paperclip

Paperclip is an MCP server that exposes access to research paper metadata and full texts from multiple providers, including ArXiv, OSF, and OpenAlex. The server is designed to be self-hosted and connectable by MCP clients (such as Cursor IDE or Langdock) through an MCP endpoint. To use it, run the server on your own infrastructure and point your MCP client to the server URL (for example, https://your-domain/mcp). In your client configuration, reference the server under mcpServers with the URL format provided in the Quick Start example. Once connected, you can search across the supported providers, retrieve metadata, and fetch papers as supported by the MCP protocol implementation. The Paperclip server consolidates multiple preprint and open-access sources, enabling unified search and retrieval workflows for researchers and developers integrating paper data into their tools.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (recommended LTS, v14+)
• Git
• Access to a host with internet to install dependencies

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/matsjfunke/paperclip.git cd paperclip

2. Install dependencies: npm install

3. Configure environment (at minimum):

   • Ensure your MCP server URL is available to clients. You can set MCP_SERVER_URL at runtime or via a .env file. Example (Unix): export MCP_SERVER_URL="https://<your-server-domain.com>/mcp"

4. Run the server: node server.js

5. Verify the server is running by checking the health/ping endpoint or logs, and then update your MCP client with the provided URL from the Quick Start section.

Optional: If you prefer Docker, you would build/run according to the repository's docker/docker-compose configuration if available in the repo, or adapt the following as needed: docker run -d --name paperclip -e MCP_SERVER_URL="https://<your-server-domain.com>/mcp" -p 80:80 paperclip-image

Tips and considerations:

• Since Paperclip aggregates multiple providers, response times may vary depending on the provider and query. Consider implementing client-side rate limiting and pagination where supported.
• Keep your MCP_SERVER_URL accessible from the clients you're using. If you’re behind a firewall or behind a reverse proxy, ensure proper TLS termination and domain routing.
• Review the providers list in the README to understand which sources are currently supported. Some providers may require API keys or have usage policies; configure credentials if needed.
• If you encounter issues, check server logs for errors related to provider connections, and ensure dependencies are installed with compatible versions.
• For deployment, consider setting up a process manager (e.g., pm2) and configuring a secure, persistent environment (TLS certificates, firewall rules, automatic restarts).
• The Quick Start example shows how clients reference the server via URL; you can adjust the mcpServers.n paperclip.url in your client config to match your deployment.