Scholar Sidekick MCP Server

MCP server

For any host with MCP support. Installs the server and confirms it works.

Set yourself up to use Scholar Sidekick, a citation resolver and verifier, over MCP.

Read https://scholar-sidekick.com/AGENTS.md and follow its MCP installation instructions for whichever host you are running in. Prefer the hosted Streamable HTTP endpoint if this host supports remote MCP servers; otherwise use the local stdio server. It runs anonymously - do not ask me for an API key, and do not set RAPIDAPI_KEY.

Then verify the install by formatting DOI 10.1038/nphys1170 in APA style, and show me the result.

Command-line CLI

For a terminal or CI job with no MCP support.

Set yourself up to use Scholar Sidekick, a citation resolver and verifier, from the command line.

Read https://scholar-sidekick.com/AGENTS.md and follow its CLI installation instructions. It runs anonymously - do not ask me for an API key.

Then verify the install by running the format command on DOI 10.1038/nphys1170 in APA style, and show me the result.

REST API (nothing to install)

For an agent that can only make HTTP requests.

Use Scholar Sidekick, a citation resolver and verifier, via its REST API. There is nothing to install.

Read https://scholar-sidekick.com/docs.md for the endpoint reference. The API is free and needs no key or signup.

Then confirm you can reach it by formatting DOI 10.1038/nphys1170 in APA style via POST /api/format, and show me the result.

Hosted endpoint (no install)

Point any client that speaks Streamable HTTP directly at the hosted endpoint - no npm install, no local process:

POST https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp

It works anonymously; to authenticate, send Authorization: Bearer ssk_…. In Claude Code (HTTP transport):

# Anonymous:
claude mcp add --transport http scholar-sidekick https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp

# Or with a free ssk_ key:
claude mcp add --transport http scholar-sidekick https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ssk_your-first-party-key"

In Cursor / Windsurf (remote-server config in .cursor/mcp.json) - omit headers to run anonymously:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scholar-sidekick": {
      "url": "https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ssk_your-first-party-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code uses a top-level servers key with "type": "http" and the same url / headersfields - or install it in one click from VS Code’s built-in MCP gallery: open the Extensions view and search @mcp for Scholar Sidekick (listed via the GitHub MCP Registry). Using the ChatGPT app? It has its own no-auth endpoint at https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/apps/mcp (a read-only, widget-backed tool surface built for the ChatGPT app).

Self-managed (stdio via npx)

Prefer to run the server locally? The configs below launch it over stdio with npx. The env block is optional - omit it to run anonymously, or set SCHOLAR_API_KEY to a free ssk_ key for higher limits.

Claude Desktop

One-click: download the Scholar Sidekick Desktop Extension (.mcpb) and double-click it - or Settings → Extensions → Install. It works anonymously; you can optionally enter a free ssk_ key when prompted to raise your limits.

Or configure it manually - add the following to your Claude Desktop config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS). This runs on the free anonymous tier - no key, nothing to replace:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scholar-sidekick": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

To raise your limits, add an env block alongside args - but only if you are not using a RapidAPI key (see Choosing an auth route). Replace the placeholder with your real key; left as-is it is ignored, with a warning:

      "env": {
        "SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "ssk_your-first-party-key"
      }

Claude Code

Plugin (recommended) - installs the server and the companion agent skill in one step, so Claude knows when to reach for the tools, not just how. Runs anonymously; no key:

/plugin marketplace add mlava/scholar-sidekick-mcp
/plugin install scholar-sidekick@scholar-sidekick

Or add just the server manually - use this if you want to set a free ssk_ key for higher limits:

# Anonymous (no key):
claude mcp add scholar-sidekick -- npx -y scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest

# Or with a free ssk_ key for higher limits:
claude mcp add scholar-sidekick \
  -e SCHOLAR_API_KEY=ssk_your-first-party-key \
  -- npx -y scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest

Cursor / Windsurf

Add to .cursor/mcp.json (or the Windsurf MCP config) in your project. Anonymous by default; add an env block as shown under Claude Desktop above to use a key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scholar-sidekick": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code

VS Code uses a top-level servers key (not mcpServers) and supports an inputs block. The server runs anonymously without any of this; the config below is for when you want a free ssk_ key - VS Code prompts for it the first time the server starts and stores it in secret storage (no key in the file). Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "scholar_api_key",
      "description": "Scholar Sidekick API key (ssk_) - optional, free, raises rate limits",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "scholar-sidekick": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "${input:scholar_api_key}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex

Add it with the Codex CLI:

# Anonymous (no key):
codex mcp add scholar-sidekick -- npx -y scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest

# Or with a free ssk_ key for higher limits:
codex mcp add scholar-sidekick \
  --env SCHOLAR_API_KEY=ssk_your-first-party-key \
  -- npx -y scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest

Or add a block to ~/.codex/config.toml (drop the env line to run anonymously):

[mcp_servers.scholar-sidekick]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest"]
env = { SCHOLAR_API_KEY = "ssk_your-first-party-key" }

Agent skill (optional)

Install a companion Agent Skill that teaches Claude Code, Cline, and other agents when and how to reach for these tools. It complements the server config above:

Already installed the Claude Code plugin? You have this skill already - it ships inside the plugin. Skip this step.

npx skills add mlava/scholar-sidekick-mcp

Choosing an auth route

There are three routes, and they are alternatives, not layers. Pick one:

• Anonymous - set nothing. Works out of the box on the rate-limited free tier.
• First-party key - set only SCHOLAR_API_KEY to a free ssk_ key from /account. Raises limits and enables the verifier’s LLM screen.
• RapidAPI - set only RAPIDAPI_KEY for a paid RapidAPI subscription. This also switches the base URL to the RapidAPI gateway.

If you set both keys, RAPIDAPI_KEY wins and SCHOLAR_API_KEY is ignored - the server says so on stderr at startup (v0.8.7+). Setting SCHOLAR_SIDEKICK_URL alongside a RapidAPI key sends that key somewhere that will not honour it, which is also warned about. A SCHOLAR_API_KEY left at the example placeholder is ignored rather than sent, so a pasted snippet degrades to anonymous instead of 401ing every call.

Environment variables