{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "google-search-console", "name": "Google Search Console API", "vendor": "Google", "vendorUrl": "https://developers.google.com/webmaster-tools", "kind": "http-api", "category": "seo", "summary": "REST API from Google for Search Console data on sites the user manages. It returns clicks, impressions and average position by query, page, country and device, inspects a URL's index status and manages sitemaps. Access is by OAuth 2.0.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-search-console", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-search-console.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-search-console.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-search-console.json", "repo": "https://github.com/googleapis/google-api-nodejs-client", "license": "Proprietary service under the Google APIs Terms of Service. The client libraries are Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://searchconsole.googleapis.com", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@googleapis/searchconsole" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "google-api-python-client" } ], "auth": "oauth", "authNotes": "OAuth 2.0 only, set up by a person in a Google Cloud project with a consent screen. No partner or sales approval. Two scopes, `webmasters` for read and write and `webmasters.readonly`. The user must have owner, full or read permission on a property in Search Console, and a token reaches every property that user can. The docs say no other protocol is supported, though the testing tools method takes an API key.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "All use of the API is free of charge, subject to usage limits, per the pricing page. A free Google account with a verified property can start without a card or contract. There is no sandbox. Limits are 1,200 Search Analytics queries a minute per site and per user, 2,000 URL inspections a day per site, and 20 requests a second per user on other methods (https://developers.google.com/webmaster-tools/pricing; https://developers.google.com/webmaster-tools/limits).", "priceSummary": "Free", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the API docs, the limits and pricing pages or the discovery document (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 12262, "npmWeekly": 69577, "pypiWeekly": 31750331, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://developers.google.com/webmaster-tools/about", "capabilities": [ "seo.rankings", "seo.keywords", "seo.traffic" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "official", "free-tier", "closed-source", "oauth", "typescript", "python", "no-status-page" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-23", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 59, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 508, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 2, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 82, "maintenance": 71, "payments": 40, "reliability": 37, "schema": 75, "security": 56, "transparency": 58 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "The API is free, with published quotas of 1,200 Search Analytics queries a minute per site and typed filters that accept regular expressions. It covers only properties the signed-in user manages, returns at most 50,000 rows a day per search type, and has no status page, SLA or dedicated changelog. A person must complete OAuth consent first.", "bestFor": "An agent reporting on or monitoring search performance and index status for sites its user owns, with first-party click and impression counts.", "strengths": [ "All use is free of charge per the pricing page, with no card needed", "Quotas are published with numbers, 1,200 Search Analytics queries a minute per site and per user and 40,000 a minute per project", "Public discovery document (revision 20261007, 11 methods, 30 schemas) with enums for dimensions, search types, data states and six filter operators", "`webmasters.readonly` is a separate read-only OAuth scope, and seven of the eleven methods accept it", "`rowLimit` (1 to 25,000, default 1,000) and `startRow` size and page results, and `dataState` set to `hourly_all` returns hourly data" ], "weaknesses": [ "Data covers only properties the signed-in user has owner, full or read access to. It cannot be asked about any other domain", "Search Analytics exposes at most 50,000 rows a day per search type, and the reference says it returns top rows, not all rows", "No status page, SLA or dedicated changelog was found. Google's Search Status Dashboard lists Crawling, Indexing, Ranking and Serving only", "A scope covers every property the user can reach. No per-property scope and no audit log of API calls were found", "The discovery document still lists `urlTestingTools.mobileFriendlyTest.run`, whose reference page returns 404" ], "agentNotes": [ "URL-encode the property in the path. A URL-prefix property needs its trailing slash, and a Domain property is written `sc-domain:example.com`", "Query one day at a time and page with `startRow` in steps of 25,000 until a response has no rows", "Leave `page` and `query` out of `dimensions` when totals must be accurate. Grouping by either drops some data", "Ask for `webmasters.readonly` unless the task adds or deletes properties or sitemaps", "After a quota exceeded error wait 15 minutes. If it repeats, the daily load quota is spent, so shorten date ranges and drop page or query grouping" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 59 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 82, "maintenance": 