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Doiget

Fetches open-access papers from DOI or arXiv identifiers as local PDFs with metadata through a stdio MCP server.

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Install Doiget

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "doiget-2": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "doiget-cli"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

We couldn’t confirm it starts correctly

We ran the install command but it didn't respond within our test window — this can mean a slow first-time install rather than a real problem.

npx -y doiget-cli

Process exited before answering initialize.

This is an experimental automated check and can have false negatives — missing environment variables, a slow cold install, etc. It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong. Last checked 7d ago.

Overview

The doiget MCP server accepts DOI and arXiv identifiers and retrieves papers as local PDFs with metadata through official, open-access APIs. It runs as a single-binary stdio MCP server and can be launched with the doiget CLI or npx. Reach for it when an agent needs to locate and download legally available research papers rather than bypass access controls. Optional personally configured subscription credentials are supported only where enabled by the build.

Use cases

  • Fetch an open-access paper from a DOI
  • Download an arXiv paper to local storage
  • Collect paper metadata for an agent workflow
  • Expand research tasks through citation relationships

Key features

  • DOI and arXiv identifier resolution
  • Local PDF retrieval
  • Bibliographic metadata access
  • Crossref, Unpaywall, and arXiv sources
  • Stdio MCP server
  • Citation-graph expansion

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked Today

Recent health check succeeded.

9/9 checks healthy over the last 51d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 15d ago via OSV.dev · doiget-cli (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars2Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads240Package downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit3d agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Install checkInconclusiveDidn't respond in our test window — often a slow first install.
Directory activity2 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How Doiget works

What the doiget MCP server does

The doiget MCP server connects agent workflows to paper-retrieval services for DOI and arXiv identifiers. It resolves those identifiers, checks official open-access sources, and writes available papers as local PDF files alongside metadata. The project is distributed as a single binary that can operate as either a command-line program or a stdio MCP server.

Its retrieval model is open-access first. The documented sources include Crossref, Unpaywall, and arXiv. The project also implements citation-graph expansion and gated text-and-data-mining sources, although access to those paths depends on the relevant configuration and source requirements.

How it works

An MCP host starts the binary and communicates with it over standard input and output. An agent can then provide a DOI or arXiv ID for retrieval through the server interface. doiget consults official APIs and returns or records the resulting local file and metadata rather than acting as a content-hosting service.

The project supports two access modes: public open-access retrieval by default, and credentials that a user has personally configured for institutional or personal subscriptions when the corresponding capability is enabled at compile time. It does not attempt to defeat authentication, evade paywalls, redistribute papers, or provide a hosted SaaS endpoint.

Setup and configuration

Install a prebuilt release binary with the shell installer on Linux or macOS, the PowerShell installer on Windows, Homebrew, or a platform package. The project also documents cargo install doiget-cli, which builds the doiget binary from source, and npx -y doiget-cli serve for starting the MCP server without a separate installation step.

For Claude Code, the repository provides a plugin whose MCP configuration launches the npm package. The README also identifies Claude Desktop as an installation target through a .mcpb extension. Installer settings include DOIGET_INSTALL_DIR for changing the shell installer destination and DOIGET_VERSION for selecting a release; neither is required for normal server operation.

Tools and capabilities

The doiget MCP server is suited to agent tasks that need to:

  • Resolve DOI and arXiv identifiers.
  • Retrieve legally available paper PDFs.
  • Obtain associated bibliographic metadata.
  • Expand through citation relationships.
  • Check the running installation through the documented health and capability commands.

The command-line interface includes doiget capabilities and doiget_health reporting for installation and version details. These reports can identify the active version, release channel, installation method, and the associated update command.

Limitations and notes

Retrieval depends on whether an official open-access copy is available through the supported sources. A DOI alone does not guarantee that a PDF can be downloaded. Users remain responsible for confirming that their access and requested use comply with source terms and applicable rights.

The doiget MCP server is local rather than hosted: it does not operate as a SaaS service or store a central paper collection. It also does not bundle publisher API keys. Subscription-based retrieval is opt-in and compile-time gated, so deployments should verify that the selected binary and configuration support the required source.

The Linux release is fully static and uses musl, which is intended to help it run on older glibc systems and HPC environments. Release binaries are checksum-verified, and the project states that it does not update itself automatically.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

Reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions about Doiget

doiget is an MCP server that connects AI agents to official open-access paper APIs, including Crossref, Unpaywall, and arXiv. Its main capabilities resolve DOI and arXiv identifiers, retrieve available papers as local PDFs, return metadata, and support citation-graph expansion through a local stdio process.

Install it with a prebuilt release, `npx -y doiget-cli serve`, Homebrew, or `cargo install doiget-cli`. The npm command starts the stdio MCP server without a separate install, while the Cargo option compiles the `doiget` binary and requires a C/C++ build toolchain.

Yes, doiget documents Claude Desktop support through a `.mcpb` extension. It also provides a Claude Code plugin whose MCP configuration runs `npx -y doiget-cli serve`, so Claude Code can fetch the package and matching platform binary on first use.

No, doiget does not bypass access controls or work around paywalls. It tries public open-access sources by default and can use personally configured institutional or personal subscription credentials only where the relevant capability is enabled at compile time.

doiget uses official open-access sources documented by the project, including Crossref, Unpaywall, and arXiv. Retrieval depends on source availability and access rights, so providing a DOI or arXiv ID does not guarantee that a local PDF exists.

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