| name | setup |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "verify DataForSEO connection", "check DataForSEO MCP", "test DataForSEO setup", "is DataForSEO working", or needs to confirm that the DataForSEO MCP integration is operational. |
DataForSEO Setup Verification
Verify that the DataForSEO MCP connection is working correctly.
Prerequisites
- DataForSEO MCP server configured (via plugin's
.mcp.json or user settings)
- Valid DataForSEO account with API access (username + password)
- Node.js >= v20.0.0 installed
Verification Steps
1. Check MCP Connection
Run a lightweight read operation to verify connectivity:
Tool: mcp__dataforseo__serp_locations
Input: { "country_iso_code": "US" }
Expected result: Returns a list of US locations without errors.
2. Test Authenticated API Access
Run a keyword data request to verify credentials work:
Tool: mcp__dataforseo__dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_overview
Input: { "keywords": ["test"], "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en" }
Expected result: Returns keyword metrics (search_volume, cpc, competition).
3. Common Issues
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|
| Connection refused | MCP server not started | Check Node.js version (node -v must be >= 20) |
| 401 Unauthorized | Wrong credentials | Verify DATAFORSEO_USERNAME and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD env vars |
npx error | Package not found | Run npx -y dataforseo-mcp-server@latest manually to test |
| Timeout | Network or firewall | Check internet connectivity to api.dataforseo.com |
| Empty results | Account has no credits | Check balance at app.dataforseo.com |
4. Credential Format
DataForSEO uses username/password authentication (not API keys):
DATAFORSEO_USERNAME — your account email (e.g., user@example.com)DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD — your account password
Obtain credentials at app.dataforseo.com.
What This Skill Does NOT Cover
- Creating a DataForSEO account (see dataforseo.com)
- Billing and credit management (see app.dataforseo.com dashboard)
- Configuring environment variables (set
DATAFORSEO_USERNAME and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD in your environment)
