# DispatchSEO

> Open-source SEO manager driven by the AI you already pay for: the ordinary
> Claude app at claude.ai, a coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), or any
> other MCP client. Your AI already knows your product, so DispatchSEO gives
> it the missing half: keyword research it can act on, articles that ship as
> pull requests to your own repo or straight into self-hosted WordPress, rank
> tracking, and a human approval dashboard. Self-hosted with one Docker
> command, AGPL-3.0. A hosted version exists at dispatchseo.com, but
> self-hosting has zero feature limitations.

## What it is, in one paragraph

DispatchSEO is a backend, not a writer. It stores state (a suggestions queue,
keywords, published pages, rankings, Search Console stats, backlink
prospects), runs schedules (daily rank checks, hourly GSC snapshots, a nightly
content builder), and gates everything behind a human approval step. The
thinking - research, judgement, writing - happens in your own AI: the Claude
app at claude.ai, or a coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), which talks
to DispatchSEO over MCP. That split is deliberate: your AI already has your
product knowledge, so it does not need to crawl your homepage to guess at it.

## Key facts

- The MCP server is at /api/mcp (streamable HTTP, bearer token per project).
  The bearer token IS the tenant selector - one deployment manages many sites.
- The MCP exposes state only: reads and writes against the queue, keywords,
  pages, rankings, GSC stats, prospects, plus a get_instructions tool that
  serves the agent playbook. Keyword research and content generation happen in
  the agent, not on the server.
- Anything the dashboard can do, the agent can do over MCP. Parity between the
  two is a hard rule in the codebase.
- Two ways to connect an AI. A coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor)
  connects over MCP from a terminal, or the ordinary Claude app at claude.ai
  is pointed at the same server as a custom connector on any paid Claude plan,
  writes on the owner's own subscription, and hands the finished article back.
  ChatGPT is not supported yet; the Gemini app cannot connect outside tools at
  all.
- Content reaches your site one of two ways. For a self-hosted WordPress site,
  articles are posted through its own API, with cover image, internal links and
  schema already in place. For a code-built site, they arrive as pull requests
  to your GitHub repo, opened by the coding agent or by DispatchSEO itself when
  the article came from the Claude app; human approval is the default and
  automatic merge is opt-in.
- So you need either a self-hosted WordPress site or a site whose source lives
  in a Git repo. Hosted site builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, Webflow) have
  neither, and are not supported. A coding agent is not required for either
  one.
- Data tiers stack: Google Search Console only (free), + a free SerpApi key
  (live SERP checks), + DataForSEO (volume and difficulty, pay per call).
- You bring your own AI subscription or key. DispatchSEO never bills for AI
  usage.

## Read everything at once

- [Full documentation, single file](https://dispatchseo.com/llms-full.txt): every page below,
  inline. Fetch this one URL if you want the complete docs in one request.

Every documentation page is also available as plain markdown by appending
".md" to its URL - e.g. https://dispatchseo.com/docs/troubleshooting.md

## Start here

- [Quickstart](https://dispatchseo.com/docs): choose an install path, then two setup steps.

## Getting started

- [What DispatchSEO is](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/introduction.md): An SEO manager driven by the AI you already pay for, the Claude app or a coding agent - research, content that ships to your site, and rank tracking, on infrastructure you own.
- [How it works](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/how-it-works.md): The moving parts - your agent, the backend, your repo - and which one is responsible for what.
- [Cloud or self-hosted](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/choosing-how-to-run-it.md): Two ways to run DispatchSEO, what actually differs between them, and how to pick without regretting it later.

## Installation

- [Install on your computer](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/docker-compose.md): One command starts the whole product on any machine with Docker. Open the URL it prints and the setup wizard takes over.
- [Install on a VPS](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/vps.md): One line installs everything - Docker included - and one .env line puts the dashboard on your own domain with automatic HTTPS.
- [Local development](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/local-development.md): Run DispatchSEO from source with pnpm for hacking on the code itself.

