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DataForSEO Integration with SmythOS

Need enterprise-grade, real-time search data? Connect DataForSEO to SmythOS and empower your agents to fetch live SERP data from Google, YouTube, and more, without managing proxies.

TL;DR

Securely link your DataForSEO account to SmythOS using Base64-encoded API credentials. Then, use our suite of "Live SERP" components to retrieve real-time search results for any keyword, location, and language.

List of DataForSEO Components

Quickly compare DataForSEO components by what they do and their key I/O. Click any component name to jump directly to its detailed guide.

ComponentActionWhat it DoesInputsKey OutputsUse Case
Live Google SERP RegularReadFetches standard live Google web search results.required keyword
optional location_name
result, items_countBasic keyword rank tracking.
Live Google SERP AdvancedReadFetches detailed live Google web search results, including rich SERP features.required keyword
optional location_name
result, items_countIn-depth competitor SERP analysis.
Live Google News AdvancedReadFetches live search results from Google News.required keyword
optional location_name
result, items_countMonitor brand mentions and news trends.
Live Google ImagesReadFetches live search results from Google Images.required keyword
optional location_name
result, items_countTrack visual brand assets or product images.
Live YouTube SERP AdvancedReadFetches live search results from YouTube.required keyword
optional location_name
result, items_countAnalyze video rankings and competitor strategies.
INFO
Why Integrate DataForSEO with Your Agent?

DataForSEO provides a robust and reliable way to access search engine data at scale. By integrating it with SmythOS, you can build sophisticated, automated SEO and marketing intelligence systems.

  • Real-Time Rank Tracking: Create agents that run on a schedule to check your website's live rankings for crucial keywords across different locations and languages.
  • Deep Competitor Analysis: Automatically pull SERP data for your competitors' target keywords to analyze the SERP features they own, the content they rank with, and the questions they answer.
  • Content and Market Research: Gather live data from Google, News, and YouTube to understand user intent, identify content gaps, and monitor industry trends as they happen.
  • Automated Data Pipelines: Feed real-time SERP data directly into other systems. Populate Google Sheets with ranking data, send newsworthy mentions to Slack, or use search results to fuel AI content generation workflows.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please ensure you have the following:

  • An active SmythOS account. (Sign up here).
  • A DataForSEO account.
  • Your DataForSEO API login and password (API key).

Getting Started With DataForSEO

Authentication for DataForSEO uses your API login and password, combined and encoded in Base64 format.

Step 1: Get Your DataForSEO API Credentials

  1. Log in to your DataForSEO Dashboard.
  2. Your API credentials (login and password) are displayed on this page. Copy both of them.

Step 2: Encode Your Credentials in Base64

The API requires your credentials to be in the format login:password and then Base64 encoded.

  1. Combine your credentials into a single string with a colon in between. For example: my_email@example.com:your_password.
  2. Use an online tool or a local script to Base64 encode this string. The example my_email@example.com:your_password would become something like bXlfZW1haWxAZXhhbXBsZS5jb206eW91cl9wYXNzd29yZA==.
  3. Copy the resulting Base64 encoded string.

Step 3: Store Your Encoded Key in SmythOS Vault

Your encoded key is a sensitive credential. Use the SmythOS Vault to store it securely.

  1. In your SmythOS dashboard, navigate to the Vault.
  2. Create a new secret and paste your Base64 encoded string as the value. Give it a memorable name, like dataforseo_base64_key.
  3. For more details, see the Vault Documentation.

Step 4: Configure a DataForSEO Component

  1. In your SmythOS agent graph, drag and drop any DataForSEO component.
  2. Click the component to open its Settings panel.
  3. In the Base64 Encoded Login and Password field, select the secret you saved in the Vault (e.g., dataforseo_base64_key).
  4. Your connection is now configured for that component.
Heads-up
You must add the Base64 encoded key from the Vault to each DataForSEO component you use. This ensures all connections are secure.

Which DataForSEO Component Should I Use?

