Getting Started with SE Ranking's API – Knowledge Base

Note: API is available as a standalone plan and does not require an SE Ranking platform subscription. You can explore it risk-free with a 14-day trial that includes 100,000 free credits.

If you're on an SE Ranking subscription: You can purchase the API as an add-on. If you'd like to test it first, ping support via in-app chat with your account email to request 100,000 free credits – or contact api@seranking.com.

Getting Started
Troubleshooting
More Resources
Data API FAQ

The SE Ranking API helps you work directly with SE Ranking’s SEO data.
With it, you can:

Access keywords, competitors, backlinks, audits, AI Search, and Project Management API
Connect SE Ranking data to your own tools
Automate reports and scale workflows

Getting Started

Step 1: Open the API Dashboard

Sign in to your SE Ranking account.
Go to Profile & Preferences > API Dashboard, or select API from the left-hand menu.

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Step 2. Generating an API key

Data API – access raw SEO data (backlinks, domains, keywords, AI Search, audits).

Project API – manage SE Ranking projects.

Click Create API Key. (If the button is unavailable, you’ll need to activate the API add-on first.)
Select the Data API type
Copy the generated key and store it securely.

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Step 3. Set Up Postman

Open the SE Ranking Postman Collection and import it into your workspace.
Fork the environment template.
In the environment settings, paste your API key under secret_key_data.
Save and set this environment as active.

Step 4. Make your first Request

In Postman, go to Account & system > subscription.
Click Send.

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You should receive your subscription details in the response. Once this works, you can start exploring other endpoints like Backlinks, Keyword Research, or Domain Analysis (including AI-Overview endpoints).

Troubleshooting

Error	What it means	How to fix
"incorrect token"	The API key is wrong or does not match the selected API	Re-check the key or contact api@seranking.com
429 Too Many Requests	Too many requests (limit: 10 per second)	Contact api@seranking.com if you need higher limits
License expired	Trial ended or subscription inactive	Renew or update the plan in your dashboard
body response error	Request format is incorrect	Compare your request with the API documentation

More Resources

For additional help, please send an email to api@seranking.com.

Data API FAQ

Q I'm getting a 402 "Insufficient Funds" error, but my dashboard shows credits available. What's wrong?

A This is the most common issue new customers hit. It typically means your API key hasn't been fully linked to your credits yet — this can happen right after purchase or after a plan change. Wait a few minutes and try again. If the error persists for more than 10 minutes, contact us and our support team will help resolve the issue.

Q I'm getting a 404 "Method not supported" error. What am I doing wrong?

A The Data API uses a different endpoint structure than the standard SE Ranking Project API. If you're seeing 404s, check that you're using Data API-specific endpoints from our documentation.

Q I hit a rate limit while testing. How do I find out what limits apply to my plan?

A Rate limits vary by plan and can be hit quickly when testing at scale. Your plan's limits are listed in the documentation. We recommend checking them before running any bulk queries so you can pace your requests accordingly.

Q Where do I find location IDs for SERP endpoints?

A SERP endpoints require a location_id parameter. The full list of location IDs, searchable by country name, is available in the documentation. This is one of the most-asked setup questions, so we recommend bookmarking it.

Q How do I know how many credits each API call costs?

A Credit costs vary by endpoint. Before running large jobs, check the per-endpoint pricing in the documentation to estimate your usage. You can monitor your running credit balance in the API Dashboard at any time.