inspire-mcp
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| INSPIRE_MAX_RETRIES | No | Maximum number of retries for failed requests | 2 |
| INSPIRE_API_BASE_URL | No | Base URL of the INSPIRE API | https://inspirehep.net/api/ |
| INSPIRE_MAX_TEX_BYTES | No | Maximum byte size for TeX content | 1000000 |
| INSPIRE_MCP_LOG_LEVEL | No | Logging level for the MCP server | INFO |
| INSPIRE_DOWNLOAD_HOSTS | No | Comma-separated list of allowed download hosts | inspirehep.net,s3.cern.ch |
| INSPIRE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS | No | Timeout for API requests in seconds | 30 |
| INSPIRE_CACHE_MAX_ENTRIES | No | Maximum number of cache entries | 256 |
| INSPIRE_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS | No | Cache TTL in seconds | 300 |
| INSPIRE_RATE_LIMIT_REQUESTS | No | Maximum number of requests per rate limit window | 12 |
| INSPIRE_MAX_EXPORT_CHARACTERS | No | Maximum number of characters for export | 1000000 |
| INSPIRE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS | No | Connection timeout in seconds | 5 |
| INSPIRE_RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_SECONDS | No | Rate limit window in seconds | 5 |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": false
} |
| prompts | {
"listChanged": false
} |
| resources | {
"subscribe": false,
"listChanged": false
} |
| experimental | {} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| search_literatureB | Search INSPIRE literature with bounded, model-oriented result detail. |
| get_literatureA | Read one literature record by INSPIRE recid, DOI, or arXiv identifier. |
| list_literature_authorsA | Page through a paper's embedded author list without returning a huge record. |
| list_literature_referencesB | Page through a paper's references with selectable detail. |
| export_literatureB | Export one paper in an INSPIRE-supported citation format. |
| search_authorsA | Search public INSPIRE author records; email addresses are always excluded. |
| get_authorB | Read one author record, with explicit opt-in for public email addresses. |
| resolve_external_identifierA | Resolve DOI, arXiv, or ORCID to a canonical INSPIRE record identity. |
| generate_bibliographyB | Generate BibTeX or formatted LaTeX bibliography content from TeX citations. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| capabilities | Describe supported records, identifiers, formats, and detail levels. |
TDQS
Scored across 9 tools
Each tool targets a distinct resource or action: literature search vs retrieval, listing authors vs references, exporting single papers, author search vs retrieval, external ID resolution, and bibliography generation. There is no meaningful overlap that would confuse an agent.
All tools follow a consistent verb_noun pattern (e.g., search_literature, get_author, list_literature_references). Naming is uniformly snake_case and predictable, making the tool set easy to navigate.
Nine tools is well-scoped for an INSPIRE literature and author database interface. Each tool serves a clear purpose without redundancy, and the count is within the ideal range for a domain-specific server.
The set covers core workflows: searching and retrieving literature, exploring authors and references, exporting citations, resolving external identifiers, and generating bibliographies. Minor gaps exist, such as no batch citation counts or citation-of tracking, but these are not critical for the stated purpose.