Vibecode Semrush
track this build5 steps, step by step0%You can build small audits and rank trackers, but Semrush's moat is massive keyword, competitor, backlink, PPC, and SERP datasets plus integrations and reports.
You are building a lean indie version of Semrush. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Semrush indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Semrush workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Crawl a site, track selected keywords with an API, collect Google Search Console data, and generate reports. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - keyword database - competitor intelligence - backlink/PPC data - AI visibility data - reports - integrations - data freshness If those capabilities are essential, use SEO Macroscope instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a rank-and-health tracker for sites I own, covering the self-collectable slice of Semrush. Requirements: - A Node CLI on a nightly cron: better-sqlite3 for history, and a static HTML report regenerated each run. - Track 20-50 chosen keywords through a SERP API (Serper or DataForSEO, key in .env); store position per keyword per day and draw movement sparklines in the report. - Pull clicks, impressions, and average position per query from the Google Search Console API for my own properties (OAuth creds in .env). - A technical crawl of my own site with crawlee: broken links, missing titles and descriptions, redirect chains, slow pages, as a table in the report. - Email the report weekly via Resend (key in .env), but only when something moved: a position swing over 3 places or new 404s. - No accounts, no telemetry; all history lives in one SQLite file. - Out of scope: competitor keyword gaps, backlink databases, and traffic estimates for sites I do not own. Do not scrape or estimate third-party data. - README: the cheapest SERP API tier for daily checks, the GSC OAuth steps, and a note that Semrush's moat is years of crawled keyword, backlink, and SERP data no solo build can collect; this tracks only what I own. ## Required capabilities - crawler - search APIs - GSC/GA integrations - database - rank tracking infrastructure - reporting UI ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Semrush. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Semrush indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Semrush workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Crawl a site, track selected keywords with an API, collect Google Search Console data, and generate reports. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - keyword database - competitor intelligence - backlink/PPC data - AI visibility data - reports - integrations - data freshness If those capabilities are essential, use SEO Macroscope instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a rank-and-health tracker for sites I own, covering the self-collectable slice of Semrush. Requirements: - A Node CLI on a nightly cron: better-sqlite3 for history, and a static HTML report regenerated each run. - Track 20-50 chosen keywords through a SERP API (Serper or DataForSEO, key in .env); store position per keyword per day and draw movement sparklines in the report. - Pull clicks, impressions, and average position per query from the Google Search Console API for my own properties (OAuth creds in .env). - A technical crawl of my own site with crawlee: broken links, missing titles and descriptions, redirect chains, slow pages, as a table in the report. - Email the report weekly via Resend (key in .env), but only when something moved: a position swing over 3 places or new 404s. - No accounts, no telemetry; all history lives in one SQLite file. - Out of scope: competitor keyword gaps, backlink databases, and traffic estimates for sites I do not own. Do not scrape or estimate third-party data. - README: the cheapest SERP API tier for daily checks, the GSC OAuth steps, and a note that Semrush's moat is years of crawled keyword, backlink, and SERP data no solo build can collect; this tracks only what I own. ## Required capabilities - crawler - search APIs - GSC/GA integrations - database - rank tracking infrastructure - reporting UI ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Semrush. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Semrush product brief ## Problem You can build small audits and rank trackers, but Semrush's moat is massive keyword, competitor, backlink, PPC, and SERP datasets plus integrations and reports. ## Product outcome Crawl a site, track selected keywords with an API, collect Google Search Console data, and generate reports. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - crawler - search APIs - GSC/GA integrations - database - rank tracking infrastructure - reporting UI ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - keyword database - competitor intelligence - backlink/PPC data - AI visibility data - reports - integrations - data freshness ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a rank-and-health tracker for sites I own, covering the self-collectable slice of Semrush. Requirements: - A Node CLI on a nightly cron: better-sqlite3 for history, and a static HTML report regenerated each run. - Track 20-50 chosen keywords through a SERP API (Serper or DataForSEO, key in .env); store position per keyword per day and draw movement sparklines in the report. - Pull clicks, impressions, and average position per query from the Google Search Console API for my own properties (OAuth creds in .env). - A technical crawl of my own site with crawlee: broken links, missing titles and descriptions, redirect chains, slow pages, as a table in the report. - Email the report weekly via Resend (key in .env), but only when something moved: a position swing over 3 places or new 404s. - No accounts, no telemetry; all history lives in one SQLite file. - Out of scope: competitor keyword gaps, backlink databases, and traffic estimates for sites I do not own. Do not scrape or estimate third-party data. - README: the cheapest SERP API tier for daily checks, the GSC OAuth steps, and a note that Semrush's moat is years of crawled keyword, backlink, and SERP data no solo build can collect; this tracks only what I own. