Composio Ahrefs Automation

---
name: Ahrefs Automation
description: Automate SEO research with Ahrefs -- analyze backlink profiles, research keywords, track domain metrics history, audit organic rankings, and perform batch URL analysis through the Composio Ahrefs integration. Use when you need help with Ahrefs Automation.
license: CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
requires: 
  mcp:
    - rube
---

# Ahrefs Automation

Run **Ahrefs** SEO analytics directly from Claude Code. Analyze backlink profiles, research keywords, track domain authority over time, audit organic keyword rankings, and batch-analyze multiple URLs without leaving your terminal.

**Toolkit docs:** [composio.dev/toolkits/ahrefs](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ahrefs)

---

## Setup

1. Add the Composio MCP server to your configuration:
   ```
   https://rube.app/mcp
   ```
2. Connect your Ahrefs account when prompted. The agent will provide an authentication link.
3. Most tools require a `target` (domain or URL) and a `country` code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2). Some also require a `date` in `YYYY-MM-DD` format.

---

## Core Workflows

### 1. Site Explorer Metrics

Retrieve comprehensive SEO metrics for a domain including backlink counts, referring domains, organic keyword rankings, and traffic estimates.

**Tool:** `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_SITE_EXPLORER_METRICS`

Key parameters:
- `target` (required) -- domain or URL to analyze
- `date` (required) -- metrics date in `YYYY-MM-DD` format
- `country` -- ISO country code (e.g., `us`, `gb`, `de`)
- `mode` -- scope: `exact`, `prefix`, `domain`, or `subdomains` (default)
- `protocol` -- `both`, `http`, or `https`
- `volume_mode` -- `monthly` or `average`

Example prompt: *"Get Ahrefs site metrics for example.com as of today in the US"*

---

### 2. Historical Metrics Tracking

Track how a domain's SEO metrics have changed over time for trend analysis and competitive benchmarking.

**Tools:** `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_SITE_EXPLORER_METRICS_HISTORY`, `AHREFS_DOMAIN_RATING_HISTORY`

For full metrics history:
- `target` (required) -- domain to track
- `date_from` (required) -- start date in `YYYY-MM-DD`
- `date_to` -- end date
- `history_grouping` -- `daily`, `weekly`, or `monthly` (default)
- `select` -- columns like `date,org_cost,org_traffic,paid_cost,paid_traffic`

For Domain Rating (DR) history:
- `target` (required), `date_from` (required), `date_to`, `history_grouping`

Example prompt: *"Show me the monthly Domain Rating history for example.com over the last year"*

---

### 3. Backlink Analysis

Retrieve a comprehensive list of backlinks including source URLs, anchor text, link attributes, and referring domain metrics.

**Tool:** `AHREFS_FETCH_ALL_BACKLINKS`

Key parameters:
- `target` (required) -- domain or URL
- `select` (required) -- comma-separated columns (e.g., `url_from,url_to,anchor,domain_rating_source,first_seen_link`)
- `limit` (default 1000) -- number of results
- `aggregation` -- `similar_links` (default), `1_per_domain`, or `all`
- `mode` -- `exact`, `prefix`, `domain`, or `subdomains`
- `history` -- `live`, `since:YYYY-MM-DD`, or `all_time`
- `where` -- rich filter expressions on columns like `is_dofollow`, `domain_rating_source`, `anchor`

Example prompt: *"Get the top 100 dofollow backlinks to example.com with anchor text and referring DR"*

---

### 4. Keyword Research

Get keyword overview metrics and discover matching keyword variations for content strategy.

**Tools:** `AHREFS_EXPLORE_KEYWORDS_OVERVIEW`, `AHREFS_EXPLORE_MATCHING_TERMS_FOR_KEYWORDS`

For keyword overview:
- `select` (required) -- columns to return (volume, difficulty, CPC, etc.)
- `country` (required) -- ISO country code
- `keywords` -- comma-separated keyword list
- `where` -- filter by volume, difficulty, intent, etc.

For matching terms:
- `select` (required) and `country` (required)
- `keywords` -- comma-separated seed keywords
- `match_mode` -- `terms` (any order) or `phrase` (exact order)
- `terms` -- `all` or `questions` (question-format keywords only)

Example prompt: *"Find keyword variations for 'project management' in the US with volume and difficulty"*

---

### 5. Organic Keywords Audit

See which keywords a domain ranks for in organic search, with position tracking and historical comparison.

