Connect DataForSEO: API credentials, costs and balance
Connect your DataForSEO account to SEOAsist and learn which modules it powers, how many calls each action uses and where to keep an eye on your balance.
Open this screen in the panelDataForSEO is a paid data provider for keyword volumes, SERP rank tracking, competitor analysis and backlink data. The connection is optional and runs on your own account: billing is usage-based and every call is charged to your DataForSEO balance.
What it powers
| Module | Used for |
|---|---|
| Keywords → Research | Ideas and long-tail suggestions from a seed: volume, CPC, KD, intent, 12-month trend |
| Keywords → Tracking | SERP positions of your tracked keywords |
| Competitors | Competitor detection and competitor keywords |
| Backlinks | Backlink summary, link list and competitor opportunities |
| Local SEO | The Google Maps grid |
Without DataForSEO, these pages show a notice telling you the connection is required.
Prerequisites
- A DataForSEO account with a balance.
- The admin role in SEOAsist. Only owners and admins can save the connection.
Get your API login and password
- Sign in at app.dataforseo.com.
- Open API Access.
- Copy the API login (your e-mail) and API password shown there.
The API password is not the password you use to sign in to DataForSEO. Entering your account password gets the connection rejected.
Connect it in SEOAsist
- On Integrations, open the DataForSEO card in the Paid data providers group (Connect).
- Fill in API login (e-mail) and API password.
- Click Connect.
Before saving, SEOAsist sends a check request to DataForSEO. On success you see “DataForSEO connected. Balance: … USD.” If the credentials are wrong you get “DataForSEO rejected the credentials: …”. The password is stored encrypted.
How many calls each action uses
The panel shows next to each action how many DataForSEO calls it makes. The price per call depends on DataForSEO's own pricing.
| Action | Calls |
|---|---|
| Keyword research (Ideas or Long tail) | 1 Labs call per run |
| Rank check (Check now) | 1 SERP call per keyword; the daily automatic check costs the same |
| Find competitors | 1 Labs call (adds up to 10 competitor domains) |
| Competitor sync (Sync all) | 2 Labs calls per competitor |
| Backlink sync (Sync now) | 2 calls: summary + up to 500 links; weekly automatic sync every Thursday at 03:00 UTC |
| Backlink opportunities (Find opportunities) | 1 call per competitor, up to 5 competitors |
| Map grid (Run grid) | 1 Maps SERP call per point (grid size squared) |
Automatic jobs use calls too: the daily check of tracked keywords and the weekly backlink sync. Factor them in when you plan your balance.
Account verification and balance
DataForSEO asks new accounts to complete verification before returning data. Until you do, no data comes in even with correct credentials, and an orange “DataForSEO is not working” box appears at the top of the affected pages. For the fix, see DataForSEO account not verified.
You can see your balance in two places:
- In the DataForSEO card summary: “Balance: … USD”.
- Next to the connected login when the card is open: “balance … USD”. The dot next to it turns orange when the balance reaches zero.
If the balance is too low or used up, the warning box says so. Top up at app.dataforseo.com; nothing needs to change in SEOAsist.
Check that it works
- The DataForSEO card shows Connected and your balance.
- On Keywords → Research, run Ideas for a seed keyword; the results table should fill in.
FAQ
How do I remove the connection?
Open the DataForSEO card, click Remove and confirm. The dependent modules stop fetching new data.
Does SEOAsist charge for DataForSEO?
No. Calls are billed directly to your DataForSEO account, separate from your SEOAsist plan. See Costs for details.
Backlinks return nothing but other modules work. Why?
On some DataForSEO accounts the Backlinks API has to be enabled separately. If the warning says the API subscription is not active, enable it under app.dataforseo.com → Plans & Subscriptions.
What does “rate limit reached” mean?
DataForSEO received too many requests in a short time. Wait a few minutes and start the action again.
Related articles
- DataForSEO account not verified (40104 / HTTP 403)Here's the fix if Backlinks, Competitors and Keywords return no data, or you see the “Your DataForSEO account is not verified yet” warning.
- Costs: AI allowance, your own keys and DataForSEOCommon questions about what's included in your plan, what you pay through your own accounts and how monthly quotas are counted.
- Keyword tracking, research and SERP positionsHow to review Search Console queries, add keywords to the daily SERP check and find new keyword ideas on the Keywords page.
- Backlinks: tabs, Sync now and the weekly syncLearn what each tab on the Backlinks page shows, what Sync now does in the background, and which notification you get when a sync fails.