Ahrefs Rank Tracking API

Track keyword positions over time to measure SEO performance. Monitor ranking changes, detect drops, and identify pages gaining or losing visibility.

Authentication

Authorization: Bearer {AHREFS_API_TOKEN}

Rank Tracker requires Ahrefs Standard ($199/mo) or higher.

Core Operations

Get current rankings for your domain

GET https://api.ahrefs.com/v3/site-explorer/organic-keywords
Authorization: Bearer {token}

Query params:
  target=example.com
  country=us
  select=keyword,position,volume,traffic,url,best_position,best_position_timestamp
  where=position<=50
  order_by=traffic:desc
  limit=1000
  offset=0

Response fields: keyword, position (current SERP position), volume, traffic (estimated monthly organic traffic from this keyword), url (ranking page), best_position (highest rank achieved), best_position_timestamp.

Get ranking history for specific keywords

GET https://api.ahrefs.com/v3/rank-tracker/positions-history
Authorization: Bearer {token}

Query params:
  target=example.com
  keywords=crm+for+startups,crm+for+agencies
  country=us
  date_from=2026-01-01
  date_to=2026-03-30

Returns daily position data per keyword. Use to chart ranking trends and detect algorithm impacts.

Get new and lost keywords

GET https://api.ahrefs.com/v3/site-explorer/organic-keywords-new
Authorization: Bearer {token}

Query params:
  target=example.com
  country=us
  date_from=2026-03-01
  date_to=2026-03-30
  select=keyword,position,volume,traffic,url,first_seen
  limit=500

Similarly, use /organic-keywords-lost to find keywords you dropped out of the top 100.

Get page-level organic traffic

GET https://api.ahrefs.com/v3/site-explorer/top-pages
Authorization: Bearer {token}

Query params:
  target=example.com
  country=us
  select=url,organic_traffic,organic_keywords,value
  order_by=organic_traffic:desc
  limit=200

Use to identify which programmatic pages drive the most traffic and which need optimization.

Rate Limits

• 60 requests per minute
• Subject to monthly API unit allocation

Error Handling

• 401 Unauthorized: Invalid API token.
• 429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit. Implement 60-second backoff.
• 403 Forbidden: Endpoint requires a higher plan tier.

Pricing

Included in Ahrefs subscription. See ahrefs-keyword-research fundamental for plan details. Pricing page: https://ahrefs.com/pricing

Alternatives

• SEMrush Position Tracking ($129.95/mo+): Daily rank tracking with API access
• AccuRanker ($116/mo+): Dedicated rank tracker with API, fast daily updates
• SERPWatcher by Mangools ($29.90/mo+): Budget rank tracking
• DataForSEO SERP API ($0.002/request): Pay-per-use rank checking
• Nightwatch ($39/mo+): Rank tracking with API and white-label reporting