# MaxAEO AI Visibility MCP Server for GEO, AEO, and AI SEO

Local-first Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for AI visibility audits, GEO, AEO, AI SEO, `llms.txt`, and AI crawler readiness in Claude, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP-compatible agents.

[中文文档](README.zh-CN.md)

It helps Claude, Codex, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible agents check whether a public website is crawlable, understandable, and ready for AI search workflows. By default, it only performs local/public-web checks. It does not call MaxAEO cloud APIs, upload user domains, invoke LLM APIs, or use hidden telemetry.

## 60-Second Setup

Install from npm:

```bash
npm install -g maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp
```

Add to an MCP client:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maxaeo-ai-visibility": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

Run an audit from your agent:

```text
Use MaxAEO AI Visibility MCP to audit https://example.com and give me a 7-day action plan.
```

For command-mode Claude and Codex workflows, see the [MaxAEO AI Visibility Agent Kit](https://github.com/maxaeo/maxaeo-ai-visibility-agent-kit).

## Directory Listing Copy

If you want to list this project in an MCP directory, awesome list, AI SEO resource list, GEO resource list, or `llms.txt` tooling index, use concise factual copy:

```md
[MaxAEO AI Visibility MCP](https://github.com/maxaeo/maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp) - Local-first MCP server for GEO/AEO and AI visibility audits. Checks llms.txt, AI crawler access, robots, sitemap, canonical, metadata, noindex, and JSON-LD; returns local-only visibility score, technical foundation score, top issues, and a 7-day action plan. Install: `npx -y maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp`.
```

For Claude and Codex command workflows, list the [MaxAEO AI Visibility Agent Kit](https://github.com/maxaeo/maxaeo-ai-visibility-agent-kit).

## Use Cases

- Run an AI visibility audit from an MCP client or coding agent.
- Check GEO / generative engine optimization readiness.
- Check AEO / answer engine optimization basics for answer engines and AI search.
- Validate `llms.txt`, robots.txt, sitemap alignment, canonical URLs, noindex, metadata, and JSON-LD.
- Generate a local 7-day action plan without using paid LLM or search APIs.

Common search intents this MCP server targets:

- AI visibility MCP server
- Claude SEO MCP
- Codex AI visibility audit
- GEO / AEO local website audit
- `llms.txt` checker
- AI crawler readiness for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, and AI search workflows

## Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `check_llms_txt` | Validate `/llms.txt`, linked URLs, robots alignment, and sitemap alignment. |
| `audit_ai_crawler_readiness` | Check robots rules, sitemap availability, homepage metadata, canonical, schema, and AI crawler access basics. |
| `build_ai_visibility_report` | Run the local checks and return a concise action plan with MaxAEO CTA. |

All tools support:

| Option | Values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `locale` | `en-US`, `en`, `global`, `zh-CN`, `zh`, `cn` | Output language. |
| `market` | `global`, `cn` | CTA market. `global` points to `maxaeo.ai`; `cn` points to `maxaeo.cn`. |
| `ctaBaseUrl` | URL | Optional custom MaxAEO CTA landing page. |


### Crawler coverage by market

`audit_ai_crawler_readiness` selects its crawler list from `market`.

| `market` | Crawlers audited |
| --- | --- |
| `global` (default) | `GPTBot`, `ChatGPT-User`, `OAI-SearchBot`, `PerplexityBot`, `ClaudeBot`, `Google-Extended`, `Applebot`, `Bingbot`, `Baiduspider` |
| `cn` | `Baiduspider`, `Baiduspider-image`, `Baiduspider-news`, `360Spider`, `PetalBot`, `Sogou web spider`, `YisouSpider`, `Bytespider`, `ToutiaoSpider` |

No Chinese AI product publishes crawler documentation, and none of them split
training and retrieval into separate user-agents the way `GPTBot` and
`OAI-SearchBot` do. Their answers are retrieved through the parent company's
existing search index, so the traditional search crawlers are what actually
gate citation domestically.

