How to integrate Ahrefs MCP with CrewAI

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Ahrefs to CrewAI using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Ahrefs agent that can get domain rating trend for competitor site, list all broken backlinks for my website, find keyword volume for 'ai tools' in us, show top referring domains for example.com through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your CrewAI agent real control over a Ahrefs account through Composio's Ahrefs MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get a Composio API key and configure your Ahrefs connection
  • Set up CrewAI with an MCP enabled agent
  • Create a Tool Router session or standalone MCP server for Ahrefs
  • Build a conversational loop where your agent can execute Ahrefs operations

What is CrewAI?

CrewAI is a powerful framework for building multi-agent AI systems. It provides primitives for defining agents with specific roles, creating tasks, and orchestrating workflows through crews.

Key features include:

  • Agent Roles: Define specialized agents with specific goals and backstories
  • Task Management: Create tasks with clear descriptions and expected outputs
  • Crew Orchestration: Combine agents and tasks into collaborative workflows
  • MCP Integration: Connect to external tools through Model Context Protocol

What is the Ahrefs MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Ahrefs MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Ahrefs account. It provides structured and secure access to your SEO and marketing data, so your agent can perform actions like analyzing backlinks, researching keywords, auditing domain authority, and uncovering competitive insights on your behalf.

  • Comprehensive backlink analysis: Instantly retrieve detailed backlink profiles, stats, and broken link data for any website to inform your SEO strategy or spot link-building opportunities.
  • Keyword research and trends: Explore keyword overviews, search volumes by country, and discover matching or related terms to optimize content and target the right audience.
  • Domain authority tracking: Fetch up-to-date domain ratings or track historical changes to monitor the SEO health and growth of your own sites or competitors over time.
  • Batch competitor and site analysis: Analyze up to 100 domains or URLs at once to compare SEO metrics, spot weaknesses, and benchmark your performance against competitors efficiently.
  • Outbound link and partnership insights: Identify all external domains a site links to, helping you understand content strategy, partnerships, and potential link-building prospects.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Backlinks stats retrievalRetrieves comprehensive backlink statistics for a specified website or url using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Batch Url AnalysisPerforms a batch analysis on multiple urls or domains using ahrefs' powerful seo metrics.
Domain rating for site explorerRetrieves the domain rating (dr) for a specified domain.
Domain rating historyRetrieves the historical domain rating (dr) data for a specified domain over time.
Explore keywords overviewRetrieves a comprehensive overview of keyword data from ahrefs' keywords explorer tool.
Explore keyword volume by countryRetrieves the search volume data for specified keywords across different countries using ahrefs' keywords explorer tool.
Explore linked domains of a siteRetrieves a list of external domains that the specified target website or url links to, using ahrefs' site explorer functionality.
Explore matching terms for keywordsThe keywords explorer matching terms endpoint retrieves a list of keyword phrases that match or contain the specified keyword from ahrefs' vast database.
Fetch all backlinksRetrieves a comprehensive list of backlinks for a specified website or url using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Fetch broken backlinks dataRetrieves a list of broken backlinks for a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Fetch competitors overviewRetrieves a comprehensive overview of competitor data in relation to keyword rankings and organic search performance.
Fetch rank tracker overviewThe getranktrackeroverview endpoint retrieves a comprehensive summary of keyword rankings and seo performance data from ahrefs' rank tracker tool.
Fetch site explorer referring domainsRetrieves a list of domains that have backlinks pointing to a specified target website.
Fetch total search volume historyRetrieves the historical total search volume data for specified keywords using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Get serp overviewRetrieves a comprehensive overview of search engine results pages (serp) data for specified keywords or queries.
Get site audit projectsRetrieves a list of site audit projects associated with the authenticated ahrefs account.
Get site explorer country metricsRetrieves country-specific site explorer metrics for a given website from ahrefs.
Get site explorer linked anchors externalThe site-explorer-linked-anchors-external endpoint retrieves data about external anchor texts linking to a specified target website.
Get url rating historyRetrieves the historical url rating data for a specified url over time.
Linked anchors explorerRetrieves information about internal linked anchors for a specified website using the ahrefs api.
List best by external linksThe 'get best by external links' endpoint retrieves a list of pages from a specified website, ranked by the number of external links pointing to them.
Pages by traffic overviewRetrieves a list of pages from a specified website, ordered by their estimated organic search traffic.
Retrieve anchor dataRetrieves anchor text data for a specified website or url using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Retrieve best by internal linksRetrieves data on the best-performing internal links within a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer feature.
Retrieve crawler ip rangesRetrieves the list of ip address ranges used by ahrefs' web crawler (ahrefsbot).
Retrieve organic competitorsThe getorganiccompetitors endpoint in the ahrefs api provides a comprehensive analysis of websites competing for organic search rankings with a specified target domain.
Retrieve organic keywordsRetrieves organic keywords data for a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Retrieve outlinks statsRetrieves comprehensive statistics about outgoing links (outlinks) from a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Retrieve paid pages dataRetrieves information about paid pages (ppc advertising) for a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Retrieve public crawler ipsRetrieves a list of ip addresses currently used by ahrefsbot, ahrefs' web crawler.
Retrieve related termsThe keywords explorer related terms endpoint retrieves a list of related terms for a given keyword using ahrefs' extensive keyword database.
Retrieve site explorer keywords historyRetrieves historical keyword performance data for a specified website or domain using ahrefs' site explorer.
Retrieve site explorer metricsThe getsiteexplorermetrics endpoint retrieves comprehensive seo metrics for a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Retrieve site explorer metrics historyRetrieves historical seo metrics data for a specified website over a given time period.
Retrieve site explorer pages historyThe get site explorer pages history endpoint retrieves historical data about specific pages or domains from ahrefs' site explorer.
Retrieve site explorer referring domains historyRetrieves the historical data of referring domains for a specified website or url over time.
Retrieve subscription limits and usageRetrieves detailed information about the current subscription limits and usage for an ahrefs account.
Retrieve top pages from site explorerRetrieves data about the top-performing pages of a specified website using ahrefs' site explorer tool.
Retrieve volume historyRetrieves the historical search volume data for a specified keyword using ahrefs' keywords explorer tool.
Search suggestions explorerRetrieves search suggestions for a given keyword or phrase using ahrefs' keywords explorer tool.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Tool Router?

