linkguard-mcp

linkguard-mcp

A stdio MCP server that gives Claude Desktop and Claude Code access to LinkGuard backlink-analysis tools.

What it does

The server exposes three tools:

Tool	What it checks
redirect_check	Traces the full redirect chain of a URL — every HTTP hop, flags (loops, meta-refresh, JS redirect), and the SEO impact on link equity.
backlink_index_check	Checks whether a donor page is in Google's index (INDEXED / NOT_INDEXED / UNKNOWN) and returns the SERP title + description when available.
backlink_health_snapshot	Full health audit for one backlink: live status, dofollow/nofollow, indexed in Google, canonical integrity, and a scored verdict with recommendations. May use a real cloud browser for JS-heavy donors (costs 5 tokens).

All three tools require a LinkGuard API key and call the hosted API at https://linkguard.ai. No data is stored locally.

Getting an API key

• Create a free account at https://linkguard.ai
• Make one paid top-up (any amount) — this is a one-time gate that unlocks MCP access. Redirect-check and index-check are then free per call. Backlink-health costs 5 tokens only when a JS-rendered page is encountered.
• Go to Dashboard → API Keys and create a key. Keys start with lg_.

Claude Desktop setup

Add this to your Claude Desktop config file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linkguard": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["linkguard-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LINKGUARD_API_KEY": "lg_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving. You should see LinkGuard listed in the tools panel.

Claude Code setup

claude mcp add linkguard -- uvx linkguard-mcp

Then set your API key in the environment before starting a session:

export LINKGUARD_API_KEY=lg_your_key_here

Or add it to your shell profile so it is always available.

Environment variables

Variable	Required	Default	Description
LINKGUARD_API_KEY	Yes	—	Your lg_... API key from the dashboard.
LINKGUARD_API_URL	No	https://linkguard.ai	Override the API base URL (for self-hosted or staging).

Manual run (for testing)

LINKGUARD_API_KEY=lg_your_key_here uvx linkguard-mcp

Or after installing locally:

pip install -e .
LINKGUARD_API_KEY=lg_your_key_here linkguard-mcp

License

MIT