Claude Code

Claude Code connects to Ranktide's MCP server over HTTP and reads the SEO skills from a folder. For claude.ai, the desktop app and Cowork, see Claude.

Add the MCP server

Run this in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http ranktide https://app.ranktide.io/mcp

This adds Ranktide to the current project only. To use it in every project, add --scope user:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user ranktide https://app.ranktide.io/mcp

If you already added Ranktide as a connector on claude.ai and Claude Code is signed in with the same Claude account, Claude Code can use that connector without this step.

Sign in

1. Start Claude Code and run /mcp.
2. Select ranktide and choose Authenticate.
3. Sign in to Ranktide in your browser, pick your organisation and approve the connection.

Then send the connection check:

Use Ranktide to check my connection and list my projects. Don't run any research.

Claude Code should return your account, credit balance and projects. These calls use no credits.

Install the skills

Claude Code reads skills from ~/.claude/skills for every project, and from .claude/skills inside a repository for that project only. Each skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file. ranktide-skills.zip holds every Ranktide skill folder.

To install them for every project:

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
curl -fL -o ranktide-skills.zip https://ranktide.io/skills/ranktide-skills.zip
unzip -o ranktide-skills.zip -d ~/.claude/skills

To install them for one project, run this from the repository root instead:

mkdir -p .claude/skills
curl -fL -o ranktide-skills.zip https://ranktide.io/skills/ranktide-skills.zip
unzip -o ranktide-skills.zip -d .claude/skills

To install one skill, download its zip from the skills page and unzip it the same way.

Claude Code picks up new skills during a session. If the skills folder didn't exist when the session started, restart Claude Code.

Use a skill

Claude Code uses a skill when your request matches it. You can also run one by name, for example /seo-audit, or type / to see the list. Start with:

• /seo-project-setup to save your goals, competitors and key pages to the project.
• /seo-audit to find the few changes most likely to grow your organic traffic.
• /seo-coach when you're not sure what to do next.

Connect with an API key

API keys are for headless runs and CI, on the Growth plan and up. Create one in the app under Settings → API keys, then add the server with the key in a header:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user ranktide https://app.ranktide.io/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

With the header set, Claude Code uses the key and skips the browser sign-in. Anything it does acts as you, in the organisation that was active when you created the key. See connect with an API key.

Update

Ranktide updates its MCP tools on the server. Start a new Claude Code session to load new tools.

To update the skills, download ranktide-skills.zip again and unzip it over the old folders. unzip -o replaces each SKILL.md without asking. If you edited a skill, copy your changes out first.

curl -fL -o ranktide-skills.zip https://ranktide.io/skills/ranktide-skills.zip
unzip -o ranktide-skills.zip -d ~/.claude/skills

Troubleshooting

Claude Code's own guides cover MCP and skills. For anything else, see the MCP reference or email support@ranktide.io.