## Setup

- [Install Claude Code](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/install-claude-code.md): Claude Code is the agent that does the actual work. Here is how to get it on your computer, from nothing, on any operating system.
- [Use Codex instead](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/install-codex.md): DispatchSEO runs on OpenAI Codex end to end - connect over MCP, drive it by hand, and let it build overnight. Here is the setup, and the three places Codex differs from Claude Code.
- [Use Cursor](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/install-cursor.md): Connect Cursor to DispatchSEO over MCP in one paste - all 61 tools, in the editor and the CLI, plus the unattended overnight builder. Here is the setup, and the two things that surprise people.
- [The setup wizard, step by step](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/setup-wizard.md): What each wizard screen asks for, why, and what to do when a step gets stuck.
- [Google Search Console](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/search-console.md): Connect free rankings and traffic data - one click with Google on dispatchseo.com, or a Google service account when you self-host.
- [Keyword data sources](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/keyword-data.md): The three stacking tiers for keyword data - what each costs, what it unlocks, and how to switch later.
- [Publishing and GitHub](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/publishing.md): How an approved idea actually becomes a live page - the pull request, the checks, and who presses merge.
- [Connect your site](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/connect-your-site.md): The last step - one command into your coding agent, and it installs its own pipeline.

## Using it

- [How the autopilot works](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/autopilot.md): What DispatchSEO does on its own for a cloud site - how it picks topics, how often it publishes, when it pauses itself, and the few things you control.
- [Day to day](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/day-to-day.md): What using DispatchSEO actually looks like once setup is done - a few minutes a week, and where they go.
- [The dashboard, page by page](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/dashboard.md): What each dashboard screen shows, what you can do there, and when to open it.
- [Automations and modes](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/automations.md): The three publish modes, all 12 automations, the publishing pace, and the quality bar every build obeys.
- [Agent commands](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/agent-commands.md): The slash commands and workflows the pipeline installs into your own repo, and why they stay so thin.

## Reference

- [Concepts and glossary](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/concepts.md): Every term DispatchSEO uses, defined plainly - what it means, where it lives, and why it exists.
- [MCP tools](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/mcp-tools.md): Every tool the DispatchSEO MCP server exposes - what it does, its parameters, and what it returns.
- [Environment variables](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/environment-variables.md): Every variable DispatchSEO reads, what it does, and where to get the value.
- [Schedules](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/schedules.md): What runs on a timer, when, and what you see when it works or when it fails.
- [Architecture](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/architecture.md): How the pieces fit together - the tenant model, what runs where, the data model, and the conventions that keep them honest.

## Help

- [Troubleshooting](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/troubleshooting.md): What each failure actually means, why it happens, and the fix - grouped by where things go wrong.
- [Common questions](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/faq.md): Honest answers about cost, fit, and what DispatchSEO actually does - including the ones where "no" is the right answer.
- [Security and your data](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/security.md): The auth model, what DispatchSEO stores, what leaves your machine on a self-hosted install, and how to report a vulnerability.
- [Upgrading and backups](https://dispatchseo.com/docs/upgrading.md): How to upgrade a Docker self-host install, back up your data, restore it, move machines, or uninstall cleanly.

## Reference on GitHub

- [Repository](https://github.com/NeoZi12/dispatchseo): source, issues, discussions
- [Architecture and conventions](https://github.com/NeoZi12/dispatchseo/blob/main/CLAUDE.md): written for agents
- [Agent setup skill](https://github.com/NeoZi12/dispatchseo/blob/main/SKILL.md): how an agent connects a site
- [Changelog](https://dispatchseo.com/changelog): what shipped, newest first
- [Contributing](https://github.com/NeoZi12/dispatchseo/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [Security policy](https://github.com/NeoZi12/dispatchseo/blob/main/SECURITY.md)

