OpenAlex MCP Server
About
An MCP server designed for academic literature research using the OpenAlex free API.
Details
- Author
- hbiaou
- Downloads
- 393
- Categories
- Other
Jump to
- Proxies queries to the OpenAlex API
- Single search endpoint (GET /search?q=…)
- Configurable port and base URL via .env
- Dockerfile included for production deployment
- CI/CD with GitHub Actions
Setting up with Highlight
This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:
- Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
- Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
-
Configure the plugin with the settings below
Plugin Name
OpenAlex MCP ServerCommand (node, npx, python, etc.)Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
- Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches
From the repository
Install dependencies with npm install, create a .env file with a PORT and OPENALEX_BASE_URL, then run npm start. The server listens on http://localhost:<PORT> and exposes a single endpoint GET /search?q=<term>.
Claude Desktop / Cursor
Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"openalex mcp server": {
"openalex-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"build",
"-t",
"openalex-mcp",
"."
]
}
}
}
}McpServers
{
"openalex-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"build",
"-t",
"openalex-mcp",
"."
]
}
}OpenAlex MCP Server
Node.js MCP server using Express and Axios to proxy queries to the OpenAlex API.
Author: Samadori H. Biaou <hbiaou@gmail.com>
License: MIT License
Prerequisites
- Node.js (>=14) - npmInstallation
npm install
Configuration
Create a.env file in the project root with the following content:
PORT=3000
OPENALEX_BASE_URL=https://api.openalex.org
Running the Server
npm start
API
GET /search
Query parameter: -q: search term
Example:
GET http://localhost:3000/search?q=machine%20learning
Production Deployment
Docker
A Dockerfile is provided for production deployment. - Build the Docker image: docker build -t openalex-mcp .
docker run -p 3000:3000 -d openalex-mcp
Environment Configuration
Ensure that production environment variables (e.g., PORT and OPENALEX_BASE_URL) are correctly set. For sensitive data, consider using a secrets manager.Scaling and Monitoring
- Scaling: Use container orchestrators like Docker Swarm or Kubernetes to scale horizontally based on load. - Monitoring: Integrate monitoring solutions (e.g., New Relic, Prometheus, or Grafana) to track server health and performance.Backup Procedures
Implement automated backup solutions for critical data and configuration files. Regularly back up container volumes and databases if applicable.Testing and CI/CD
A CI pipeline is configured using GitHub Actions to run unit and integration tests on every push and pull request.Sign in to leave a review
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