**Tool:** `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_ORGANIC_KEYWORDS`

Key parameters:
- `target` (required) -- domain or URL
- `country` (required) -- ISO country code
- `date` (required) -- date in `YYYY-MM-DD`
- `select` -- columns to return (keyword, position, volume, traffic, URL, etc.)
- `date_compared` -- compare against a previous date
- `where` -- rich filter expressions on `keyword`, `volume`, `best_position`, intent flags, etc.
- `limit` (default 1000), `order_by`

Example prompt: *"Show all organic keywords where example.com ranks in the top 10 in the US"*

---

### 6. Batch URL Analysis

Analyze up to 100 URLs or domains simultaneously to compare SEO metrics across competitors or site sections.

**Tool:** `AHREFS_BATCH_URL_ANALYSIS`

Key parameters:
- `targets` (required) -- array of objects with `url`, `mode` (`exact`/`prefix`/`domain`/`subdomains`), and `protocol` (`both`/`http`/`https`)
- `select` (required) -- array of column identifiers
- `country` -- ISO country code
- `output` -- `json` or `php`

Example prompt: *"Compare SEO metrics for competitor1.com, competitor2.com, and competitor3.com"*

---

## Known Pitfalls

- **Column selection is required:** Most Ahrefs tools require a `select` parameter specifying which columns to return. Omitting it or using invalid column names will cause errors. Refer to each tool's response schema for valid identifiers.
- **Date format consistency:** Dates must be in `YYYY-MM-DD` format. Some historical endpoints return data at the granularity set by `history_grouping`, not by exact date.
- **API unit costs vary:** Different columns consume different unit amounts. Columns marked with "(5 units)" or "(10 units)" in the schema are more expensive. Monitor API usage when requesting expensive columns like `traffic`, `refdomains_source`, or `difficulty`.
- **Batch limit is 100 targets:** `AHREFS_BATCH_URL_ANALYSIS` accepts up to 100 targets per request. For larger analyses, split into multiple batches.
- **Filter expressions are complex:** The `where` parameter uses Ahrefs' filter expression syntax, not standard SQL. Consult the column descriptions in each tool's schema for supported filter types and value formats.
- **Deprecated offset parameter:** The `offset` parameter was deprecated on May 31, 2024. Use cursor-based pagination or adjust `limit` instead.
- **Mode affects scope significantly:** Setting `mode` to `subdomains` (the default) includes all subdomains, which can dramatically increase result counts compared to `domain` or `exact`.

---

## Quick Reference

| Tool Slug | Description |
|---|---|
| `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_SITE_EXPLORER_METRICS` | Current SEO metrics for a domain/URL |
| `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_SITE_EXPLORER_METRICS_HISTORY` | Historical SEO metrics over time |
| `AHREFS_DOMAIN_RATING_HISTORY` | Domain Rating (DR) history |
| `AHREFS_FETCH_ALL_BACKLINKS` | Comprehensive backlink list with filtering |
| `AHREFS_FETCH_SITE_EXPLORER_REFERRING_DOMAINS` | List of referring domains |
| `AHREFS_GET_SITE_EXPLORER_COUNTRY_METRICS` | Country-level traffic breakdown |
| `AHREFS_BATCH_URL_ANALYSIS` | Batch analysis of up to 100 URLs |
| `AHREFS_EXPLORE_KEYWORDS_OVERVIEW` | Keyword metrics overview |
| `AHREFS_EXPLORE_MATCHING_TERMS_FOR_KEYWORDS` | Matching keyword variations |
| `AHREFS_EXPLORE_KEYWORD_VOLUME_BY_COUNTRY` | Keyword volume across countries |
| `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_ORGANIC_KEYWORDS` | Organic keyword rankings for a domain |
| `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_SITE_EXPLORER_KEYWORDS_HISTORY` | Historical keyword ranking data |
| `AHREFS_RETRIEVE_TOP_PAGES_FROM_SITE_EXPLORER` | Top performing pages by SEO metrics |
| `AHREFS_GET_SERP_OVERVIEW` | SERP overview for specific keywords |

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