How to connect Semrush MCP with VS Code

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How to connect Semrush MCP with VS Code

VS Code is the most popular code editor out there. With its recent AI makeover, it can do more than just help you write code. You can connect your applications to it and let LLMs automate many of the mundane tasks in your workflow.

In this guide, I will explain how to connect Semrush with VS Code in the most secure and robust way possible via Composio.

Also integrate Semrush with

Why use Composio?

Composio provides:

  • Access to 1,000+ managed apps from a single MCP endpoint. This makes it convenient for agents to run cross-app workflows.
  • Programmatic tool calling. Allows LLMs to write its code in a remote workbench to handle complex tool chaining. Reduces to-and-fro with LLMs for frequent tool calling.
  • Large tool response handling outside the LLM context. This minimizes context bloat from large tool responses.
  • Dynamic just-in-time access to thousands of tools across hundreds of apps. Composio loads the tools your agent needs, so LLMs are not overwhelmed by tools they do not need.

Integrate Semrush MCP with VS Code

1. Install with one click

Click the button below to add Composio to VS Code. You will be prompted to authorize. This requires VS Code 1.99+ with GitHub Copilot.

+Install in VS Code

2. Or add manually

Open or create .vscode/mcp.json in your project root and add the following configuration:

bash
{
  "servers": {
    "composio": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://connect.composio.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}

3. Authorize

Click the install button to authorize VS Code to connect to Composio. VS Code will detect OAuth and prompt you to sign in.

VS Code MCP server install screen for Composio

A browser window will open to authorize.

Composio authorization browser window

4. Authenticate Semrush and start working

Back in VS Code chat, ask the agent to connect to Semrush or give it any Semrush-related task.

For example, ask it to:

  • "Show top anchor texts for example.com"
  • "Compare backlink profiles for three domains"
  • "Get keyword overview for 'organic coffee'"

It will prompt you to authenticate and authorize access to Semrush.

