Crossref
FreeNot checkedEnables searching and retrieving scholarly metadata from Crossref's public REST API, including works, journals, funders, and members, without requiring an API k
About
Enables searching and retrieving scholarly metadata from Crossref's public REST API, including works, journals, funders, and members, without requiring an API key.
README
Crossref REST API MCP server. Wraps the public Crossref REST API (works, journals, funders, members, types, licenses) — no API key required.
Table of contents
Tools
| Tool | Parameters | Description |
|---|---|---|
search_works |
query, filter, select, sort, order, rows=20, offset=0, cursor |
Search Crossref works (publications) |
get_work |
doi: str |
Full metadata for a single work by DOI |
get_work_agency |
doi: str |
Registration agency for a DOI |
list_journals |
query, rows=20, offset=0, cursor |
List or search journals |
get_journal |
issn: str |
Journal metadata by ISSN |
get_journal_works |
issn, query, filter, rows=20, offset=0, cursor |
Works published in a journal |
list_funders |
query, filter, rows=20, offset=0 |
List or search funding bodies |
get_funder |
funder_id: str |
Funder metadata by Funder Registry ID |
list_members |
query, filter, rows=20, offset=0 |
List or search Crossref members (publishers) |
list_types_and_licenses |
none | Available work types and licenses |
Environment variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
CROSSREF_MCP_MAILTO |
no | Email address for Crossref's "polite pool" — higher rate limits, faster responses |
Wiring it up
Only requirement: uv (https://docs.astral.sh/uv/). Nothing else to install.
Claude Code
claude mcp add crossref-mcp -- uvx --from git+https://github.com/dam2452/crossref-mcp.git crossref-mcp
With the polite pool email set:
claude mcp add crossref-mcp -e [email protected] -- uvx --from git+https://github.com/dam2452/crossref-mcp.git crossref-mcp
Claude Desktop / other MCP client
{
"mcpServers": {
"crossref-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["--from", "git+https://github.com/dam2452/crossref-mcp.git", "crossref-mcp"],
"env": { "CROSSREF_MCP_MAILTO": "[email protected]" }
}
}
}
After pushing a new version: uv cache clean and restart the client.
Local run
uv run --directory . crossref-mcp
Tests (manual):
uv run --directory . --with pytest pytest test/
Install Crossref in Claude Desktop, Claude Code & Cursor
unyly install crossref-mcpInstalls into Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor & VS Code — handles npx, uvx and build-from-source repos for you.
First time? Get the CLI: curl -fsSL https://unyly.org/install | sh
Or configure manually
Run in your terminal:
claude mcp add crossref-mcp -- uvx crossref-mcpFAQ
Is Crossref MCP free?
Yes, Crossref MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.
Does Crossref need an API key?
No, Crossref runs without API keys or environment variables.
Is Crossref hosted or self-hosted?
A hosted option is available: Unyly runs the server in the cloud, no local setup required.
How do I install Crossref in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?
Open Crossref on unyly.org, pick your client tab (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) and press Install — the config is generated automatically, no JSON editing.
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