If you need to…Target PlatformUse this ComponentWhy this one?
Check standard web rankingsGoogle SearchLive Google SERP RegularFast and efficient for basic organic position tracking.
Analyze all SERP features (e.g., Knowledge Panel)Google SearchLive Google SERP AdvancedProvides a richer, more detailed snapshot of the entire SERP.
Monitor brand mentions in the newsGoogle NewsLive Google News AdvancedSpecifically targets news articles for PR and brand tracking.
See what images rank for a queryGoogle ImagesLive Google ImagesEssential for visual branding and e-commerce product analysis.
Research video competitor strategyYouTubeLive YouTube SERP AdvancedFetches video results to analyze titles, thumbnails, and rankings.

Component Details

This section provides detailed information for each DataForSEO component.

Live Google SERP Regular

Fetches live, standard organic search results from Google for a given keyword.

INFO
This component requires Base64 encoded credentials, as detailed in the Getting Started section.

Inputs

FieldRequiredNotes
keywordrequiredThe keyword or phrase to search for.
location_nameoptionalGeographic location for the search (e.g., United Kingdom). Default: United States.
language_nameoptionalLanguage for the search results (e.g., German). Default: English.

Outputs

FieldDescription
resultAn array of objects containing the SERP items, primarily organic results.
items_countThe total number of items returned in the result array.
responseThe full raw JSON response from the DataForSEO API.
headersHTTP headers from the API response.
Use Case

Build a simple, automated rank tracker that checks your top 10 keywords every week and logs the positions to a Google Sheet.

{
"component": "dataforseo.liveGoogleSerpRegular",
"keyword": "no-code automation platform",
"location_name": "Canada"
}
API Costs

Every API call consumes credits from your DataForSEO account. Use precise keywords and locations to manage costs effectively.

Live Google SERP Advanced

Fetches a detailed snapshot of the live Google SERP, including rich features like knowledge panels, "people also ask", and more.

INFO
This component requires Base64 encoded credentials, as detailed in the Getting Started section.

Inputs

FieldRequiredNotes
keywordrequiredThe keyword or phrase to search for.
location_nameoptionalGeographic location for the search. Default: United States.
language_nameoptionalLanguage for the search results. Default: English.

Outputs

FieldDescription
resultAn array of objects containing all SERP items, including organic, paid, and rich features.
items_countThe total number of items returned in the result array.
responseThe full raw JSON response from the DataForSEO API.
headersHTTP headers from the API response.
Use Case

Perform in-depth competitive analysis by checking not just who ranks, but also which rich SERP features they have captured for a high-value keyword.

{
"component": "dataforseo.liveGoogleSerpAdvanced",
"keyword": "what is an llm agent",
"location_name": "United Kingdom"
}
Data Complexity

The result from the advanced endpoint is more complex. You will need to parse the array and check the type of each item (e.g., organic, knowledge_graph) to extract the data you need.

Live Google News Advanced

Fetches live search results specifically from the Google News tab.

INFO
This component requires Base64 encoded credentials, as detailed in the Getting Started section.

Inputs

FieldRequiredNotes
keywordrequiredThe topic or brand name to search for in Google News.
location_nameoptionalGeographic location to target news sources. Default: United States.
language_nameoptionalLanguage of the news articles. Default: English.

Outputs

FieldDescription
resultAn array of objects, each representing a news article found in the search results.
items_countThe total number of news articles returned.
responseThe full raw JSON response from the DataForSEO API.
headersHTTP headers from the API response.
Use Case

Set up a media monitoring agent that searches for your brand name daily and sends an alert to Slack if new articles are found.

{
"component": "dataforseo.liveGoogleNewsAdvanced",
"keyword": "SmythOS funding",
"location_name": "United States"
}
Source Diversity

The results will include a wide range of news sources. You may want to filter the result array by source to focus on top-tier publications.

Live Google Images

Fetches live image search results from the Google Images tab.