71, "payments": 40, "reliability": 37, "schema": 75, "security": 56, "transparency": 41 }, "provenanceScore": 74 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install @googleapis/searchconsole", "http": "curl -X POST \"https://searchconsole.googleapis.com/webmasters/v3/sites/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2F/searchAnalytics/query\" \\\n -H \"Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_ACCESS_TOKEN\" \\\n -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n -d '{\"startDate\": \"2026-09-01\", \"endDate\": \"2026-09-01\", \"dimensions\": [\"country\", \"device\"]}'" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/seo.rankings", "tool": "https://letme.dev/google-search-console" }, "sameCompany": [ "gemini-api", "gemini-embedding", "vertex-ai-tuning", "google-model-armor", "google-imagen", "google-veo", "google-lyria", "google-speech-to-text", "gemini-live", "google-adk", "google-secret-manager", "google-weather-api", "chrome-devtools-mcp", "google-maps-platform", "google-cloud-translation", "google-calendar-api", "firebase-cloud-messaging", "google-drive-api", "gemini-cli", "google-ads-api", "google-forms", "google-sheets-api", "gmail-api" ], "area": "web-data", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Google LLC", "domain": "google.com", "domainRegistered": "1997-09-15", "domainNote": "The endpoint is on googleapis.com, Google's API domain. google.com was registered in 1997.", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://developers.google.com/terms", "privacy": "https://policies.google.com/privacy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The Google APIs Terms of Service (last modified 9 November 2021) name Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View.", "RDAP for google.com gives a registration date of 1997-09-15.", "www.google.com/.well-known/security.txt expires on 1 April 2030 and names g.co/vulnz, security@google.com and the vulnerability reward programme.", "Google publishes a discovery document for the API, not an OpenAPI spec.", "No status page covers Search Console or its API. status.search.google.com lists Crawling, Indexing, Ranking and Serving.", "No release notes for the API were found. Changes appear on reference pages and the Search Central blog.", "The Google privacy policy read on 8 October 2026 is the version effective 1 October 2026." ], "score": 74 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-search-console.json", "live": { "slug": "google-search-console", "probe": { "target": "https://searchconsole.googleapis.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T11:46:29.565405662Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 34, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 48, "p95ms24h": 97, "samples24h": 44, "samples30d": 44, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 44, "ok": 44 } ] }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T11:46:29.565405662Z" } }, "answer": "Google Search Console API scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against Semrush API + MCP's 53.1 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Semrush API + MCP leads on transparency \u0026 trust.", "b": { "slug": "semrush", "name": "Semrush API + MCP", "vendor": "Semrush Inc. (an Adobe company)", "vendorUrl": "https://www.semrush.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "seo", "summary": "Semrush is a search marketing data platform, owned by Adobe since April 2026. Agents reach its keyword, backlink, ranking and traffic data through REST APIs with API keys or a hosted MCP server that spends the same API units.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/semrush", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/semrush.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/semrush.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/semrush.json", "license": "Proprietary service under the Semrush terms of service", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.semrush.com", "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Version 4 methods take an API key in `Authorization: Apikey \u003ckey\u003e`, created in the profile with a read-only or read and write permission and an optional expiry. Version 3 methods take the account's single key as the `key` query parameter. The MCP server signs in by OAuth 2.1 against the user's Semrush account, or takes the API key header. Access is self-serve for a paying account, with no app review. Trends Premium and custom plans go through sales.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Every API needs a paid subscription, and calls spend API units. The Standard API needs the SEO Business plan plus a unit package of 2 to 20 million units, whose prices aren't on a public page. The MCP page says Semrush One Starter and Pro+ and SEO Classic Pro and Guru include 50,000 units. Our request saw plan prices in pounds, from £113 a month for SEO to £444 for Advanced. The free plan (no card, 10 reports a day) has no API units, and the 7-day trial's card requirement wasn't checked.", "priceSummary": "Paid", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the developer docs, the MCP page or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 14, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://developer.semrush.com/api/", "llmsTxt": "https://developer.semrush.com/api/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "seo.keywords", "seo.backlinks", "seo.rankings", "seo.traffic", "seo.serp" ], "tags": [ "official", "hosted", "mcp", "oauth", "api-key", "llms-txt", "closed-source", "subscription", "usage-units", "bug-bounty", "adobe" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-04", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 53.1, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 641, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 77, "maintenance": 57, "payments": 17, "reliability": 34, "schema": 70, "security": 54, "transparency": 67 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "The hosted MCP server exposes 14 tools that load a report's parameters on demand, and version 4 API keys can be read-only, time-limited and revoked. Most reports still sit in version 3, whose single key travels in the URL and can't be revoked. No status page, OpenAPI file or API unit price was found.", "bestFor": "Teams already paying for Semrush who want an agent to pull keyword, backlink, ranking and traffic estimates in one place, mainly through the MCP server.", "strengths": [ "Hosted MCP server at mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp with OAuth 2.1, dynamic client registration and 14 named tools, limited to reads", "Version 4 keys can be read-only or read and write, carry an expiry, and be revoked. An account can hold up to 100", "Every method page states its cost in API units, and `limit`, `fields` and `filter` cap what a call spends", "llms.txt indexes for the developer site and for each API version, with dated release notes since March 2026", "API Query log records time, IP address, report type and units spent for SEO API and Projects v4 calls, with CSV export" ], "weaknesses": [ "Domain, URL, Trends, Position Tracking and Site Audit reports are version 3 only, where the one key is a URL parameter and can't be revoked", "Version 4 Keyword and Backlinks reports are labelled Early Access, with endpoints, formats and pricing subject to change", "No public status page, SLA terms, OpenAPI file or official SDK found in the reviewed pages", "API unit package prices aren't published, and every API needs a paid subscription", "When units run short, per-line SEO and Trends reports return fewer lines instead of an error" ], "agentNotes": [ "Use the MCP server at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp where the host supports it. Call a discovery tool, then `get_report_schema`, then `execute_report`", "Set `limit` or `display_limit` on every per-line report. A backlinks row costs 40 to 45 units and a historical keyword row 50", "Check the unit balance before large pulls. A per-line report returns only the lines the balance covers, with no error", "Send the version 4 key as `Authorization: Apikey \u003ckey\u003e`, never as `?key=`. Version 3 accepts only the query parameter, so keep those URLs out of logs", "Stay under 10 requests a second and 10 concurrent requests per account, and retry only when `error.retryable` is true" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 53.1 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 77, "maintenance": 57, "payments": 17, "reliability": 34, "schema": 70, "security": 54, "transparency": 59 }, "provenanceScore": 75 }, "connect": { "http": "curl -H 'Authorization: Apikey YOUR_API_KEY' \"https://api.semrush.com/apis/v4/keywords/v1/metrics?keyword=seo%20tools\u0026country=US\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add semrush https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp -t http", "config": { "mcpServers": { "semrush": { "url": "https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/seo.keywords", "tool": "https://letme.dev/semrush" }, "area": "web-data", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Semrush Inc.", "domain": "semrush.com", "domainRegistered": "2008-10-03", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.semrush.com/company/legal/terms-of-service/", "privacy": "https://www.semrush.com/company/legal/privacy-policy/", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://developer.semrush.com/api/v4/introduction/release-notes/", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The terms of service (last updated 25 August 2026) name Semrush Inc., a Delaware corporation at 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2475, Boston, MA 02199. The site footer reads © 2026 Semrush Holdings and carries an Adobe logo.", "Adobe announced completion of its acquisition of Semrush Holdings, Inc. on 28 April 2026, in a press release on semrush.com. The terms and the privacy policy (last modified 13 October 2025) don't mention Adobe.", "The APIs answer at api.semrush.com and the MCP server at mcp.semrush.com, with OAuth metadata pointing to oauth.semrush.com and api.semrush.com.", "www.semrush.com/.well-known/security.txt returns 404. The security page gives security@semrush.com and links to a HackerOne programme.", "No status page is linked from the developer docs, the home page or the security page. status.semrush.com doesn't resolve in DNS.", "RDAP for semrush.com gives a registration date of 2008-10-03 and MarkMonitor Inc. as registrar." ], "score": 75 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/semrush.json", "live": { "slug": "semrush", "probe": { "target": "https://api.semrush.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-09T11:46:39.956039001Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 400, "lastMs": 144, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 131, "p95ms24h": 364, "samples24h": 218, "samples30d": 218, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 93, "ok": 93 }, { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 125, "ok": 125 } ] }, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://semrush.