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Semrush capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Semrush indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Semrush workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Crawl a site, track selected keywords with an API, collect Google Search Console data, and generate reports. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - keyword database - competitor intelligence - backlink/PPC data - AI visibility data - reports - integrations - data freshness If those capabilities are essential, use SEO Macroscope instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a rank-and-health tracker for sites I own, covering the self-collectable slice of Semrush. Requirements: - A Node CLI on a nightly cron: better-sqlite3 for history, and a static HTML report regenerated each run. - Track 20-50 chosen keywords through a SERP API (Serper or DataForSEO, key in .env); store position per keyword per day and draw movement sparklines in the report. - Pull clicks, impressions, and average position per query from the Google Search Console API for my own properties (OAuth creds in .env). - A technical crawl of my own site with crawlee: broken links, missing titles and descriptions, redirect chains, slow pages, as a table in the report. - Email the report weekly via Resend (key in .env), but only when something moved: a position swing over 3 places or new 404s. - No accounts, no telemetry; all history lives in one SQLite file. - Out of scope: competitor keyword gaps, backlink databases, and traffic estimates for sites I do not own. Do not scrape or estimate third-party data. - README: the cheapest SERP API tier for daily checks, the GSC OAuth steps, and a note that Semrush's moat is years of crawled keyword, backlink, and SERP data no solo build can collect; this tracks only what I own. ## Required capabilities - crawler - search APIs - GSC/GA integrations - database - rank tracking infrastructure - reporting UI ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Semrush product brief ## Problem You can build small audits and rank trackers, but Semrush's moat is massive keyword, competitor, backlink, PPC, and SERP datasets plus integrations and reports. ## Product outcome Crawl a site, track selected keywords with an API, collect Google Search Console data, and generate reports. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - crawler - search APIs - GSC/GA integrations - database - rank tracking infrastructure - reporting UI ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - keyword database - competitor intelligence - backlink/PPC data - AI visibility data - reports - integrations - data freshness ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a rank-and-health tracker for sites I own, covering the self-collectable slice of Semrush. Requirements: - A Node CLI on a nightly cron: better-sqlite3 for history, and a static HTML report regenerated each run. - Track 20-50 chosen keywords through a SERP API (Serper or DataForSEO, key in .env); store position per keyword per day and draw movement sparklines in the report. - Pull clicks, impressions, and average position per query from the Google Search Console API for my own properties (OAuth creds in .env). - A technical crawl of my own site with crawlee: broken links, missing titles and descriptions, redirect chains, slow pages, as a table in the report. - Email the report weekly via Resend (key in .env), but only when something moved: a position swing over 3 places or new 404s. - No accounts, no telemetry; all history lives in one SQLite file. - Out of scope: competitor keyword gaps, backlink databases, and traffic estimates for sites I do not own. Do not scrape or estimate third-party data. - README: the cheapest SERP API tier for daily checks, the GSC OAuth steps, and a note that Semrush's moat is years of crawled keyword, backlink, and SERP data no solo build can collect; this tracks only what I own. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Semrush capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay for market data and competitive intelligence that a solo builder cannot cheaply recreate.
xkeyword database
xcompetitor intelligence
xbacklink/PPC data
xAI visibility data
xreports
xintegrations
xdata freshness
Semrush pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| seo | $139/workspace | $117.33/workspace | 5 projects/sites; 500 tracked keywords. |
| starter | $199/workspace | $165.17/workspace | 5 projects/sites; 500 tracked keywords; 50 daily AI prompts; 1 AI brand domain; 300 AI-visibility reports/day. |
| pro+ | $299/workspace | $248.17/workspace | 15 projects/sites; 1,500 tracked keywords; 100 daily AI prompts. |
| advanced | $549/workspace | $455.67/workspace | 40 projects/sites; 5,000 tracked keywords; 200 daily AI prompts; API access. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom projects, keyword volume, AI prompts, users, data access, API capacity, and support. |
free tier10 requests/day with 10 results/report; 1 Site Audit project up to 100 pages/month; 1 Base PDF report; no historical data
billingmonthly + annual (annual saves up to 17%)
hidden costsExtra users start at $45/month; Lead Generation is $90/month; Base Reports are $10 each and Pro Reports $20 each. Standalone AI Visibility starts at $99/domain/month on annual billing, with extra domains, prompts, and seats charged separately.
verified 2026-08-14 · source ↗
Vibecode Semrush
Not really. Semrush's value is not the code: . See the honest breakdown above.
How much does Semrush cost?
Semrush costs about $139/month (SEO, checked 2026-08-14), which is $1668 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Semrush?
Honestly: keyword database; competitor intelligence; backlink/PPC data; AI visibility data; reports; integrations; data freshness. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Semrush?
Yes: SEO Macroscope (Open-source technical SEO crawler; useful only for a narrow slice of Semrush.). Using prior art is also vibecoding; the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.