---
title: "Start a technical audit"
method: POST
path: "/v1/projects/{projectId}/audits"
tags: ["Audits"]
---

# Start a technical audit

`POST /v1/projects/{projectId}/audits`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://serp-agent.com`
- URL: `https://serp-agent.com/v1/projects/{projectId}/audits`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Enqueues an asynchronous technical SEO audit (a site crawl runs first when no usable crawl exists). Returns 202 with an `audit_id` to poll at GET /v1/audits/{audit_id}. If an audit is already queued/running for the project, that run is returned as-is (202, no duplicate job, no budget burn). Sandbox trial: 1 audit per key. Non-sandbox projects: included with an active subscription; without one, LIVE keys pay per unit from the prepaid credit balance (technical_audit = 25 credits — 402 `insufficient_credits` when the balance is short). Typical completion: a few minutes; poll every 30–60s.

## Path parameters

- `projectId` string, required

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string

## Response `202`

Audit queued (or an already-active run returned). Poll the `poll` path.

- AuditAccepted
  - `audit_id` string, required
  - `status` 'queued' | 'running', required: "running" when an already-active run was returned.
  - `poll` string, required: Path to poll: GET /v1/audits/{audit_id}.

## Other responses

- `401`: Missing, malformed, unknown, revoked, or expired API key. Codes: `unauthorized`, `key_revoked`, `key_expired`.
- `402`: Payment needed. `payment_required` (sandbox key, no subscription) or `insufficient_credits` (live key, no subscription, balance below 25 credits — body carries `required_credits`, `balance_credits`, `purchase`, `subscription_alternative`).
- `403`: Sandbox audit budget exhausted (1 per trial). Code: `sandbox_limit_reached`.
- `404`: No such project on this account. Code: `not_found`.
- `429`: Rate limit exceeded (600 requests/minute per API key). Honor `Retry-After`.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/serp-agent/apis/serp-agent-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/serp-agent/apis/serp-agent-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/serp-agent/apis/serp-agent-api/revisions/438a943019ac?raw)