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:39:05.730669338Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://developer.semrush.com/api/v4/introduction/release-notes/", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:17:17.791899201Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "8ec987932bb2" }, { "url": "https://www.semrush.com/company/legal/privacy-policy/", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:30:20.736009248Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "2024613d6804" }, { "url": "https://www.semrush.com/company/legal/terms-of-service/", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:30:22.946847737Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "7935cae6f9d6" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T11:46:39.956039001Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Google", "b": "Semrush Inc. (an Adobe company)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://searchconsole.googleapis.com", "b": "https://api.semrush.com", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary service under the Google APIs Terms of Service. The client libraries are Apache-2.0", "b": "Proprietary service under the Semrush terms of service", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "none", "b": "14", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-23", "b": "2026-09-04", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2021-11-09", "b": "2026-08-25", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-10-01", "b": "2025-10-13", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "12k stars, 70k npm/wk, 31.8M PyPI/wk", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Google Search Console API scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against Semrush API + MCP's 53.1 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Semrush API + MCP leads on transparency \u0026 trust.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Google Search Console API or Semrush API + MCP?" }, { "answer": "Google Search Console API uses an OAuth sign-in. Semrush API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Google Search Console API and Semrush API + MCP need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Google Search Console API has a hosted endpoint at https://searchconsole.googleapis.com and Semrush API + MCP at https://api.semrush.com.", "question": "Can an agent call Google Search Console API and Semrush API + MCP without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Schema \u0026 documentation, 75 against 70", "Agent ergonomics, 82 against 77", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 40 against 17", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 71 against 57" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "An agent reporting on or monitoring search performance and index status for sites its user owns, with first-party click and impression counts.", "slug": "google-search-console", "watchFor": "Data covers only properties the signed-in user has owner, full or read access to. It cannot be asked about any other domain" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Transparency \u0026 trust, 67 against 58" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Teams already paying for Semrush who want an agent to pull keyword, backlink, ranking and traffic estimates in one place, mainly through the MCP server.", "slug": "semrush", "watchFor": "Domain, URL, Trends, Position Tracking and Site Audit reports are version 3 only, where the one key is a URL parameter and can't be revoked" } ], "job": { "capability": "seo.rankings", "name": "Seo rankings" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-google-search-console.json", "title": "Ahrefs vs Google Search Console API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-google-search-console" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-semrush.json", "title": "Ahrefs vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-google-search-console.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Google Search Console API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-google-search-console" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-semrush.json", "title": "DataForSEO vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-semrush.json", "title": "Manifold vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-semrush.json", "title": "Moz API vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-semrush.json", "title": "SE Ranking API + MCP vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-semrush" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/semrush-vs-similarweb.json", "title": "Semrush API + MCP vs Similarweb", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/semrush-vs-similarweb" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-manifold-mcp.json", "title": "Google Search Console API vs Manifold", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-manifold-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-moz-api.json", "title": "Google Search Console API vs Moz API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-moz-api" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-se-ranking.json", "title": "Google Search Console API vs SE Ranking API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-se-ranking" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-similarweb.json", "title": "Google Search Console API vs Similarweb", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-similarweb" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 3, "edge": "google-search-console", "google-search-console": 37, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "semrush": 34, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 5, "edge": "google-search-console", "google-search-console": 75, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "semrush": 70, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 5, "edge": "google-search-console", "google-search-console": 82, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "semrush": 77, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 2, "edge": "google-search-console", "google-search-console": 56, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "semrush": 54, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 23, "edge": "google-search-console", "google-search-console": 40, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "semrush": 17, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 14, "edge": "google-search-console", "google-search-console": 71, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "semrush": 57, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 9, "edge": "semrush", "google-search-console": 58, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "semrush": 67, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Google Search Console API scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against Semrush API + MCP's 53.1 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Semrush API + MCP leads on transparency \u0026 trust. Both do seo rankings.", "verdicts": { "google-search-console": "The API is free, with published quotas of 1,200 Search Analytics queries a minute per site and typed filters that accept regular expressions. It covers only properties the signed-in user manages, returns at most 50,000 rows a day per search type, and has no status page, SLA or dedicated changelog. A person must complete OAuth consent first.", "semrush": "The hosted MCP server exposes 14 tools that load a report's parameters on demand, and version 4 API keys can be read-only, time-limited and revoked. Most reports still sit in version 3, whose single key travels in the URL and can't be revoked. No status page, OpenAPI file or API unit price was found." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush.min.md" }, "markdown": "Google Search Console API scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against Semrush API + MCP's 53.1 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Semrush API + MCP leads on transparency \u0026 trust. Both do seo rankings.\n\n- Google Search Console API: grade C, 59/100, rank #508 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-search-console.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-search-console.json\n- Semrush API + MCP: grade D, 53.1/100, rank #641 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/semrush.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/semrush.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Google Search Console API (C)\n\nGood for: An agent reporting on or monitoring search performance and index status for sites its user owns, with first-party click and impression counts.\n\nAhead on:\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 75 against 70\n- Agent ergonomics, 82 against 77\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 40 against 17\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 71 against 57\n\nWatch for: Data covers only properties the signed-in user has owner, full or read access to. It cannot be asked about any other domain\n\n### Semrush API + MCP (D)\n\nGood for: Teams already paying for Semrush who want an agent to pull keyword, backlink, ranking and traffic estimates in one place, mainly through the MCP server.\n\nAhead on:\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 67 against 58\n\nWatch for: Domain, URL, Trends, Position Tracking and Site Audit reports are version 3 only, where the one key is a URL parameter and can't be revoked\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Google Search Console API | Semrush API + MCP | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 37 | 34 | Google Search Console API +3 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 75 | 70 | Google Search Console API +5 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 82 | 77 | Google Search Console API +5 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 56 | 54 | Google Search Console API +2 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 17 | Google Search Console API +23 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 71 | 57 | Google Search Console API +14 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 58 | 67 | Semrush API + MCP +9 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **59 · C** | **53.1 · D** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Google Search Console API | Semrush API + MCP |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Google | Semrush Inc. (an Adobe company) |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://searchconsole.googleapis.com` | `https://api.semrush.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary service under the Google APIs Terms of Service. The client libraries are Apache-2.0 | Proprietary service under the Semrush terms of service |\n| Tools exposed | none | 14 |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | yes |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-04 |\n| Terms last updated | 2021-11-09 | 2026-08-25 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-10-01 | 2025-10-13 |\n| Customer content may train models | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | yes |\n| Popularity | 12k stars, 70k npm/wk, 31.8M PyPI/wk | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Google Search Console API.