Composio's Tool Router helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Tool Router

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Tool Router works

The Tool Router follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Python 3.9 or higher
  • A Composio account and API key
  • A Ahrefs connection authorized in Composio
  • An OpenAI API key for the CrewAI LLM
  • Basic familiarity with Python

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
  • Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

bash
pip install composio crewai crewai-tools python-dotenv
What's happening:
  • composio connects your agent to Ahrefs via MCP
  • crewai provides Agent, Task, Crew, and LLM primitives
  • crewai-tools includes MCP helpers
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables from .env

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID scopes the session to your account
  • OPENAI_API_KEY lets CrewAI use your chosen OpenAI model

Import dependencies

python
from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew, LLM
from crewai_tools import MCPServerAdapter  # optional import if you plan to adapt tools
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os
from crewai.mcp import MCPServerHTTP

load_dotenv()
What's happening:
  • CrewAI classes define agents and tasks, and run the workflow
  • MCPServerHTTP connects the agent to an MCP endpoint
  • Composio will give you a short lived Ahrefs MCP URL

Create a Composio Tool Router session for Ahrefs

python
composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
session = composio.create(
    user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
    toolkits=["ahrefs"],
)
url = session.mcp.url
What's happening:
  • You create a Ahrefs only session through Composio
  • Composio returns an MCP HTTP URL that exposes Ahrefs tools

Configure the LLM

python
llm = LLM(
    model="gpt-5-mini",
    api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY"),
)
What's happening:
  • CrewAI will call this LLM for planning and responses
  • You can swap in a different model if needed

Attach the MCP server and create the agent

python
toolkit_agent = Agent(
    role="Ahrefs Assistant",
    goal="Help users interact with Ahrefs through natural language commands",
    backstory=(
        "You are an expert assistant with access to Ahrefs tools. "
        "You can perform various Ahrefs operations on behalf of the user."
    ),
    mcps=[
        MCPServerHTTP(
            url=url,
            streamable=True,
            cache_tools_list=True,
            headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")},
        ),
    ],
    llm=llm,
    verbose=True,
    max_iter=10,
)
What's happening:
  • MCPServerHTTP connects the agent to the Ahrefs MCP endpoint
  • cache_tools_list saves a tools catalog for faster subsequent runs
  • verbose helps you see what the agent is doing

