LLM-friendly keyword research CLI built for AI agents. Wraps the DataForSEO API and outputs TSV by default — compact, structured, and optimized for agent context windows. Also supports --json and --table output.
Built to plug into SEO automation pipelines, coding agents, and any workflow where an AI needs keyword data without parsing HTML or navigating dashboards.
npm install -g dataforseo-cli# Check if credentials are already configured
dataforseo-cli status
# If not, set them:
dataforseo-cli --set-credentials login=YOUR_LOGIN password=YOUR_PASSWORD
# Or with base64 token (from DataForSEO email)
dataforseo-cli --set-credentials base64=YOUR_BASE64_TOKENCredentials stored in ~/.config/dataforseo-cli/config.json.
Check if API credentials are configured (no API call, no secrets printed).
dataforseo-cli status
# ✓ Credentials configured (login: k*****t@example.com)Search volume, CPC, keyword difficulty (0–100), competition, and 12-month trend.
API endpoints: keywords_data/google_ads/search_volume/live + dataforseo_labs/google/bulk_keyword_difficulty/live
dataforseo-cli volume "seo tools" "keyword research"
dataforseo-cli volume "seo verktyg" --location 2752 --language svkeyword volume cpc difficulty competition trend
seo tools 12500 2.35 45 HIGH 14800,13900,12500,12100,11800,12000,12500,13000,12800,12500,12200,11900
trend is 12 monthly search volumes (newest first). difficulty is 0–100. cpc is in USD.
Keyword suggestions from a seed keyword.
API endpoint: dataforseo_labs/google/keyword_suggestions/live
dataforseo-cli related "seo tools"
dataforseo-cli related "ai agents" -n 20keyword volume cpc competition difficulty
best seo tools 8100 3.10 0.82 52
free seo tools 6600 1.85 0.65 38
Keywords a domain ranks for.
API endpoint: dataforseo_labs/google/ranked_keywords/live
dataforseo-cli competitor ahrefs.com
dataforseo-cli competitor semrush.com -n 20 --jsonkeyword position volume cpc difficulty url
backlink checker 1 33100 4.50 72 https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker
Look up location codes for --location.
dataforseo-cli locations swedenLook up language codes for --language.
dataforseo-cli languages swedishFiltering:
| Flag | Short | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
--location <code> |
-l |
Location code | 2840 (US) |
--language <code> |
Language code | en |
|
--limit <n> |
-n |
Max results (related, competitor) |
50 |
Output format:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| (default) | TSV — fewest tokens, ideal for LLM/agent pipelines |
--json |
JSON array |
--table / --human |
Human-readable table |
Most keyword tools output JSON or HTML tables. For AI agents, that's wasteful — JSON brackets and keys burn tokens, HTML is even worse. TSV is the most compact structured format: easy to parse, minimal overhead, and fits more data in a context window.
Results cached in ~/.config/dataforseo-cli/cache/ to avoid duplicate API calls (and costs).
dataforseo-cli --print-cacheThis repo includes a SKILL.md following the Agent Skills spec. Install it in any compatible agent:
npx skills add alexgusevski/dataforseo-cliAlexander Gusev (@alexgusevski)
MIT