Connect SEOReport to Cursor: MCP setup for SEO audits

What you need

You need an active SEOReport plan and an API key. Create the key at https://seoreport.dev/dashboard/api-keys. API keys require an active plan. [3][4][1]

SEOReport shows the key once. Store it in a secret store or an environment variable, not in a prompt, a project file or your shell history. [4]

The server speaks streamable HTTP at https://seoreport.dev/mcp. It expects the key on every request as an Authorization: Bearer <api-key> header, the same key you use for the REST API. [3][4][1]

Add the server

Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project for project-specific tools, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json in your home folder for tools available everywhere. Add this entry. [5]

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seoreport": {
      "url": "https://seoreport.dev/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:SEOREPORT_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

export SEOREPORT_API_KEY="sr__live_your_api_key"

Cursor resolves ${env:NAME} in the command, args, env, url and headers fields. [5]

Confirm it works

Open Customize in the sidebar, where you enable or disable MCP servers. Cursor uses the tools listed under Available Tools when they are relevant. [5]

You should see 9 tools whose names start with seoreport_: seoreport_create_report, seoreport_get_report_status, seoreport_get_report, seoreport_list_reports, seoreport_get_report_download, seoreport_get_account, seoreport_list_plans, seoreport_start_checkout and seoreport_submit_feedback. [3]

Then try a first prompt: "Audit https://example.com and list the three highest-severity findings." The agent can start the audit with seoreport_create_report and read the findings with seoreport_get_report. A report takes up to about 30 seconds. [4][3]

A new site uses one credit from your plan. Running a site you already have a report for again does not use a credit. [1][2]

Keep the key out of version control

Cursor's guidance is to use environment variables for secrets and never hardcode them. The ${env:SEOREPORT_API_KEY} reference lets you commit .cursor/mcp.json without the key. [5]

Remote servers do not support envFile in Cursor. Set the variable in your shell profile or system environment instead. [5]

Troubleshooting

Authentication error or HTTP 401: SEOReport lists and calls tools only for a valid key. Check that the header value is Bearer, one space, then the key. If the key may be wrong or exposed, revoke it and create a new one in the dashboard. [3][4]

To see why a server fails, open the Output panel (Cmd+Shift+U) and select MCP Logs. [5]

Plan or credit error: if seoreport_create_report says an active plan is required or the month's credits are used, the key works but the account cannot start a report. Ask the agent to call seoreport_get_account to see the plan and the credits left. [4]

To subscribe from the agent, it can call seoreport_list_plans and then seoreport_start_checkout. Checkout returns a browser link: an agent can start it, and only a person can pay. Credits reset on the first day of each month (UTC). [4][1]

Tools not listed: open Customize, find the seoreport server and check that its toggle is on, then read MCP Logs for the connection error. [5]