INFO
This component requires Base64 encoded credentials, as detailed in the Getting Started section.

Inputs

FieldRequiredNotes
keywordrequiredThe search term for the images.
location_nameoptionalGeographic location for the search. Default: United States.
language_nameoptionalLanguage for the search results. Default: English.

Outputs

FieldDescription
resultAn array of objects, each representing an image result with its URL, source, and title.
items_countThe total number of images returned.
responseThe full raw JSON response from the DataForSEO API.
headersHTTP headers from the API response.
Use Case

Monitor for unauthorized use of your brand's logo or product images, or analyze what kind of images rank for your target keywords.

{
"component": "dataforseo.liveGoogleImages",
"keyword": "SmythOS logo",
"location_name": "United States"
}
Content Warning

Image search results can be unpredictable. Be aware that queries may return irrelevant or unexpected visual content.

Live YouTube SERP Advanced

Fetches live search results from YouTube for a given keyword.

INFO
This component requires Base64 encoded credentials, as detailed in the Getting Started section.

Inputs

FieldRequiredNotes
keywordrequiredThe keyword or phrase to search for on YouTube.
location_nameoptionalGeographic location for tailoring search results. Default: United States.
language_nameoptionalLanguage for the search results. Default: English.

Outputs

FieldDescription
resultAn array of objects, each representing a video result with its title, channel, and description.
items_countThe total number of videos returned.
responseThe full raw JSON response from the DataForSEO API.
headersHTTP headers from the API response.
Use Case

Analyze your competitors' video SEO strategy by tracking their rankings for key terms on YouTube.

{
"component": "dataforseo.liveYouTubeSerpAdvanced",
"keyword": "how to build an agent",
"location_name": "United States"
}
Data Richness

The result object for YouTube SERP is very detailed, containing information on video duration, timestamps, channel details, and more. Be sure to explore the full response.

Best Practices & Advanced Tips

  • Secure Your Credentials: Your DataForSEO login and password are the keys to your account. Always Base64 encode them and store the result securely in the SmythOS Vault.
  • Manage API Costs: DataForSEO operates on a pay-per-use model. Be mindful of how frequently your agents run and how many results they request to manage your budget.
  • Use Location and Language: For accurate, targeted results, always specify the location_name and language_name. The defaults may not be suitable for your audience.
  • Parse the result Array: The data you need is inside the result array in the output. You will need to loop through this array and check the type of each item (e.g., organic, video, news_result) to process the data correctly.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Error: 401 Unauthorized

    • Cause: The Base64 encoded credential string is incorrect, or your DataForSEO account has an issue.
    • Solution: Carefully re-encode your login:password string, ensuring there are no extra spaces. Verify your credentials are correct and your account is active in the DataForSEO dashboard.
  • Error: 402 Payment Required / Insufficient funds

    • Cause: Your DataForSEO account balance is too low to cover the cost of the API call.
    • Solution: Log in to your DataForSEO account and add funds to your balance.
  • Empty result Array

    • Cause: The query genuinely returned no results for the specified parameters.
    • Solution: Test the keyword, location, and language combination in your browser to confirm. Try a broader keyword or location to ensure the API connection is working.

What's Next?

You are now ready to harness real-time search data with the SmythOS DataForSEO Integration!

Consider these ideas:

  • Build an Agent That...

    • Tracks a list of 20 keywords daily across 3 different countries, and logs the top-ranking URL for each into a centralized Google Sheet.
    • Monitors Google News for your company's name. If a new article appears, use an AI component to summarize it and post the summary and link to a dedicated Slack channel.
    • Analyzes the YouTube SERP for a "how-to" keyword, identifies the top 5 ranking videos, and extracts their titles and channels for competitive research.
  • Explore Other Integrations: Combine DataForSEO with other SmythOS connectors. Send SERP data to Google Sheets for analysis, use it to trigger Gmail alerts, or pass URLs you find to the Ahrefs Integration to check their backlink profiles.