# Keyword Search Volume, CPC & Competition (DataForSEO key) (`ucchiii/keyword-search-volume`) Actor

Keyword Search Volume: Google Ads monthly search volume, CPC, competition, top-of-page bids and 12-month trends for up to 10,000 keywords per run. Bring your own DataForSEO API key. $0.15 per batch of up to 1,000 keywords + $0.005 per keyword with data.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/ucchiii/keyword-search-volume.md
- **Developed by:** [Actor Factory](https://apify.com/ucchiii) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.70 / 1,000 keyword with data

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Keyword Research: Search Volume, CPC & Competition (bring your own DataForSEO key)

**For SEO and PPC teams who have a keyword list and need numbers to prioritize it.** Get Google Ads monthly search
volume, CPC, competition, top-of-page bid range and 12-month trends for up to 10,000 keywords per run, in any country
and language. You use **your own [DataForSEO](https://dataforseo.com/) API login and password**.
**You need a DataForSEO account (API login and password).** DataForSEO bills your account for each lookup
(Google Ads search volume, roughly $0.05–$0.09 per request of up to 1,000 keywords — check
[DataForSEO pricing](https://dataforseo.com/pricing) for your rate). On top of that, this Actor charges
**$0.02 per batch of up to 1,000 keywords + $0.001 per keyword with data** (e.g. 10 keywords ≈ $0.03,
1,000 keywords ≈ $1.02). Keywords without data are not charged. Without your DataForSEO login the Actor stops with an
error and charges nothing. Leave the input empty for a free demo with sample data.

### Use cases

- **SEO content planning:** rank topic ideas by monthly search volume and see which ones are growing (`trend3mPct`, `trend12mPct`).
- **PPC budgeting:** estimate cost with `cpc`, `lowTopOfPageBid` and `highTopOfPageBid` before you launch a campaign.
- **Keyword list prioritization:** enrich a list from another tool or a spreadsheet and sort by volume, competition and trend.

### Bring your own DataForSEO key

This Actor sends your keywords to the DataForSEO Keywords Data API (Google Ads search volume) with **your** API login and
API password, so the data usage is billed by DataForSEO to your own account. You pay this Actor only the prices above.
Find the credentials in your DataForSEO dashboard under **API Access**.

- Your login and password are used only for this run. They are never stored by us, never written to the log, the
  dataset or the key-value store, and are masked in error messages. The input fields are marked secret.
- Wrong credentials fail the run with a clear message and nothing is charged.
- You use DataForSEO under **your own agreement with DataForSEO** (you accept their terms directly and are responsible for your account).
  DataForSEO is not available in some countries and regions (for example Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Syria, Myanmar, North Korea and occupied territories such as Crimea) — see the DataForSEO terms.
- Duplicate keywords in your input (ignoring case and extra spaces) are removed before sending, so you never pay DataForSEO twice for the same keyword in one run.

### Input

```json
{ "keywords": ["keyword research", "seo tools"], "location": "2840", "language": "en", "includeMonthly": true,
  "dataforseoLogin": "you@example.com", "dataforseoPassword": "your-api-password" }
```

- `keywords`: up to 10,000 per run (trimmed, de-duplicated ignoring case; optional `lowercaseKeywords`). Sent in tasks of up to 1,000.
- `location`: DataForSEO location code (2840 United States, 2826 United Kingdom, 2392 Japan) or a name such as "United States". Default 2840.
- `language`: language code, default `en`.
- `includeMonthly`: include the monthly series (default true).

### Output

One row per keyword (illustrative values, not real data):

```json
{ "keyword": "keyword research", "location": 2840, "language": "en", "searchVolume": 14800, "cpc": 5.21,
  "competition": "HIGH", "competitionIndex": 91, "lowTopOfPageBid": 2.1, "highTopOfPageBid": 9.8,
  "monthlySearches": [{"year": 2026, "month": 9, "searchVolume": 15400}, "..."],
  "trend3mPct": 4.2, "trend12mPct": 11.8, "dataAvailable": true, "error": null }
```

`trend3mPct` compares the average of the newest 3 months with the 3 months before; `trend12mPct` compares the newest 3
months with the oldest 3 of the newest 12 months. Both are `null` when there is not enough history.

### Cost record

Each run saves a `COST` record (number of DataForSEO tasks and the estimated DataForSEO cost) in its key-value store, so you can check what the run used on your DataForSEO account.

### Charging and limits

- `keyword-batch` ($0.02) is charged once per DataForSEO lookup task (each started chunk of up to 1,000 keywords), only after that task succeeded.
- `keyword` ($0.001) is charged only for rows where search volume data was returned. Rows without data (`dataAvailable: false`) are written but not charged.
- Your maximum charge per run is respected: no lookup is sent that the remaining budget cannot pay for.
- Free demo (no keywords and no credentials): a fixed sample table marked `_demo: true`, "sample data, not real volumes". DataForSEO is not called.
- Keywords given without credentials fail the run, no charge. Google Ads data has no values for some sensitive categories; such keywords come back without data.

### More tools from the same developer

- [SERP Keyword Clustering](https://apify.com/ucchiii/serp-keyword-clustering) — group keywords by shared search results
- [SERP Analyzer](https://apify.com/ucchiii/serp-dataset-analyzer) — rankings, share of voice and People Also Ask from Google Search scraper datasets
- [Google Sheets Export](https://apify.com/ucchiii/google-sheets-export) — export an Apify dataset to Google Sheets
- [Sitemap URL Extractor](https://apify.com/ucchiii/sitemap-urls) — list every URL of a website from its sitemaps

# Actor input Schema

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Keywords to look up, up to 10,000 per run (sent to DataForSEO in tasks of 1,000). Duplicates and blank lines are removed. Leave empty together with empty credentials for a free demo with sample data (not real volumes).

## `location` (type: `string`):

Country or region as a DataForSEO location code (2840 = United States, 2826 = United Kingdom, 2392 = Japan) or a location name such as United States.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Language code, for example en, ja, de, fr, es (default en).

## `includeMonthly` (type: `boolean`):

Add the monthly search volumes (newest first) to every row. Trend columns are computed either way.

## `lowercaseKeywords` (type: `boolean`):

Convert keywords to lowercase before the lookup. Off by default; duplicates are removed ignoring case in both modes.

## `dataforseoLogin` (type: `string`):

Your DataForSEO API login (usually your account email). Find it in the DataForSEO dashboard under API Access (app.dataforseo.com/api-access). Used only for this run: it is sent to DataForSEO to authenticate, never stored by us and never written to logs or output. Required for real results; leave empty for a free demo (not charged).

## `dataforseoPassword` (type: `string`):

Your DataForSEO API password (the API password from the same API Access page, not your website login password). Used only for this run: it is sent to DataForSEO to authenticate, never stored by us and never written to logs or output. Required for real results; leave empty for a free demo (not charged).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "location": "2840",
  "language": "en",
  "includeMonthly": true,
  "lowercaseKeywords": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One item per keyword: searchVolume, cpc, competition, competitionIndex, lowTopOfPageBid, highTopOfPageBid, trend3mPct, trend12mPct, monthlySearches, dataAvailable, error.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Record SUMMARY: keywords sent, keywords with data and any errors (a COST record has the estimated DataForSEO cost).

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("ucchiii/keyword-search-volume").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("ucchiii/keyword-search-volume").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call ucchiii/keyword-search-volume --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,ucchiii/keyword-search-volume"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/lcoUuswGbYydxGOdP/builds/efazAfGS0iWICQ2BX/openapi.json