Enrichr MCP Server

MCP Server for Enrichr gene set enrichment analysis with multi-library support

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Enrichr MCP server?

Enrichr becomes available to MCP clients through the enrichr mcp server. MCP Server for Enrichr gene set enrichment analysis with multi-library support.

What Enrichr does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides gene set enrichment analysis using the Enrichr API. This server supports all available gene set libraries from Enrichr and returns only statistically significant results (corrected-$p$ < 0.05) for LLM tools to interpret.

Key capabilities

  • Two Tools — enrichr_analysis for running enrichment, suggest_libraries for discovering relevant libraries
  • Custom Background Correction — Test against your own background gene set (e.g. only the genes expressed in your assay) instead of the whole genome
  • Live Library Catalog — The library list is fetched from Enrichr at runtime, so new releases appear automatically and retired libraries are never suggested
  • Guided Workflow — enrichment_analysis prompt for end-to-end analysis with interpretation
  • 22 Library Categories — Programmatic category mapping for all libraries (pathways, cancer, kinases, etc.)
  • Parallel Library Queries — All libraries queried in parallel for fast multi-database analysis
  • Structured Output — Returns both human-readable text and structured JSON for programmatic use
  • Configurable Output Formats — Detailed, compact, or minimal to manage token usage

Tools it exposes

Once connected, the assistant can call these 6 tools directly:

  • Enrichmenthttps://maayanlab.cloud/Enrichr/enrich
  • Background — corrected enrichment**: https://maayanlab.cloud/speedrichr/api/{addList,addbackground,backgroundenrich}
  • Smithery — The Smithery tool exposed by this server
  • suggest_libraries — Discover the most relevant Enrichr libraries for a research question. Use this before enrichr_analysis to pick the best libraries for your specific topic
  • enrichr_analysis — Perform enrichment analysis across multiple Enrichr libraries in parallel
  • enrichment_analysis — Guided workflow for gene set enrichment analysis. Accepts a gene list and optional research context, then walks through library selection, analysis, and

Installing the enrichr mcp server

The server is distributed via npm as enrichr-mcp-server, so most clients can run it without a manual build step. Add it to your MCP client's configuration and restart the client to pick it up — the copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are on this page.

Requirements

  • Node.js 18+ - Internet connection for Enrichr API access

Where it fits

Database servers turn schema archaeology and ad-hoc reporting into conversation, which is why they tend to be the second or third server people install. Enrichr sits in that group, and the shape of its toolset — Enrichment, Background, Smithery among others — tells you what it is really for. Worth comparing against the other databases servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

  • This server runs locally, so it operates with whatever access your machine and its credentials already have. Scope that deliberately rather than by default.
  • Maintained by tianqitang1, written in TypeScript.
  • MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the enrichr mcp server actually does with your data.
  • Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
Enrichmenthttps://maayanlab.cloud/Enrichr/enrich
Backgroundcorrected enrichment**: https://maayanlab.cloud/speedrichr/api/{addList,addbackground,backgroundenrich}
SmitheryThe Smithery tool exposed by this server.
suggest_librariesDiscover the most relevant Enrichr libraries for a research question. Use this before enrichr_analysis to pick the best libraries for your specific topic. Searches Enrichr's **live** library catalog, so it never recommen
enrichr_analysisPerform enrichment analysis across multiple Enrichr libraries in parallel.
enrichment_analysisGuided workflow for gene set enrichment analysis. Accepts a gene list and optional research context, then walks through library selection, analysis, and interpretation.

How to install the Enrichr MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "enrichr-pathways": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "enrichr-mcp-server", "-l", "GO_Biological_Process_2025,KEGG_2021_Human,Reactome_2022"]
    },
    "enrichr-disease": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "enrichr-mcp-server", "-l", "Human_Phenotype_Ontology,OMIM_Disease,ClinVar_2019"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Node.js 18+ - Internet connection for Enrichr API access

Example prompts to try

  • Use Enrichr to Enrichment.
  • Use Enrichr to Background.
  • Use Enrichr to Smithery.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Enrichr to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 6 tools (Enrichment, Background, Smithery, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Enrichr directly.