OpenSEO Documentation: Where to Find Complete Guides and API References

OpenSEO's complete documentation is available in the every-app/open-seo repository and at the official website openseo.so/docs, covering self-hosting guides, API configuration, and development workflows.

The open-seo documentation is structured across multiple locations within the repository to serve different use cases, from quick-start deployment to detailed contributor guidelines. This guide maps every documentation resource available for the OpenSEO project, an open-source SEO platform that provides MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers and agent skills for technical SEO workflows.

Repository Documentation Structure

The every-app/open-seo repository organizes documentation into two primary locations: the root-level README.md for immediate orientation and the docs/ folder for comprehensive technical references.

Project Overview and Quick Start

Start with README.md at the repository root for a high-level project description, hosted version availability, and main SEO workflow explanations. This file includes cost information and serves as the entry point to deeper documentation resources.

Technical Reference Guides

The docs/ folder contains specialized markdown files for specific deployment scenarios and development tasks:

• docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md – Containerized deployment instructions
• docs/SELF_HOSTING_CLOUDFLARE.md – Edge computing deployment on Cloudflare Workers
• docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md – API authentication setup
• docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md – Development environment configuration
• docs/CONTRIBUTING.md – Code style, testing, and PR workflows

Self-Hosting Documentation

OpenSEO provides platform-specific guides for running your own instance, whether through containerization or serverless edge deployment.

Docker Deployment Guide

For container-based self-hosting, reference docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md in the repository. This guide covers prerequisites, environment variable configuration via .env files, telemetry control settings, image pinning strategies, and troubleshooting steps.

Start a Docker-based instance using the standard compose workflow:

# Copy the example environment file and start the container

cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

See the full step-by-step guide in docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md.

Cloudflare Workers Deployment

For serverless deployment on Cloudflare's edge network, consult docs/SELF_HOSTING_CLOUDFLARE.md. This documentation explains Cloudflare Access configuration, KV bindings setup, and deployment commands required to run OpenSEO on Cloudflare Workers.

Development and API Configuration

Setting up a local development environment or configuring external APIs requires specific documentation files that detail environment setup and credential management.

Local Development Environment

The docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md file provides instructions for installing dependencies, running the Vite development server, and using the MCP server locally. This guide assumes a Node.js environment with pnpm as the package manager.

Run the development server locally:

pnpm install          # install dependencies

pnpm dev              # start Vite dev server (http://localhost:5173)

Refer to docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md for additional setup steps, including DataForSEO API key configuration.

DataForSEO API Key Configuration

Before running OpenSEO, you must configure the DataForSEO API authentication documented in docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md. This file specifies the format for the Base64-encoded email:password string and explains where to place this credential in your environment variables.

External Documentation Resources

Beyond the repository files, OpenSEO maintains a hosted documentation site at https://openseo.so/docs. This external resource provides searchable end-user documentation, API reference materials, and example usage patterns for the MCP and agent skills. The website offers a more navigable interface compared to the markdown files while containing the same technical accuracy.

When referencing implementation details, the source files in the main branch remain the authoritative source via GitHub blob URLs, ensuring you can view the exact version-controlled documentation.

Summary

• Primary documentation resides in the every-app/open-seo repository, split between README.md (overview) and the docs/ folder (technical details).
• Self-hosting options include Docker (docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md) and Cloudflare Workers (docs/SELF_HOSTING_CLOUDFLARE.md).
• Development setup requires docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md for environment configuration and docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md for API authentication.
• Contributing guidelines are documented in docs/CONTRIBUTING.md, covering code style and PR workflows.
• Hosted version of the documentation is available at https://openseo.so/docs for easier browsing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the OpenSEO documentation hosted?

OpenSEO maintains documentation in two locations: the GitHub repository every-app/open-seo contains markdown files in README.md and the docs/ folder, while https://openseo.so/docs provides a searchable, hosted version of the same content. The repository version represents the source of truth that is version-controlled in the main branch.

How do I set up OpenSEO for local development?

Clone the repository and follow docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md, which instructs you to run pnpm install followed by pnpm dev to start the Vite development server on http://localhost:5173. You will also need to configure your DataForSEO API key according to docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md before the application can access SEO data.

What files do I need to read for self-hosting OpenSEO?

For Docker deployment, read docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md for container setup, environment configuration, and troubleshooting. For Cloudflare Workers deployment, consult docs/SELF_HOSTING_CLOUDFLARE.md for KV bindings and edge deployment instructions. Both files assume you have already configured your DataForSEO credentials using the guide in docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md.

How do I configure the DataForSEO API key?

Create a Base64-encoded string of your email:password credentials and place it in your environment variables as specified in docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md. This file explains the exact format required and where the environment variable should be set for both local development and production deployments.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}