# Cite42

Gives your agent AI visibility and SEO data: which models mention your brand, what sources they cite, keyword volume and trends. Pay per call.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI
- Author: Cite42
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Cite42/mcp
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/cite42

## What it does

Cite42 is an MCP server that feeds an agent AI visibility data, also called generative engine optimization, alongside SEO metrics. Ask it a buyer question and it shows whether ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini name your brand, in what order, and which sources they cite. Other tools put your brand next to named competitors and show how the answers describe it.

Beyond AI visibility, the server returns monthly keyword volume with CPC and competition, Google Trends interest, Reddit discussions and YouTube videos. Trackers rerun up to 30 prompts weekly or monthly and keep the history, so you can spot when models start or stop naming your brand. Six workflows bundle these tools into a single call.

Most clients point at the hosted server `https://mcp.cite42.dev` and sign in through a browser; nothing is installed locally. CI and browserless machines need an API key plus Node.js 22.13 or newer. Calls are billed against a prepaid USD balance — no subscription — and new accounts start with $1 of credit.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Remote server: `https://mcp.cite42.dev`
- Environment variables: `CITE42_API_KEY`, `CITE42_API_BASE` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http mcp https://mcp.cite42.dev
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env CITE42_API_KEY=<CITE42_API_KEY> --env CITE42_API_BASE=<CITE42_API_BASE> --transport stdio cite42 -- npx -y @cite42/mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Codex

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
codex mcp add cite42 --url https://mcp.cite42.dev
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add cite42 --env CITE42_API_KEY=<CITE42_API_KEY> --env CITE42_API_BASE=<CITE42_API_BASE> -- npx -y @cite42/mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cite42": {
            "url": "https://mcp.cite42.dev"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cite42": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@cite42/mcp"
            ],
            "env": {
                "CITE42_API_KEY": "<CITE42_API_KEY>",
                "CITE42_API_BASE": "<CITE42_API_BASE>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "cite42": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.cite42.dev"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "cite42": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@cite42/mcp"
            ],
            "env": {
                "CITE42_API_KEY": "<CITE42_API_KEY>",
                "CITE42_API_BASE": "<CITE42_API_BASE>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Gemini CLI

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
gemini mcp add -t http cite42 https://mcp.cite42.dev
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e CITE42_API_KEY=<CITE42_API_KEY> -e CITE42_API_BASE=<CITE42_API_BASE> cite42 npx -y @cite42/mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- see whether AI models name your brand when answering buyer questions
- compare your brand against named competitors
- collect the URLs models cite for a topic
- check search volume and competition for a keyword list
- track prompts on a schedule and keep the history

## Example prompts
- Show which sources the models cite for this topic and whether our domain is among them
- Pull search volume and competition for these keywords

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