Integration

ContextBolt SEO in Codex (2026 Setup Guide)

Intermediate 3 minutes setup By David Hamilton

Codex is OpenAI’s command-line coding agent, and alongside Claude it is one of the agents ContextBolt SEO is built around. It speaks the Model Context Protocol, so you can wire in ContextBolt SEO and pull live keyword, SERP, domain, and competitor data straight into your terminal workflow.

Codex has file access, so every lookup you run gets mirrored to a ./seo-findings/ folder in your project as markdown. Your research lives next to your code, searchable and version-controlled, instead of disappearing into the session.

SEO research where you ship

When you are building, the question “what should this rank for, and who already owns it?” is one you want answered without breaking flow. With ContextBolt SEO in Codex you ask it in the terminal and the numbers come back inline. No dashboard, no export, no second tool.

Because these are MCP tools, Codex chains them. “Find ten low-difficulty keywords for my docs site, check which ones a competitor already ranks for, and list the gaps” is one prompt, not ten dashboard sessions, and the whole session is written to disk.

The config block

Add ContextBolt SEO to ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.contextbolt-seo]
url = "https://seo.contextbolt.app/mcp/YOUR_TOKEN"

Restart your Codex session so it reloads the config, then ask “what SEO tools do you have?” to confirm. Your URL contains a personal token, so keep config.toml out of public repos or pull the URL from an environment variable. The full tour of tools and workflows is in the ContextBolt SEO guide.

How to connect ContextBolt SEO to Codex

  1. Subscribe and get your MCP URL

    Subscribe to ContextBolt SEO ($35/month for 1,000 lookups). Your private MCP URL arrives by email and looks like https://seo.contextbolt.app/mcp/YOUR_TOKEN. Keep it private, like a password.

  2. Add it to config.toml

    Open ~/.codex/config.toml and add a server block: [mcp_servers.contextbolt-seo] on one line, then url = "https://seo.contextbolt.app/mcp/YOUR_TOKEN" on the next. Save the file.

  3. Start a session and check it

    Start a new Codex session so it reloads the config, then ask 'what SEO tools do you have?'. If it lists keyword, SERP, domain, and competitor tools, the server is connected.

  4. Connect your Search Console (optional, free)

    Ask 'connect my Google Search Console', approve read-only access on Google's consent screen, and Codex can read your real clicks, positions, and quick wins. The Search Console tools are free and never spend your monthly lookups.

Example prompts for ContextBolt SEO + Codex

Once connected, try asking Codex:

What keywords should my developer-tools blog target?

Codex calls keyword_research and returns related terms with volume, difficulty, and intent, so you get a content shortlist from the terminal.

How hard is 'rust web framework' to rank for, and who's in the top 10?

Chains keyword_difficulty and serp_overview so you get a difficulty score and the live page-one results without leaving Codex.

What does vercel.com rank for, and who competes for those terms?

Runs ranked_keywords then competitor_keywords for a content map plus the rivals chasing the same keywords.

Who links to my top competitor but not to me?

Calls backlink_gap and returns a spam-scored prospect list, a ready-made outreach shortlist. Backlink calls cost three lookups each.

What you can do with ContextBolt SEO in Codex

Run keyword research in plain English from the terminal

Score how hard a keyword is to rank for before you write

See who ranks in Google's top 10 for any query

Size up any domain's traffic, keywords, and authority

Find the keywords a competitor already ranks for

Spot backlink gaps: who links to rivals but not you

Connect your own Google Search Console, read-only and free

Save every lookup to ./seo-findings/ as markdown you can grep and commit

ContextBolt SEO + Codex: FAQs

Where does the Codex MCP config live? +
In ~/.codex/config.toml. MCP servers go under a [mcp_servers.<name>] table. For ContextBolt SEO, add [mcp_servers.contextbolt-seo] and a url line pointing at your MCP URL. Restart the session after editing so Codex picks up the change.
Why is Codex a good fit for SEO research? +
Codex is one of the agents ContextBolt SEO is built around. It runs in your terminal next to your project, so SEO research happens where you ship, and because it has file access every lookup is written to your ./seo-findings/ folder automatically.
What is the ./seo-findings/ folder? +
Every lookup writes a markdown file into a ./seo-findings/ folder in your project, one file per keyword or domain plus an INDEX. You can grep it, commit it to git, or open it in Obsidian. The files are free and do not count against your 1,000 monthly lookups.
How many lookups does a question cost? +
The six research tools cost one lookup each. The three backlink tools cost three each. The plan includes 1,000 a month, top-ups never expire, and checking your balance is free.
Does it remember past research? +
Yes. Ask about the same keyword again and the answer leads with what has changed since last time, like a difficulty or volume delta, at no extra cost. Memory is automatic and free.