How to Use the CrossRef Alternative MCP in Windsurf

Q: Can I filter searches by license type with CrossRef Alternative and Windsurf?

Yes. First, you can ask Windsurf to call getlicenses to see all available license types. Then, you can tell it to perform a searchworks query and include a filter for the specific license you need.

Q: How many works can I pull at once?

The searchworks tool returns paginated results, so you can work through as many as you need. For pulling specific works, the getworksbydoilist tool is optimized for fetching metadata for dozens of DOIs in a single call.

Let Windsurf's Cascade agent dig through 150M+ academic papers and pull citation metadata for you automatically.

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Connect CrossRef Alternative MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect CrossRef Alternative to Windsurf and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup CrossRef Alternative with Windsurf

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Run multi-step research queries for Windsurf

Give Cascade a research topic and watch it work. It can start with a broad `search_works` query, identify the most relevant papers from the results, then automatically run `get_work` on each DOI to pull the full abstract and author list. You don't have to prompt each step. Cascade chains the tools together based on your goal. It can even dig deeper, using `get_journal` or `get_publisher` to find more information about the source of a compelling article, all in one autonomous run.

Map out an entire research field

This MCP Server gives Cascade the tools to build a map of any academic domain. Ask it to find the key funders in a specific field. It will use `search_funders` to get a list, then loop through the results with `get_funder` to get the work counts and country data for each one. Cascade can do the same for publishers or institutions. It uses `search_publishers` and `search_members` to discover organizations, then fetches detailed profiles. You get a complete picture without having to manually look up every entity.

Process lists of DOIs in one shot

Drop a list of DOIs into your editor and just tell Windsurf to get the metadata. Cascade will see the list and fire up the `get_works_by_doi_list` tool to grab the title, authors, and publication date for every single one. It’s a massive time-saver for building bibliographies or verifying a batch of references. Instead of looking them up one by one, you give one instruction and get a clean, structured list of results back in seconds.

Setup guide

Set up CrossRef Alternative MCP in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Click the Cascade assistant icon in the sidebar, then click the hammer icon (🔨) at the top of the panel. Select "Configure" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
2

Add the CrossRef Alternative MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Refresh MCPs

Go back to the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade and click "Refresh". Windsurf will detect the new server. No full restart is needed — the connection is hot-reloaded.
4

Verify in Cascade

Start a new Cascade conversation and ask something like "Show my CrossRef Alternative payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the CrossRef Alternative tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crossref-alternative-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by CrossRef. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about CrossRef Alternative MCP in Windsurf

Just ask Cascade to find the references for a specific DOI. It will use the `get_work` tool, which returns the full reference list cited by that paper. You can then ask it to fetch details for any of those references as well.

Yes. First, you can ask Windsurf to call `get_licenses` to see all available license types. Then, you can tell it to perform a `search_works` query and include a filter for the specific license you need.

Tell Windsurf's Cascade agent to search for the journal by name using the `search_journals` tool. The results include the journal's title, publisher, and both its print and electronic ISSNs.

The `search_works` tool returns paginated results, so you can work through as many as you need. For pulling specific works, the `get_works_by_doi_list` tool is optimized for fetching metadata for dozens of DOIs in a single call.

Your queries, like DOIs or search terms, are sent to the MCP Server for processing. Vinkius runs each request in a zero-trust, ephemeral sandbox. Your connection is secured by the single token in your Windsurf MCP configuration, and the server never stores your query data.

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