** The API is free, with published quotas of 1,200 Search Analytics queries a minute per site and typed filters that accept regular expressions. It covers only properties the signed-in user manages, returns at most 50,000 rows a day per search type, and has no status page, SLA or dedicated changelog. A person must complete OAuth consent first.\n\n**Semrush API + MCP.** The hosted MCP server exposes 14 tools that load a report's parameters on demand, and version 4 API keys can be read-only, time-limited and revoked. Most reports still sit in version 3, whose single key travels in the URL and can't be revoked. No status page, OpenAPI file or API unit price was found.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Google Search Console API\n\n1. URL-encode the property in the path. A URL-prefix property needs its trailing slash, and a Domain property is written `sc-domain:example.com`\n2. Query one day at a time and page with `startRow` in steps of 25,000 until a response has no rows\n3. Leave `page` and `query` out of `dimensions` when totals must be accurate. Grouping by either drops some data\n4. Ask for `webmasters.readonly` unless the task adds or deletes properties or sitemaps\n5. After a quota exceeded error wait 15 minutes. If it repeats, the daily load quota is spent, so shorten date ranges and drop page or query grouping\n\n### Semrush API + MCP\n\n1. Use the MCP server at https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp where the host supports it. Call a discovery tool, then `get_report_schema`, then `execute_report`\n2. Set `limit` or `display_limit` on every per-line report. A backlinks row costs 40 to 45 units and a historical keyword row 50\n3. Check the unit balance before large pulls. A per-line report returns only the lines the balance covers, with no error\n4. Send the version 4 key as `Authorization: Apikey \u003ckey\u003e`, never as `?key=`. Version 3 accepts only the query parameter, so keep those URLs out of logs\n5. Stay under 10 requests a second and 10 concurrent requests per account, and retry only when `error.retryable` is true\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Google Search Console API or Semrush API + MCP?\n\nGoogle Search Console API scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against Semrush API + MCP's 53.1 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Semrush API + MCP leads on transparency \u0026 trust.\n\n### Do Google Search Console API and Semrush API + MCP need an API key?\n\nGoogle Search Console API uses an OAuth sign-in. Semrush API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Google Search Console API and Semrush API + MCP without installing anything?\n\nYes. Google Search Console API has a hosted endpoint at https://searchconsole.googleapis.com and Semrush API + MCP at https://api.semrush.com.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"google-search-console\", \"b\": \"semrush\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare google-search-console semrush`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-search-console.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/semrush.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Google Search Console API or Semrush API + MCP\n\n- [Ahrefs vs Google Search Console API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-google-search-console.md)\n- [Ahrefs vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ahrefs-vs-semrush.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Google Search Console API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-google-search-console.md)\n- [DataForSEO vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dataforseo-vs-semrush.md)\n- [Manifold vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/manifold-mcp-vs-semrush.md)\n- [Moz API vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/moz-api-vs-semrush.md)\n- [SE Ranking API + MCP vs Semrush API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/se-ranking-vs-semrush.md)\n- [Semrush API + MCP vs Similarweb](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/semrush-vs-similarweb.md)\n- [Google Search Console API vs Manifold](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-manifold-mcp.md)\n- [Google Search Console API vs Moz API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-moz-api.md)\n- [Google Search Console API vs SE Ranking API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-se-ranking.md)\n- [Google Search Console API vs Similarweb](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-similarweb.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-09", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Google Search Console API vs Semrush API + MCP", "url": "" } ], "description": "Google Search Console API scores 59 (C) on agent readiness against Semrush API + MCP's 53.1 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Semrush API + MCP leads on transparency \u0026 trust. Both do seo rankings. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Google Search Console API C 59", "Semrush API + MCP D 53.1", "scores" ], "h1": "Google Search Console API vs Semrush API + MCP", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-google-search-console-vs-semrush.png", "path": "/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Google Search Console API vs Semrush API + MCP for AI agents", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-search-console-vs-semrush" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2300, "slim": 730 }, "version": 1 }