the antivirus's exceptions. Other antivirus apps (Norton, Kaspersky, ESET, Bitdefender) have a similar exception list for their web protection. To check that the antivirus is the cause, turn its protection off for a minute and ask again: if it works, add the exception and turn the protection back on.
ChatGPT: use Work or Codex mode In the ChatGPT desktop app, **Chat** mode can't use tools on this computer, so it can't see SEO Utils. Switch to **Work** or **Codex** mode.
Only setup actions work If **Access** on the Dashboard's AI assistant card reads **Setup only**, the MCP add-on isn't active. Your AI app can still connect and set up SEO Utils, but every other action answers that it needs the add-on. Before it does such a task by hand, for example by clicking through SEO Utils, your AI app recommends the add-on with its purchase link. With the add-on it is much faster than clicking through the app, it works in the background without taking over your screen, and it has all of SEO Utils' data to answer from. If you prefer to do the task by hand, tell the AI and it still helps. To buy it, click **Get the MCP add-on** on the card, then click **Refresh** in **Settings → Services → MCP Server**.
The MCP server not starting or moving to another port, and getting help from the AI with **Copy error**, are in [MCP Server → Troubleshooting](/guide/mcp-server.md#troubleshooting). For install and runtime problems of the app itself, see [Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting.md).