How do I connect this MCP to my AI client?

You subscribe via Vinkius and then connect your client, such as Claude or Cursor, in one click. Vinkius handles the hosting and management.

Do I need an OpenAlex API key?

It is optional. Providing a key allows you to use the Polite Pool, which offers faster rate limits.

Which AI clients can use this MCP?

Any MCP-compatible client works, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.

Can I search for specific types of research works?

Yes, the capabilities allow you to search and filter articles, books, and datasets.

Is the data real-time?

The MCP pulls data directly from the OpenAlex index, providing access to their current global research database.

How do I find works by a specific author if I only have their name?

First, use list_authors with the search parameter to find the author's OpenAlex ID. Once you have the ID (e.g., A5012345678), use list_works with a filter like author.id:A5012345678.

Can I filter research papers by publication year or citation count?

Yes. Use the filter parameter in list_works. For example, publication_year:>2020 or cited_by_count:>100. You can also use the sort parameter like cited_by_count:desc to see the most impactful works first.

Is an API key mandatory to use this server?

No. OpenAlex offers a free public tier. However, providing an API key places you in the 'Polite Pool', which offers faster rate limits and more consistent performance for heavy research tasks.

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Connect OpenAlex (Alternative) to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Pull real-time scholarly data directly into your AI agent.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

Waiting for input…

Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 14 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 04

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 14 available through OpenAlex.

01
List funders
This capability lets your agent search and filter through global research funders.
02
List institutions
Use this to find and filter universities or research organizations.
03
Get author
This capability retrieves a specific researcher's profile using their OpenAlex ID.
04
Get funder
Get detailed information about a single funding entity via its ID.

Capability set02 / 04

05-08

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 14 available through OpenAlex.

05
Get institution
Retrieve specific data for a single university or organization using its ID.
06
Get publisher
Access metadata for a specific publisher using their unique ID.
07
Get work
Fetch metadata for a single article, book, or dataset using its ID.
08
List topics
This capability allows your agent to browse and filter research topics.

Capability set03 / 04

09-11

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 14 available through OpenAlex.

09
List works
Search and filter millions of scholarly works, including articles and datasets.
10
Get source
Retrieve details for a specific journal, repository, or conference.
11
Get topic
Get specific information about a research topic using its ID.

Capability set04 / 04

12-14

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 14 available through OpenAlex.

12
List authors
Find and filter researchers by name or other attributes.
13
List publishers
Search through the list of academic publishers.
14
List sources
Browse journals, conferences, and other publication venues.

Real work

What teams actually run

Literature Reviews

Ask your agent to find all papers on a specific topic from the last two years.

Author Tracking

Use the agent to check the publication history and impact of a specific researcher.

Institutional Research

Identify the most productive universities in a specific scientific field.

Funding Analysis

Query the agent to find which organizations are funding specific research areas.

Automate a task

Put OpenAlex to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

OpenAlex works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put OpenAlex to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

1133ms average. Fast in production.

OpenAlex is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 1343ms

Oct 11Today

Fastest day: 934ms
Slowest day: 1343ms
14-day trend: Slowing+30%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 14 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of OpenAlex, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with OpenAlex. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

OpenAlex Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_GWJRq8g6Otnq7V6IuPeVtI4hYHUyReAjbxOMayr4/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
3Click Add and start a new chat — OpenAlex capabilities are ready to use.

Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openalex-alternative-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_GWJRq8g6Otnq7V6IuPeVtI4hYHUyReAjbxOMayr4/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude
ChatGPT
Cursor
VS Code
Windsurf
Claude Code
JetBrains
Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up OpenAlex in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work OpenAlex owners hand off.

This MCP is built for anyone working with large-scale academic datasets who needs to move faster than manual web searches allow.

01
Researchers
They hand off the task of finding and organizing literature to their agent.
02
Data Scientists
They use the agent to pull bibliometric data for programmatic analysis.
03
Students
They use the agent to find authoritative sources and key authors for papers.

FAQ

Questions OpenAlex owners ask.

01
How do I connect this MCP to my AI client?
You subscribe via Vinkius and then connect your client, such as Claude or Cursor, in one click. Vinkius handles the hosting and management.
02
Do I need an OpenAlex API key?
It is optional. Providing a key allows you to use the Polite Pool, which offers faster rate limits.
03
Which AI clients can use this MCP?
Any MCP-compatible client works, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.
04
Can I search for specific types of research works?
Yes, the capabilities allow you to search and filter articles, books, and datasets.
05
Is the data real-time?
The MCP pulls data directly from the OpenAlex index, providing access to their current global research database.
06
How do I find works by a specific author if I only have their name?
First, use list_authors with the search parameter to find the author's OpenAlex ID. Once you have the ID (e.g., A5012345678), use list_works with a filter like author.id:A5012345678.
07
Can I filter research papers by publication year or citation count?
Yes. Use the filter parameter in list_works. For example, publication_year:>2020 or cited_by_count:>100. You can also use the sort parameter like cited_by_count:desc to see the most impactful works first.
08
Is an API key mandatory to use this server?
No. OpenAlex offers a free public tier. However, providing an API key places you in the 'Polite Pool', which offers faster rate limits and more consistent performance for heavy research tasks.

Explore

More in The Unthinkable

Connect OpenAlex to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

We ship only the actions that matter.

01-04

List funders

List institutions

Get author

Get funder

05-08

Get institution

Get publisher

Get work

List topics

09-11

List works

Get source

Get topic

12-14

List authors

List publishers

List sources

What teams actually run

Literature Reviews

Author Tracking

Institutional Research

Funding Analysis

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

OpenAlex Connector

Claude Desktop

Researchers

Data Scientists

Students

How do I connect this MCP to my AI client?

Do I need an OpenAlex API key?

Which AI clients can use this MCP?

Can I search for specific types of research works?

Is the data real-time?

How do I find works by a specific author if I only have their name?

Can I filter research papers by publication year or citation count?

Is an API key mandatory to use this server?

OpenAlex AI Connector

CORE (Open Access Research) AI Connector

ORCID (Researcher IDs) AI Connector

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