A backlink checker API is the right shape for a coding agent: one call in, structured rows out, and a known price per call. seogeoaeo.ai exposes its Backlink Finder over both REST and MCP, so Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or any MCP client can check backlinks for a domain as part of a larger job, at the same 70 credits a run you would pay in the browser. This post covers the call, the guard rails, and three small jobs worth handing to an agent.
The call #
REST is a single POST with the domain as input:
curl -X POST https://seogeoaeo.ai/api/v1/tools/backlink-finder/runs \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SEOGEOAEO_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"input":{"url":"https://example.com"},"maxCredits":70,"idempotencyKey":"bl-example-2026-10"}'
For MCP, register https://seogeoaeo.ai/api/mcp with an Authorization: Bearer header. In Claude Code that is one claude mcp add --transport http command. Each tool appears under its slug, so the agent calls backlink-finder. API keys begin with sga_, are shown once, and draw on the workspace's credit balance.
What comes back #
The lookup covers the whole domain; if you pass a page URL it is reduced to the domain. The result holds:
| Field group | Contents |
|---|---|
| Linking sites | The 100 strongest, strongest first |
| Per site | Link rank 0 to 1,000, link count, day first link was seen, followed share, spam score 0 to 100 |
| Link texts | 50 texts from the strongest sites, grouped as brand name, web address, generic words, no text, other words |
| Total | Count of all linking sites, as the provider counts them |
Sites with a spam score of 40 or more are flagged as likely spam. Rank and spam score are provider estimates, and the tool makes no claim about which links Google counts.
Guard rails for unattended runs #
Two optional fields matter when nobody is watching:
- maxCredits makes the run refuse to start if its price is above the number you pass. Set it on every call an agent makes.
- idempotencyKey means a retry after a timeout does not charge twice. Build it from the domain and the date, so a retry on the same day is not billed twice.
Failed runs are refunded, and a lookup that finds neither linking sites nor link texts is refunded too. The free check-credits tool lets the agent read the balance before a batch.
Job 1: a monthly snapshot of your own domain #
Search Console already shows Google's sample of your links, but it does not flag lost links and does not say which ones are nofollow. Have the agent run Backlink Finder on your domain once a month, write the JSON to a dated file in the repo, and compare it with last month's file:
- Sites present last month and missing now go on a "check" list.
- Sites with a recent first-seen date are new arrivals.
- A drop in followed share on a big linking site is worth a look.
There is no built-in history or alerting, so storing the snapshots is your job. The workspace keeps its latest 1,000 runs, which you can fetch with GET /runs/{id}, but a file in git is easier to diff.
Job 2: check that your linked pages still load #
Lost links often trace back to your side: a page moved and the link now hits a 404. Export the Top linked pages table from Search Console, then have the agent post the URLs to the HTTP Status Bulk Checker (20 credits a run). It takes a newline-separated list of public URLs and returns each one's status, redirect target and timing. Anything that returns a 404 needs a redirect. Note that it does not detect soft 404s, so a page that loads with "not found" text will pass.
Job 3: size up a domain before a deeper look #
Before spending 70 credits, Domain Overview (50 credits) gives a quick read on a domain: the keywords it ranks for, estimated visits, and how many sites link to it. Use it to decide which domains deserve a full Backlink Finder run.
Cost math #
| Plan | Price | Credits | Backlink Finder runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indie | $29/mo | 2,000 | about 28 |
| Startup | $69/mo | 5,000 | about 71 |
| Scale | $199/mo | 22,000 | about 314 |
A monthly snapshot of your own domain plus a status check is 90 credits. Top-ups start at $19 for 1,000 credits, need an active plan, and never expire.
What to tell the agent not to do #
Do not let it file disavow requests because a spam score is high. Google's disavow help says most sites will not need the tool, and reserves it for sites with many spammy or artificial links that have caused or likely will cause a manual action. Have it report flagged sites to you instead.
If you need every individual link to a large site or years of link history, a full suite's API fits better. For "who links to this domain and are those links healthy", a per-run call is enough. Every tool's inputs are listed in the agent reference.