⚙️ Frequently Asked Questions — API & MCP Server

Search Atlas provides a REST API and an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for developers and AI tool integrations. This article covers the most common questions.

What is the Search Atlas MCP server?

The Search Atlas MCP server (mcp.searchatlas.com) lets you control Search Atlas from any MCP client — including ChatGPT, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code — using natural language. It exposes over 220 tools organized by product — OTTO, GBP, PPC, Social Hub, Content Genius, Press Releases, AI Visibility (formerly LLM Visibility), heatmaps, Site Explorer, and more. Instead of logging into the dashboard, you can ask your AI assistant to run tasks directly.

Where do I find my API key?

Go to Account Menu → Settings → API Keys in the Search Atlas dashboard. Your API key is shown there. ⚠️ Keep it private — treat it like a password.

Which AI tools support the MCP server?

How do I connect the MCP server to Claude Desktop?

1. Get your API key from Account Menu → Settings → API Keys
2. Open: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)
3. Add the server config:

{  "mcpServers": {    "searchatlas": {      "url": "https://mcp.searchatlas.com/mcp/",      "headers": { "x-api-key": "your-api-key-here" }    }  }}

1. Fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop
2. ✅ Test: type "List my OTTO projects"

How do I connect the MCP server to Claude Code CLI?

Run: claude mcp add searchatlas --url "https://mcp.searchatlas.com/mcp/" --header "x-api-key: your-api-key-here"

💡 Or add the same config to your project's .claude/settings.json under mcpServers.

Can I connect only specific product tools instead of all 220?

Yes. Namespace-scoped endpoints expose only one product's tools. Use a JWT Bearer token (from Account Menu → Settings → API Keys) and set the URL to https://mcp.searchatlas.com/mcp/{namespace}/ where namespace is: otto, gbp, ppc, social-hub, content-genius, press-release, llm-visibility, local-seo-heatmaps, site-explorer, cloud-stack.

What are the MCP server rate limits?

40 requests per minute per user. If exceeded, the server returns HTTP 429 with a retry-after header. Claude Desktop handles this automatically by backing off. ⚠️ If you're running batch operations, space your tool calls to stay under the limit.

Where can I find the Search Atlas REST API documentation?

API documentation is available at https://developers.searchatlas.com (also accessible from Account Menu → Settings → API Keys). Swagger/OpenAPI specs are available for all endpoints. Your Search Atlas API key authenticates all REST API calls.

I'm getting a 401 Unauthorized error from the API. What should I do?

Check that: (1) your API key is being sent in the correct header (x-api-key: your-key), (2) the key hasn't been regenerated — if you regenerated it, any previous key is immediately invalid, (3) you're using the production key, not a staging key. ⚠️ Regenerate your key in Account Menu → Settings → API Keys if needed.

I'm getting a 403 Forbidden error on namespace MCP endpoints. Why?

When you connect to the MCP server by signing in with your Search Atlas account (OAuth), an active subscription is required. Accounts without an active subscription are rejected with a 401 error. If you are on a trial and get a 401 when signing in, contact support.

The MCP tools are appearing but returning wrong or stale data. What's happening?

MCP tools call the live Search Atlas API in real time — they return the same data you would see in the dashboard. If the data looks wrong, open the Search Atlas dashboard directly and check whether the same data appears there. 💡 If the dashboard also shows the discrepancy, it's a data issue to report to support (not an MCP-specific bug).

How does Search Atlas MCP authentication work technically?

Two methods:

• API Key (x-api-key header) — for the public /mcp/ endpoint (all tools). Generated in Settings.
• JWT Bearer Token (Authorization: Bearer ...) — for namespace-scoped endpoints. Requires an active subscriber account.

⚠️ The MCP server follows MCP over Streamable HTTP with SSE. A trailing slash on the URL is required: https://mcp.searchatlas.com/mcp/ not …/mcp.

How do I use the AMM Toolkit or AI agent tools with Search Atlas?

The AI agent (Atlas Brain / AMM Toolkit) is accessible via API at POST https://agent.searchatlas.com/api/agent/orchestrator/ using your Search Atlas API key or JWT. Documentation for the agent API is available at Account Menu → Settings → API Keys → Agent API Docs. ⚠️ Note: AMM Toolkit documentation may reference older, deprecated MCP tool names — always use the tool list in the current Account Menu → Settings → API Keys page as the authoritative reference.