Crossref MCP Server: Install & Setup

Install Crossref in Claude Code

Remote URL

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http cyanheads-crossref https://crossref.caseyjhand.com/mcp

mcp.json (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-crossref": {
      "url": "https://crossref.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

npm

Claude Code

claude mcp add cyanheads-crossref -- npx -y @cyanheads/crossref-mcp-server

mcp.json (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-crossref": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/crossref-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

What does the Crossref MCP server do?

Resolve DOIs, search ~188M scholarly works, and fetch references via the Crossref REST API.

Is the Crossref MCP server free?

Yes, most likely. Open source and no paid account or API key is mentioned in the listing. Check the provider for current pricing.

Does Crossref run locally or remotely?

Local + Remote. Can run locally or be used as a hosted remote server.

How do I add Crossref to Claude Code?

Run: claude mcp add --transport http cyanheads-crossref https://crossref.caseyjhand.com/mcp

More search & web scraping MCP servers

View all

Cygnix SEO

199

cygnixlabs-cmd/cygnix-seo-mcp

No-API-key SEO tools: keyword clustering, search intent, cannibalization, meta checks, briefs.

LocalFree

Courtlistener

cyanheads/courtlistener-mcp-server

Search US court opinions, federal dockets, judges, citations, and oral arguments via CourtListener.

Local + RemoteAccount needed

Designvault

120

Pascalxz/designvault

Search, browse and manage your DesignVault design-asset library from any MCP client.

LocalAccount needed

Copus

134

copus-io/copus-mcp-server

Search human-curated content recommendations from Copus - The Internet Treasure Map

LocalFree

Dsh Lit Search

0118

Flan246/dsh-lit-search-mcp

Literature search, GB/T 7714/APA citations and BibTeX via Crossref, OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar.

LocalFree

Copilot Memory

LabForgeDev/copilot-memory-mcp

Persistent semantic memory for AI agents using local ChromaDB vector search. No cloud required.

LocalFree