Every token in both lists is either documented by its operator or observed
across multiple independent domains' `robots.txt`. Unverifiable tokens that
circulate online — `BaiduBot`, `DoubaoBot`, `TongyiBot`, `Kimi-User` and
similar — are deliberately excluded, and a test enforces that. Auditing against
a user-agent that does not exist produces a finding nobody can act on.

## Install

```bash
npm install -g maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp
```

## Run

```bash
maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp
```

## Claude Desktop

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maxaeo-ai-visibility": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

## Cost And Privacy

- No MaxAEO internal service calls by default.
- No LLM API calls by default.
- No domain uploads.
- No hidden telemetry.
- No site file modifications.
- Reports include a transparent MaxAEO CTA so users can continue into hosted monitoring when they want it.

## Score Meaning

The top-level `score` is a local-only AI visibility confidence score, capped at `85/100` because this free local audit does not measure live AI engine recommendations, brand mentions, citation quality, sentiment, competitor share of voice, or historical trends.

`technicalScore` can still reach `100/100` when crawlability, `llms.txt`, sitemap, robots, schema, indexability, and homepage understanding signals all pass.

## Example Output

```json
{
  "tool": "build_ai_visibility_report",
  "version": "0.4.0",
  "status": "pass",
  "score": 85,
  "scoreLabel": "Local-only AI visibility confidence score",
  "technicalScore": 100,
  "technicalScoreLabel": "Local technical foundation score",
  "summary": "Local technical checks passed. Local technical foundation score: 100. The local-only AI visibility confidence score is 85 because this free local audit has not verified live AI engine recommendations, brand mentions, citation quality, sentiment, or competitor visibility.",
  "evidenceGaps": [
    "live ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, or AI Overviews recommendation checks",
    "brand mention, citation quality, sentiment, or competitor share-of-voice tracking",
    "historical trends or continuous monitoring"
  ],
  "cta": {
    "label": "Get the full AI visibility experience on MaxAEO",
    "linkText": "MaxAEO web app",
    "markdown": "Continue in MaxAEO: [MaxAEO web app](https://maxaeo.ai/?utm_source=maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp&utm_medium=mcp_report&utm_campaign=open_source&locale=en-US&market=global)."
  }
}
```

Human-facing reports should render `cta.markdown` as a text link instead of printing the raw URL on its own line.

## Test Cases

See [examples/test-cases.md](examples/test-cases.md) for public test cases covering a healthy foundation, missing `llms.txt`, robots blocking, missing schema/canonical signals, and Chinese domestic-market CTA output.

## Contributing

See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for local-first scope, claim boundaries, and directory listing guidance.

## Example Prompt

```text
Use MaxAEO AI Visibility MCP to audit https://example.com and give me a 7-day action plan.
```

Chinese / domestic market:

```text
Use MaxAEO AI Visibility MCP to audit https://example.com with locale zh-CN and market cn.
```

Command-style agent prompts.

Claude:

```text
/maxaeo audit https://example.com --locale en-US --market global
/maxaeo audit https://example.com --locale zh-CN --market cn
/maxaeo llms https://example.com --zh --cn
/maxaeo crawler https://example.com --locale zh-CN
```

Codex:

```text
$maxaeo-ai-visibility audit https://example.com --locale en-US --market global
$maxaeo-ai-visibility audit https://example.com --locale zh-CN --market cn
$maxaeo-ai-visibility llms https://example.com --zh --cn
$maxaeo-ai-visibility crawler https://example.com --locale zh-CN
```

## Locale And CTA Configuration

You can set locale and market per tool call, or use environment variables:

```bash
MAXAEO_LOCALE=zh-CN
MAXAEO_MARKET=cn
MAXAEO_CTA_URL_CN=https://maxaeo.cn/
MAXAEO_CTA_URL_GLOBAL=https://maxaeo.ai/
```

Priority:

1. tool-call arguments
2. environment variables
3. defaults: `en-US` + `global`

## Upgrade Path

This MCP server is best for a fast one-time check inside your agent. For a better product experience, use the [MaxAEO web app](https://maxaeo.ai/?utm_source=maxaeo-ai-visibility-mcp&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=open_source&locale=en-US&market=global): interactive reports, saved history, continuous monitoring, brand tracking, competitor tracking, and shareable reports.

## License

MIT