## Guides

- [Google Search Console vs Google Analytics: which one to read for SEO, and why the numbers never match](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/google-search-console-vs-google-analytics): Use Search Console for every SEO decision up to the click and Analytics for what visitors did after it. Here is what each counts, why the totals differ, and a 10-minute weekly review.
- [SEO agency for SaaS: what they charge in 2026, and when you don't need one](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/seo-agency-for-saas): A SaaS SEO agency retainer runs about $1,500 to $5,000 a month. What it should deliver, the red flags to screen for, and the break-even against a freelancer or your own pipeline.
- [AI brand visibility: measure whether ChatGPT and Perplexity name you, then move it](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/ai-brand-visibility): AI brand visibility is the share of relevant AI answers that name your brand. A 20-prompt weekly protocol you can run today, the four levers that move it, and this site's own baseline - 1 citation in 110 Claude checks.
- [How to fix 404 errors in Google Search Console, and stop them coming back](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/fix-404-errors-google-search-console): Most Search Console 404s need no fix. Triage by impressions and backlinks, fix the rest with a redirect, a real 404 or real content, and keep the redirects in your repo.
- [SaaS marketing strategy for a solo founder: the channels that compound and the ones that don't](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/saas-marketing-strategy): A SaaS marketing strategy for one person and no ad budget - sort channels by whether they compound or reset, run launches and SEO in parallel, add paid last, and see this site's own click data.
- [SEO for startups: the first 90 days, before Google knows you exist](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/seo-for-startups): What startup SEO looks like with zero authority - get indexed on day 0, pick low-difficulty keywords, publish steadily, read Search Console at day 90, avoid the habits that get a new domain demoted.
- [Content marketing for SaaS: the one-person system that compounds](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/content-marketing-for-saas): How to run content marketing for a SaaS with no team - a weekly research, write, publish, measure loop, the page types worth writing, and what 75 published posts taught one young site.
- [SEO for SaaS: a 12-month plan one founder can actually run](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/seo-for-saas): A month-by-month SEO plan for a SaaS run by one person - what to do in months 1-2, what to expect in month 3, and when clicks start. Includes one young site's real Search Console curve.
- [SEO tools for small business: the budget is hours, not dollars](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/seo-tools-for-small-business): What a small business actually needs in SEO tools, with real monthly prices from Ahrefs and Semrush, a free core stack, and when the owner's weekly hours make automation the cheaper option.
- [Best SEO tools for beginners: four free picks, and everything you can skip](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/best-seo-tools-for-beginners): A beginner needs a tool for four jobs - finding topics, getting indexed, tracking rank, writing. One free pick for each, a skip list, and when automation takes over.
- [Generative engine optimization tools: what each kind does, and the one you need first](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/generative-engine-optimization-tools): GEO tools sort into four jobs - measuring citations, auditing pages, generating content, agency retainers. What each does, what Google and Bing already give you free, and the smallest stack worth running.
- [Can you do SEO on your own? Yes - here's what to automate first](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/can-you-do-seo-on-your-own): Yes, you can do SEO yourself - setup and on-page are one-person jobs. The part that breaks solo projects is the recurring third, and here's the order to automate it in.
- [DIY SEO for small business: the checklist, and where an agent can take over](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/diy-seo-for-small-business): The real DIY SEO checklist for a small business, checked against a live SERP and Google's own starter guide - split into what you do once and what comes back on you every single week.
- [AI-powered SEO tools compared: assistants that suggest vs agents that ship](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/ai-powered-seo-tools-compared): Every result on page 1 for "ai powered seo tool" claims to use AI - that stopped being a filter years ago. The real split, checked live on each vendor's own site, is what happens the moment a draft is finished.
- [How to check if ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are citing your website](https://dispatchseo.com/blog/how-to-check-if-chatgpt-is-citing-your-website): Three answer engines, three different citation elements - what to actually look for in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview/Gemini, how to tell a real citation from a hallucinated mention, and the real get_ai_visibility output that automates the check.