Ahrefs CLI

SEO analytics from the command line. Domain analysis, keyword research, backlink data, and SERP overview — powered by the Ahrefs API v3.

Python 3.10+, zero dependencies (stdlib only).

Features

• Site Explorer — Domain Rating, backlinks, referring domains, organic keywords, top pages, competitors
• Keywords Explorer — keyword metrics, volume history, matching/related terms, suggestions
• SERP Overview — top 100 results for any keyword
• Batch Analysis — analyze multiple domains at once
• Usage Tracking — real API unit costs from response headers, tracked per month
• Flexible Output — table, CSV, or JSON
• Filtering & Sorting — --where and --order-by for precise queries
• Field Selection — --select to choose fields and reduce API costs

Installation

pip (recommended)

pip install git+https://github.com/Hakea-Agency/ahrefs-cli.git

Manual

git clone https://github.com/Hakea-Agency/ahrefs-cli.git
cd ahrefs-cli

chmod +x ahrefs
sudo ln -s "$(pwd)/ahrefs" /usr/local/bin/ahrefs

Authentication

Set your Ahrefs API key as an environment variable:

export AHREFS_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Get your API key from Ahrefs Account Settings → API keys.

Or configure a command in ~/.config/ahrefs/config.json:

{
  "api_key_command": "your-secret-manager-command-here"
}

Usage

Site Explorer

# Domain Rating
ahrefs dr example.com

# Backlink statistics
ahrefs backlinks example.com

# List individual backlinks (with filtering)
ahrefs backlinks-list example.com --limit 20 --where "domain_rating_source>30"

# Referring domains sorted by DR
ahrefs refdomains example.com --limit 20 --order-by "-domain_rating"

# Anchor texts
ahrefs anchors example.com

# All site metrics
ahrefs metrics example.com

# Organic keywords
ahrefs organic example.com --country fi --limit 20

# Top pages by traffic
ahrefs top-pages example.com --country fi

# Organic competitors
ahrefs competitors example.com --country fi

# DR history over time
ahrefs dr-history example.com --date-from 2024-01-01

# Metrics history
ahrefs metrics-history example.com --date-from 2024-01-01

# Pages ranked by organic traffic
ahrefs pages-by-traffic example.com --country fi

Keywords Explorer

# Keyword overview (one or more keywords)
ahrefs keyword "seo" "hakukoneoptimointi" --country fi

# Search volume history
ahrefs volume-history "seo" --country fi

# Matching terms (contains keyword)
ahrefs matching "seo" --country fi --limit 20

# Related terms
ahrefs related "seo" --country fi --limit 20

# Search suggestions
ahrefs suggestions "seo" --country fi

SERP & Batch

# SERP overview — top 100 results
ahrefs serp "hakukoneoptimointi" --country fi

# Batch analysis — multiple domains
ahrefs batch example.com competitor.com another.com

Usage Tracking

# Show API usage this month
ahrefs usage

Global Options

Option	Description	Default
--country XX	Country code	us
--date YYYY-MM-DD	Snapshot date	today
--date-from YYYY-MM-DD	Start date (history commands)	1 year ago
--limit N	Max results	10
--mode MODE	domain|subdomains|prefix|exact	subdomains
--select FIELDS	Comma-separated fields (overrides defaults)	per-command
--where FILTER	Filter expression	none
--order-by FIELD	Sort field (prefix - for desc)	none
--format FMT	table|csv|json	table
--json	Shortcut for --format json	off
--protocol	both|http|https	both

Controlling API Costs

Every request costs at least 50 units. Costs scale with rows returned and fields requested.

# Fewer fields = lower cost
ahrefs organic example.com --select "keyword,volume,position" --limit 5

# Export to CSV for further analysis
ahrefs organic example.com --country fi --limit 100 --format csv > keywords.csv

# Filter to reduce noise
ahrefs backlinks-list example.com --where "domain_rating_source>20" --limit 50

Check your plan's monthly limit in Ahrefs dashboard.

Agent Integration

The skill/ directory contains an OpenClaw agent skill for integrating the CLI into AI agent workflows. This lets AI assistants use Ahrefs data programmatically.

License

MIT