Connect the MCP server

The MCP server lets an agent connect to SearchOps through the Model Context Protocol, a standard way for AI tools to read external data. Once connected, an agent can answer questions using your live SearchOps data, like "how did our worst-ranking location do this month?"

What you'll need

A plan that includes API access (Pro and above).
A SearchOps API key. See Getting started with the API.
An MCP-capable client.

Connect

Create an API key under Developers > API & MCP Credentials if you have not already.
In your MCP client, add a new server pointing at the SearchOps MCP endpoint:
```
https://searchops.co.uk/api/mcp
```
Provide your API key as a bearer token when the client asks for credentials, the same lp_live_ key used by the REST API.
Confirm the connection. The client should list the SearchOps tools it can now use.

The server uses streamable HTTP, which the common MCP clients support out of the box.

What an agent can do

Once connected, the agent has read access to your account through these tools:

get_location_summary: every headline for one location in a single call
list_locations and get_location
list_location_keywords
get_location_rankings: latest Web Results Rank per keyword, plus Map Pack, AI Overview and AI Mode presence
get_location_chatgpt_visibility: visibility rate, share of voice and the per-question breakdown
get_location_reviews: rating, totals, distribution and recent reviews
get_location_citations: citation health score, trend and the citations ledger
list_location_competitors
list_scans and get_scan
list_reports and get_report

Start with get_location_summary: it answers "how is this location doing?" in one call rather than making the agent stitch five together. So an agent can, for example, pull a branch's summary, notice the review rating slipping, and then read the recent reviews to explain why.

Note: Like the REST API, this access is read-only. The agent can read your data but cannot run scans or change anything.

Security

Your key scopes the agent to your account only. Treat it like a password, and revoke it from Developers > API & MCP Credentials if it is ever exposed. Revoking immediately cuts off any client using it.

Warning: Only connect MCP clients you trust with read access to your account data.

Troubleshooting

Client cannot connect: check the endpoint URL is /api/mcp exactly, with no trailing path, and that your key is valid and on a plan with API access.
406 Not Acceptable: the protocol requires clients to accept both content types. If you are calling the endpoint yourself rather than through a client, send Accept: application/json, text/event-stream.
405 Method Not Allowed: the server is stateless, so only POST is supported. There is no stream to GET and no session to DELETE.
Tools do not appear: reconnect the server, and confirm the key was accepted.
Still stuck: every request, including the ones that fail, appears under Developers > API Event Logs with its status. Filter the source to MCP to see only agent traffic.

Next steps

New to API keys? Start with Getting started with the API.