A **streamlined** Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for author disambiguation and academic research using the OpenAlex.org API. Specifically
Most developer tooling work still happens through a UI a human drives. Alex MCP MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. A streamlined Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for author disambiguation and academic research using the OpenAlex.org API. Specifically designed for AI agents with optimized data structures and enhanced functionality.
The server publishes 2 tools. What each one is for:
Prerequisites — The Prerequisites tool exposed by this serverInstallation — For detailed installation instructions, see INSTALL.mdSetup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.
Configuration is passed through the environment: OPENALEX_MAILTO, OPENALEX_MAX_AUTHORS, OPENALEX_USER_AGENT, ALEX_MCP_VERSION, OPENALEX_RATE_PER_SEC, OPENALEX_RATE_PER_DAY. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.
This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Alex MCP's toolset — Prerequisites, Installation — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by drAbreu; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.
We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites | The Prerequisites tool exposed by this server. |
| Installation | For detailed installation instructions, see [INSTALL.md](INSTALL.md). |
{
"mcpServers": {
"alex-mcp": {
"command": "/path/to/alex-mcp/run_alex_mcp.sh",
"env": {
"OPENALEX_MAILTO": "your-email@domain.com"
}
}
}
}Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.
| Variable | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| OPENALEX_MAILTO | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| OPENALEX_MAX_AUTHORS | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| OPENALEX_USER_AGENT | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| ALEX_MCP_VERSION | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| OPENALEX_RATE_PER_SEC | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| OPENALEX_RATE_PER_DAY | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
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