That is it. Composio tools are now available in VS Code, and your Semrush account is ready to use.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Get ad copiesRetrieves unique ad copies semrush has observed for a specified domain from a regional database, detailing ads seen in google's paid search results.
Get anchor textsUse this action to get a csv report of anchor texts for backlinks pointing to a specified, publicly accessible domain, root domain, or url.
Get authority score profileRetrieves the authority score (as) profile for a specified target, showing the count of referring domains that link to the target for each as value from 0 to 100.
Get backlinksFetches backlinks for a specified domain or url as a csv-formatted string, allowing customization of columns, sorting, and filtering; ensure `display limit` surpasses `display offset` when an offset is used, and note the `urlanchor` filter may have limitations for targets with extensive backlinks.
Backlinks overviewProvides a csv-formatted summary of backlinks, including authority score and link type breakdowns, for a specified and publicly accessible domain, root domain, or url.
Batch comparisonCompares backlink profiles for multiple specified targets (domains, subdomains, or urls) to analyze and compare link-building efforts.
Batch keyword overviewFetches a keyword overview report from a semrush regional database for up to 100 keywords, providing metrics like search volume, cpc, and keyword difficulty.
Broad match keywordFetches broad match keywords for a given phrase; `display sort` and `display filter` parameters are defined but currently not utilized by the api call.
Get categoriesRetrieves categories and their 0-1 confidence ratings for a specified domain, subdomain, or url, with results sorted by rating.
Get categories profileRetrieves a profile of content categories from referring domains for a specified target, analyzing its first 10,000 referring domains and sorting results by domain count.
Get competitor dataRetrieves a customizable csv report of competitors for a specified target (root domain, domain, or url) based on shared backlinks or referring domains, ensuring the target is valid and its type is correctly specified.
Get competitors in organic searchUse to get a domain's organic search competitors from semrush as a semicolon-separated string; `display date` requires 'yyyymm15' format if used.
Get competitors in paid searchRetrieves a list of a domain's competitors in paid search results from a specified regional database.
Get domain ad historyRetrieves a domain's 12-month advertising history from semrush (keywords bid on, ad positions, ad copy) for ppc strategy and competitor analysis; most effective when the domain has ad history in the selected database.
Get domain organic pagesFetches a report on a domain's unique organic pages ranking in google's top 100 search results, with options for specifying database, date, columns, sorting, and filtering.
Get domain organic search keywordsRetrieves organic search keywords for a domain from a specified semrush regional database; `display positions` must be set if `display daily=1` for daily updates.
Get domain organic subdomainsRetrieves a report on subdomains of a given domain that rank in google's top 100 organic search results for a specified regional database.
Get domain paid search keywordsFetches keywords driving paid search traffic to a specified, existing domain using a supported semrush regional database.
Get PLA search keywords for a domainRetrieves product listing ad (pla) search keywords for a specified domain from a semrush regional database.
Compare domainsAnalyzes keyword rankings by comparing up to five domains to find common, unique, or gap keywords, using specified organic/paid types and comparison logic in the `domains` string.
Get historical dataRetrieves monthly historical backlink and referring domain data for a specified root domain, returned as a time series string with newest records first.
Get indexed pagesRetrieves a list of indexed pages from semrush for a specified `target` (root domain, domain, or url) and `target type`, ensuring `target` is publicly accessible, semrush-analyzable, and correctly matches `target type`.
Get keyword difficultyDetermines the keyword difficulty (kd) score (0-100, higher means greater difficulty) for a given phrase in a specific semrush regional database to assess its seo competitiveness.
Keyword overview all databasesFetches a keyword overview from semrush for a specified phrase, including metrics like search volume, cpc, and competition.
Get keyword overview for one databaseFetches a keyword summary for a specified phrase from a chosen regional database.
Get keywords ads historyFetches a historical report (last 12 months) of domains advertising on a specified keyword in google ads, optionally for a specific month ('yyyymm15') or the most recent period, returning raw csv-like data.
Get organic resultsRetrieves up to 100,000 domains and urls from google's top 100 organic search results for a keyword and region, returning a raw string; use `display date` in 'yyyymm15' format (day must be '15') for historical data.
Get paid search resultsFetches domains ranking in google's paid search results (adwords) for a specified keyword and regional database.
Phrase questionsFetches question-format keywords semantically related to a given query phrase for a specified regional database, aiding in understanding user search intent and discovering content ideas.
Get PLA competitorsRetrieves domains competing with a specified domain in google's product listing ads (pla) from a given semrush regional database.
Get PLA copiesFetches product listing ad (pla) copies that semrush observed for a domain in google's paid search results.
Get referring domainsRetrieves a report as a text string (e.
Get referring domains by countryGenerates a csv report detailing the geographic distribution of referring domains (by country, determined via ip address) for a specified, publicly accessible target.
Referring i psFetches ip addresses that are sources of backlinks for a specified target domain, root domain, or url.
Find related keywordsCall this to find related keywords (including synonyms and variations) for a target phrase in a specific regional database; `display date` (if used for historical data) must be 'yyyymm15' for a past month.
Get TLD distributionFetches a report on the top-level domain (tld) distribution of referring domains for a specified target, useful for analyzing geographic or categorical backlink diversity.

Way Forward

Now that Semrush is connected, extend your setup by connecting the other apps you already use every day, so your agent can run true cross-app workflows end to end.

  • Connect Calendar to turn threads into scheduled meetings automatically.
  • Connect Slack or Teams to post summaries, approvals, and alerts where your team works.
  • Connect Notion, Linear, Jira, or Asana to convert requests into tickets, tasks, and docs.
  • Connect Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive to fetch, file, and share attachments without manual steps.
  • Connect HubSpot or Salesforce to log customer context, update records, and draft follow-ups.

Start with one workflow you do repeatedly, then keep adding apps as you find new handoffs. With everything behind a single MCP endpoint, your agent can coordinate multiple tools safely and reliably in one conversation.

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FAQ

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

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

Can I use Tool Router MCP with VS Code?

Yes, you can. VS Code 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 Semrush tools.

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

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Semrush 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 Semrush data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai

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