DataForSEO API Cost Reference
Pricing Tiers (USD per call, standard queue)
| Category | Endpoint | Cost/Call | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERP | serp_*_live_advanced |
$0.002 | Per 100 results |
| SERP | serp_*_live_regular |
$0.001 | Lightweight |
| SERP Images | Google Images SERP (no tool for it on the pinned MCP server 2.8.10) | $0.002 | 5x with site:/filetype: operators |
| Keywords | kw_data_google_ads_search_volume |
$0.05 | Per batch of keywords |
| Keywords | kw_data_google_trends_explore |
$0.01 | Per query |
| Labs | dataforseo_labs_*_keyword_* |
$0.05 | Ideas, suggestions, related |
| Labs | dataforseo_labs_bulk_* |
$0.01 | Difficulty, traffic |
| Labs | dataforseo_labs_*_domain_* |
$0.05 | Competitors, intersection |
| On-Page | on_page_instant_pages |
$0.01 | Quick analysis |
| On-Page | on_page_lighthouse |
$0.02 | Full Lighthouse |
| Backlinks | backlinks_* |
$0.02 | Per sub-call |
| Content | content_analysis_* |
$0.02 | Search, summary, trends |
| Business | business_data_* |
$0.05 | Listings search |
| AI/GEO | ai_optimization_chat_gpt_scraper, ai_opt_llm_ment_* |
$0.05 | ChatGPT scraper, LLM mentions |
| Merchant | merchant_* |
$0.02 | Google Shopping, Amazon |
| Domain | domain_analytics_whois_* |
$0.005 | WHOIS data |
| Domain | domain_analytics_technologies_* |
$0.01 | Tech stack |
Budget Presets
| Preset | Daily Limit | Threshold | Mode | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | $2.00 | $0.10 | threshold | Learning, testing |
| Standard | $10.00 | $0.50 | threshold | Regular audits |
| Aggressive | $50.00 | $2.00 | threshold | Agency bulk work |
| Unlimited | $999.00 | -- | none | Trusted pipelines |
Configure with: "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/claude-seo" run dataforseo_costs.py config --mode threshold --threshold 0.50 --daily-limit 10.00
Cost Reduction Tips
- Use
live_regularinstead oflive_advancedwhen full SERP features aren't needed (50% savings) - Batch keywords into single
search_volumecalls instead of individual SERP lookups - Use
standardtask queue instead oflivefor non-urgent analysis (60-80% savings) - Avoid
site:andfiletype:operators in image SERP queries (5x cost multiplier) - Cache session results: don't re-fetch the same keyword/domain within a session
Approval Flow
Before any DataForSEO MCP call:
- Run
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/claude-seo" run dataforseo_costs.py check <endpoint> [--count N] - If
status: "approved"→ proceed - If
status: "needs_approval"→ show cost to user, ask to confirm - If
status: "blocked"→ inform user daily limit would be exceeded - After call completes, log:
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/claude-seo" run dataforseo_costs.py log <endpoint> <cost>
Warn Endpoints
These endpoints always require user confirmation regardless of approval mode:
backlinks_backlinks(can generate large result sets)backlinks_domain_intersection(expensive multi-domain comparison)ai_optimization_chat_gpt_scraper(ChatGPT web scraping)ai_opt_llm_ment_search(LLM mention tracking)merchant_amazon_products_search(Amazon product data)