# How to connect Ahrefs to AI agents?

Connect Ahrefs to Sequel with an API key and ask about backlinks, keywords, rankings, and organic traffic in natural language.

Connect **Ahrefs** to Sequel and ask about your SEO data — backlinks, organic keywords, rankings, domain metrics, and organic traffic — in plain English, from the Sequel app or any AI tool wired up to the [MCP server](/docs/install). Then join it with your analytics or revenue data for questions a single tool can't answer alone.

## What you'll need

- An **Ahrefs account** with API access (workspace owners and admins can create keys).
- An **Ahrefs API key**, created under **Account settings → API keys**.

<Callout type="info" title="The Ahrefs API needs an eligible plan">
The Ahrefs API is available on eligible paid plans. On other plans you still get a limited set of free test queries. Most reports also consume Ahrefs API units (minimum 50 per request) billed against your plan's allowance — validating your key is free. See Ahrefs' pricing page for current API eligibility.
</Callout>

## Connect it

<Steps>
<Step title="Create an API key in Ahrefs">
In Ahrefs, go to **Account settings → API keys** and create a new key. Only workspace owners and admins can do this. Copy the key.
</Step>

<Step title="Open a new connection">
In the Sequel dashboard, go to **Connections → New connection**, choose **Ahrefs**, and give it a name.
</Step>

<Step title="Paste your API key">
Paste the key into the **API key** field. Sequel sends it to the Ahrefs API v3 as a Bearer token.
</Step>

<Step title="Test & save">
Click **Test**. Sequel validates the key against the free subscription-info endpoint (no units consumed). When it confirms, save the connection and it goes live.
</Step>
</Steps>

## What you can query

Sequel exposes read-only reports over the Ahrefs API v3:

- **Domain overview** — Domain Rating, organic/paid traffic, and keyword counts for a domain or URL.
- **Backlinks** — individual inbound links with anchor text and source metrics.
- **Referring domains** — unique linking domains and their authority.
- **Organic keywords** — keywords a target ranks for, with position, volume, and estimated traffic.
- **Top pages** — top pages by organic traffic and their lead keyword.
- **Keyword research** — search volume, difficulty, and CPC for a list of keywords via Keywords Explorer.

The connector is read-only; it cannot modify your Ahrefs projects or settings.

## Try it

- "What's the domain rating and organic traffic for ahrefs.com?"
- "Show the top 50 referring domains for competitor.com."
- "Which organic keywords does example.com rank for in the US top 10?"
- "What's the search volume and difficulty for 'text to sql'?"

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely fix |
| --- | --- |
| Test fails with an auth error | The API key is invalid or revoked. Create a fresh key in Ahrefs (**Account settings → API keys**) and paste it again. |
| Reports return no data or an access error | Your plan may lack API access or your API units are exhausted. Confirm an eligible paid plan and remaining units in Ahrefs. |
| "Domain not found" or empty results | Check the target domain/URL spelling and the country filter — Ahrefs may have no data for that market or target. |

## Related

- [Connecting your first data source](/docs/connecting-your-first-data-source)
- [Chatting with your data](/docs/chatting-with-your-data)
- [Browse all integrations](/docs/integrations)