Paperqa MCP Server

MCP server exposing PaperQA2 for deep synthesis across scientific papers

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Paperqa MCP Server?

MCP server exposing PaperQA2 for deep synthesis across scientific papers

What the server does

Give Claude the ability to read, search, and synthesize across your entire PDF library. Built on PaperQA2.

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Maintainer setup documentation.

How to install the Paperqa MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paperqa": {
      "command": "/Users/yourname/.local/bin/uvx",
      "args": ["--from", "git+https://github.com/menyoung/paperqa-mcp-server", "paperqa-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
OPENAI_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
PAPER_DIRECTORYFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
PQA_LLMConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
PQA_SUMMARY_LLMConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
ANTHROPIC_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Frequently asked questions

MCP server exposing PaperQA2 for deep synthesis across scientific papers Confirm the tools offered by your installed version in the connected client. Tool availability and permissions depend on the server and account configuration.