Firecrawl MCP Server

Overview Schema Source Related Servers Discussions Admin

Firecrawl inspect research paper

firecrawl_research_inspect_paper

Read-only

Retrieve canonical metadata for one paper ID—arXiv, PMC, PMID, or DOI—and return title, abstract, authors, categories, source IDs, and dates as Markdown.

Instructions

Retrieve canonical metadata for one paper ID, such as an arXiv, PMC, PMID, or DOI identifier. Returns the title, abstract, authors, categories, source IDs, and dates as markdown.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`paperId`	Yes	Canonical paperId or primaryId such as `arxiv:1706.03762`, `pmcid:PMC12530322`, `pmid:40953549`, or `doi:10.1016/j.neunet.2025.108095`.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`paper`	No	Canonical metadata for the requested paper, absent when it was not found.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedv3.36.1Nov 5, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / paper / properties / authors / description

Previous value: -"Authors, as a comma-joined string or as `{name, affiliation}` entries."New value: +"Authors, as a list of names or a comma-joined string."

changedOutput schema / properties / paper / properties / createdDate / description

Previous value: -"Date the paper was first indexed or published."New value: +"Date the paper was first indexed or published (`YYYY-MM-DD`)."

changedOutput schema / properties / paper / properties / updateDate / description

Previous value: -"Date the paper was last updated."New value: +"Date the paper was last updated (`YYYY-MM-DD`)."

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.0.2Oct 29, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"New value: +"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Canonical metadata for one paper.",
+  "properties": {
+    "paper": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "description": "Canonical metadata for the requested paper, absent when it was not found.",
+      "properties": {
+        "abstract": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Paper abstract."
+        },
+        "authors": {
+          "description": "Authors, as a comma-joined string or as `{name, affiliation}` entries."
+        },
+        "categories": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "items": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "type": "array"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Paper categories, such as `cs.LG`."
+        },
+        "createdDate": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Date the paper was first indexed or published."
+        },
+        "ids": {
+          "description": "Source identifiers by namespace, such as `arxiv`, `doi`, or `pmid`."
+        },
+        "paperId": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Canonical paper identifier."
+        },
+        "primaryId": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Display identifier, ordered for citation and fetch use."
+        },
+        "title": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Paper title."
+        },
+        "updateDate": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Date the paper was last updated."
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv1.0.1Jul 5, 2026

TDQS

A3.6/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, openWorldHint=true and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds that the payload is canonical metadata returned as markdown, which is useful, but says nothing about behavior for unknown/unresolvable IDs or any upstream rate limits.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences, front-loaded with the action and scope, then the return shape. No filler or redundant phrasing.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a single-parameter read-only tool with an output schema, the description covers the essentials; return fields needn't be detailed. Minor gap: no note on what happens when the ID cannot be resolved or whether prefixed forms are mandatory.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the single parameter already lists concrete example identifiers with prefixes. The description's 'one paper ID, such as an arXiv, PMC, PMID, or DOI identifier' restates that without adding format or canonicalization rules, so baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description gives a specific verb and resource: 'Retrieve canonical metadata for one paper ID', and enumerates accepted identifier families (arXiv, PMC, PMID, DOI). The implied contrast with firecrawl_research_read_paper (metadata vs. full text) is inferable but not spelled out by name.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Usage is only implied: 'for one paper ID' suggests calling it when an identifier is already known. There is no explicit when-not, no statement that firecrawl_research_search_papers should be used first to obtain an ID, and no mention of firecrawl_research_read_paper as the alternative for full content.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.