@cite42/mcp

@cite42/mcp

MCP server for Cite42: AI search visibility, SEO keywords, and trend research tools for your AI agent.

Once installed, your MCP client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.) can:

• Query AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews) and see each model's answer and the sources it cites
• Track brand visibility in AI answers: rankings, head-to-head comparisons, and sentiment
• Pull SEO data: keyword search volume, CPC, competition, and Google Trends
• Mine Reddit and YouTube for audience questions, pain points, and rising content
• Run full research workflows: content gaps, topic demand, AI prompt maps, competitor analysis, and content briefs in a single call

Requirements

• Node.js 18 or newer (node --version to check)
• A Cite42 API key, free to create at cite42.dev/app/keys

Installation

There is nothing to install manually. Every client below runs the server on demand with npx -y @cite42/mcp. You only need to register it once.

Step 1: Get your API key

• Sign in at cite42.dev
• Open Dashboard → API Keys: cite42.dev/app/keys
• Create a key and copy it (it looks like cite42_live_...)

Step 2: Add the server to your client

Pick one of the clients below and replace cite42_live_your_key_here with your real key.

Claude Code

claude mcp add cite42 -e CITE42_API_KEY=cite42_live_your_key_here -- npx -y @cite42/mcp

Codex CLI

codex mcp add cite42 --env CITE42_API_KEY=cite42_live_your_key_here -- npx -y @cite42/mcp

Claude Desktop

Add this to claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cite42": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cite42/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CITE42_API_KEY": "cite42_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor / Windsurf / other JSON-config clients

Use the same JSON block as Claude Desktop in your client's mcpServers config (Cursor: ~/.cursor/mcp.json or Settings → MCP).

Step 3: Restart so the server loads

MCP servers are started by the client, so the config is only picked up on a fresh start:

• Claude Code / Codex CLI: exit the current session and open a new terminal (or start a new claude / codex session)
• Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf: fully quit and reopen the app

Step 4: Verify it's running

• Claude Code: run claude mcp list and check that cite42 shows as ✔ connected. Or type /mcp inside a session.
• Codex CLI: run codex mcp list.
• Claude Desktop / Cursor: look for cite42 in the MCP/tools indicator. 15 tools should be listed.

If it doesn't appear, see Troubleshooting.

Try it: example prompts

After restarting, just ask in plain language. Your agent picks the right Cite42 tool automatically.

• "Use Cite42 to check which brands AI models recommend for 'best project management software'."
• "Which sources do AI models cite when asked about CRM tools for startups? Is mycompany.com among them?"
• "Get search volume, CPC, and related keywords for 'ai seo tools'."
• "What are people on Reddit complaining about regarding email marketing tools?"
• "Run a content brief for the topic 'ai website builder'."

Example: what a session looks like

You ask:

Use Cite42 to find AI-cited competitors for "best invoicing software for freelancers".

Your agent calls cite42_citations and answers something like:

Across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, the most-cited sources are:

• freshbooks.com (cited by 4/5 models)
• wave.com (cited by 3/5 models)
• zoho.com/invoice (cited by 3/5 models)
• bonsai.com (cited by 2/5 models)

Your domain wasn't cited by any model. FreshBooks is cited mainly via comparison/"best of" listicles. A citation-gap analysis (cite42_find_ai_citation_gaps) can show which queries you're missing from.

Available tools

AI search visibility

Tool	What it does
cite42_search	Run a query against ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews; returns each model's answer plus cited sources
cite42_citations	Aggregate which URLs the AI models cite for a query; optionally check if a specific URL is cited
cite42_rankings	Measure how brands rank in AI answers: mention rate, average position, per-model breakdown
cite42_compare	Head-to-head brand comparison in AI answers, including a co-mention graph
cite42_sentiment	Positive/neutral/negative sentiment per model for a brand, with the verbatim phrases driving it

SEO & trend data

Tool	What it does
cite42_keywords	Search volume, CPC, competition, and related keyword ideas for a seed term
cite42_trends	Google Trends interest over time, related/rising queries, rising/falling label
cite42_reddit_trends	Audience questions, pain points, rising threads, and product mentions on Reddit
cite42_youtube_trends	Rising videos, creator angles, title patterns, and opportunities on YouTube

Research workflows (multi-source, one call)

Tool	What it does
cite42_find_content_opportunities	Content gaps across AI search, keywords, trends, Reddit, YouTube, and citations
cite42_analyze_topic_demand	Keyword data + trends + AI answers + audience conversations for a topic
cite42_map_ai_prompts	Discover and cluster the buyer prompts worth tracking in AI search
cite42_analyze_competitor_content	AI rankings, comparisons, citations, and topic coverage for a competitor
cite42_find_ai_citation_gaps	Queries where AI answers cite others but not your brand/domain/URL
cite42_generate_content_brief	AI answers, citations, keyword demand, and social signals aggregated into a brief

Configuration

Variable	Required	Default	Description
CITE42_API_KEY	Yes	(none)	Your API key from cite42.dev/app/keys
CITE42_API_BASE	No	https://api.cite42.dev/v1	Override the API base URL

You can also pass these as CLI flags instead of environment variables:

npx -y @cite42/mcp --api-key=cite42_live_your_key_here --api-base=https://api.cite42.dev/v1

Billing

Tool calls consume Cite42 credits from your account. Calls fail with a clear error if the API key is missing or credits run out. See cite42.dev/pricing.

Troubleshooting

• Server not listed after setup: make sure you fully restarted the client (new terminal for CLI clients, full quit for desktop apps).
• command not found: npx: install Node.js 18+ from nodejs.org, then restart your terminal.
• Tool calls fail with an auth error: check the key was passed correctly (CITE42_API_KEY, no quotes or trailing spaces) and is active at cite42.dev/app/keys.
• Tool calls fail with a credits error: top up credits at cite42.dev/app.

Links

• Website: cite42.dev
• API keys: cite42.dev/app/keys
• Docs: cite42.dev/docs