Add a REPL loop with Task and Crew

python
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
print("Try asking the agent to perform Ahrefs operations.\n")

conversation_context = ""

while True:
    user_input = input("You: ").strip()

    if user_input.lower() in ["exit", "quit", "bye"]:
        print("\nGoodbye!")
        break

    if not user_input:
        continue

    conversation_context += f"\nUser: {user_input}\n"
    print("\nAgent is thinking...\n")

    task = Task(
        description=(
            f"Based on the conversation history:\n{conversation_context}\n\n"
            f"Current user request: {user_input}\n\n"
            f"Please help the user with their Ahrefs related request."
        ),
        expected_output="A helpful response addressing the user's request",
        agent=toolkit_agent,
    )

    crew = Crew(
        agents=[toolkit_agent],
        tasks=[task],
        verbose=False,
    )

    result = crew.kickoff()
    response = str(result)

    conversation_context += f"Agent: {response}\n"
    print(f"Agent: {response}\n")
What's happening:
  • You build a simple chat loop and keep a running context
  • Each user turn becomes a Task handled by the same agent
  • Crew executes the task and returns a response

Run the application

python
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
What's happening:
  • Standard Python entry point so you can run python crewai_ahrefs_agent.py

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Ahrefs and CrewAI:

python
# file: crewai_ahrefs_agent.py
from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew, LLM
from crewai_tools import MCPServerAdapter  # optional
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os
from crewai.mcp import MCPServerHTTP

load_dotenv()

def main():
    # Initialize Composio and create a Ahrefs session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["ahrefs"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url

    # Configure LLM
    llm = LLM(
        model="gpt-5-mini",
        api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY"),
    )

    # Create Ahrefs assistant agent
    toolkit_agent = Agent(
        role="Ahrefs Assistant",
        goal="Help users interact with Ahrefs through natural language commands",
        backstory=(
            "You are an expert assistant with access to Ahrefs tools. "
            "You can perform various Ahrefs operations on behalf of the user."
        ),
        mcps=[
            MCPServerHTTP(
                url=url,
                streamable=True,
                cache_tools_list=True,
                headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")},
            ),
        ],
        llm=llm,
        verbose=True,
        max_iter=10,
    )

    print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n")
    print("Try asking the agent to perform Ahrefs operations.\n")

    conversation_context = ""

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()

        if user_input.lower() in ["exit", "quit", "bye"]:
            print("\nGoodbye!")
            break

        if not user_input:
            continue

        conversation_context += f"\nUser: {user_input}\n"
        print("\nAgent is thinking...\n")

        task = Task(
            description=(
                f"Based on the conversation history:\n{conversation_context}\n\n"
                f"Current user request: {user_input}\n\n"
                f"Please help the user with their Ahrefs related request."
            ),
            expected_output="A helpful response addressing the user's request",
            agent=toolkit_agent,
        )

        crew = Crew(
            agents=[toolkit_agent],
            tasks=[task],
            verbose=False,
        )

        result = crew.kickoff()
        response = str(result)

        conversation_context += f"Agent: {response}\n"
        print(f"Agent: {response}\n")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Conclusion

You now have a CrewAI agent connected to Ahrefs through Composio's Tool Router. The agent can perform Ahrefs operations through natural language commands. Next steps:
  • Add role-specific instructions to customize agent behavior
  • Plug in more toolkits for multi-app workflows
  • Chain tasks for complex multi-step operations

How to build Ahrefs MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Ahrefs MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Use Ahrefs MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Google ADK

Google ADK

Use Ahrefs MCP with Google ADK

LangChain

LangChain

Use Ahrefs MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Vercel AI SDK

Use Ahrefs MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

Mastra AI

Use Ahrefs MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

LlamaIndex

Use Ahrefs MCP with LlamaIndex

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Ahrefs MCP?

With a standalone Ahrefs MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Ahrefs tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Ahrefs and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with CrewAI?

Yes, you can. CrewAI fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Ahrefs tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Ahrefs while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Ahrefs scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Ahrefs data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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