jail
Integrates with arXiv to enable searching and retrieving metadata of academic papers.
Integrates with dblp to enable searching and retrieving metadata of computer science publications.
Integrates with dev.to to enable searching and retrieving articles from the developer community.
Integrates with Discogs to enable searching and retrieving metadata of music releases.
Integrates with Fandom to enable searching and retrieving fan wiki articles.
Integrates with IMDb to enable searching and retrieving metadata of movies and TV shows.
Integrates with Lemmy to enable searching and retrieving posts from the federated social platform.
Integrates with Libraries.io to enable searching and retrieving metadata of open source packages.
Integrates with Lobsters to enable searching and retrieving stories from the tech community.
Integrates with Mastodon to enable searching and retrieving posts from the federated social network.
Integrates with MusicBrainz to enable searching and retrieving metadata of music recordings.
Integrates with npm to enable searching and retrieving metadata of JavaScript packages.
Integrates with PyPI to enable searching and retrieving metadata of Python packages.
Integrates with Reddit to enable searching and retrieving posts and discussions.
Integrates with Semantic Scholar to enable searching and retrieving metadata of academic papers.
Integrates with Wikidata to enable searching and retrieving structured knowledge.
Integrates with Wikipedia to enable searching and retrieving encyclopedia articles.
Integrates with YouTube to enable searching and retrieving metadata of videos.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@jailsearch for latest papers on transformer models"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
JAIL Search — MCP Server
Status: backend offline.
Search a billion+ documents — papers, books, code, legal cases, forums, Wikipedia, and more.
Installation
Connect to the hosted MCP server:
https://api.jail.li/mcpGet API key for higher limits — append ?jailApiKey= to the URL.
claude mcp add --transport http jail https://api.jail.li/mcpWith API key:
claude mcp add --transport http jail "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."codex mcp add jail --url https://api.jail.li/mcpWith API key: codex mcp add jail --url "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"jail": {
"url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp"
}
}
}With API key: "url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Add to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"jail": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp"
}
}
}With API key: "url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"jail": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://api.jail.li/mcp"]
}
}
}With API key: "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."]
Add to your opencode.json:
{
"mcp": {
"jail": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp",
"enabled": true
}
}
}With API key: "url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Edit ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"jail": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp"
}
}
}With API key: "url": "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"jail": {
"serverUrl": "https://api.jail.li/mcp"
}
}
}With API key: "serverUrl": "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Add to ~/.hermes/config.yaml:
mcp_servers:
jail:
url: "https://api.jail.li/mcp"With API key: url: "https://api.jail.li/mcp?jailApiKey=sk_live_..."
Or install the skill: hermes skill install jail-search
Via npm Package
{
"mcpServers": {
"jail": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "jail-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}Or with Python: "command": "uvx", "args": ["jail-mcp"]
For API key with stdio: "env": { "JAIL_API_KEY": "sk_live_..." }
Related MCP server: Alexandria MCP
Tools
Tool | What it does |
| Search across all content types. Filter by type, paginate with cursor. |
| Get full metadata for a document by ID. |
Content Types
Type | Sources |
academic | OpenAlex, arXiv, Semantic Scholar, DBLP |
books | Books, digital libraries, classical literature |
wiki | Wikipedia — en, zh, de, fr, es, ru, ja, ko + 10 more |
forums | Hacker News, StackExchange, Lobsters, LessWrong, 60+ more |
legal | Harvard Case Law, CourtListener, EUR-Lex, UK Legislation |
news | News articles and journalism |
packages | npm, PyPI, Crates.io, Libraries.io |
economics | World Bank, IMF, FRED, ECB, BLS, Tax Foundation |
knowledge | Wikidata, structured knowledge |
video | IMDb, YouTube |
music | Discogs, MusicBrainz |
health | Clinical trials, food safety |
geo | World place names, geographic data |
tech | Dev.to, product community forums |
social | Reddit, Mastodon, Lemmy, fediverse |
fandom | Fan wiki articles, community knowledge |
crypto | DeFi protocols, token data, on-chain analytics |
predictions | Prediction markets, forecasting |
audio | Podcasts and audio content |
License
MIT
Available Tools
2 toolsdetailAInspect
Get full metadata for a document. Use IDs from search results.
Args: doc_id: Document ID from search results (e.g. "md5:abc123...", "hn:19415066", "doi:10.1038/...")
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| doc_id | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations provided, the description carries the burden. 'Get' implies a read-only operation, and the description doesn't suggest any side effects. It also provides example ID formats, which is helpful context. However, it doesn't explicitly state read-only or mention rate limits/authentication, so a 4 rather than 5.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is concise: two sentences plus a well-formatted args section. It's front-loaded with the purpose and immediately clarifies usage. Every sentence earns its place.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
For a single-parameter tool with no annotations or output schema, the description covers the essential aspects: what it does, where the ID comes from, and example formats. It lacks detail on the exact contents of 'full metadata', but that's a minor gap given the tool's simplicity.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema coverage is 0%, and the description fully compensates by explaining doc_id as a Document ID from search results with concrete examples of ID formats (md5, hn, doi). This adds significant meaning beyond the schema's bare type string.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description uses a specific verb 'Get' with a resource 'full metadata for a document', clearly distinguishing it from the sibling 'search' tool which presumably finds documents. The instruction to use IDs from search results reinforces its role as a lookup tool.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description states to use IDs from search results, implying this tool is used after a search to retrieve details. It provides clear context but doesn't explicitly mention exclusions or alternative tools beyond the implication.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
searchAInspect
Search documents. Returns ranked results with title, author, year, description, url, id, score — not full content. Use URLs from results with fetch/browsing to read actual documents.
Use when: user asks to research, find papers/books/articles, look up facts, find discussions, legal cases, or any "search for..." request.
Strategy: use 2-4 keywords per query (English preferred). Pick the right type first. Try synonyms if few results. Search across multiple types to cross-reference. Use detail() for full metadata on promising results.
Args: query: Search query — use 2-4 keywords for best results. English preferred unless searching non-English content. Try different keywords and synonyms if first attempt returns few results. type: Content type (required). academic: OpenAlex/arXiv/Semantic Scholar/DBLP | wiki: Wikipedia 18 languages | books: books/digital libraries | legal: Case Law/CourtListener/EUR-Lex | forums: HN/StackExchange/Lobsters/LessWrong/60+ | economics: World Bank/IMF/FRED | packages: npm/PyPI/Crates.io | knowledge: Wikidata | news: news articles | music: Discogs/MusicBrainz | video: IMDb/YouTube | health: clinical trials | geo: world places | fandom: fan wikis | tech: Dev.to | audio: podcasts | social: Reddit/Mastodon/Lemmy | crypto: DeFi/tokens | predictions: prediction markets. limit: Results to return (1-50). Trial max 10, Pro max 50. cursor: Opaque pagination token. Use next_cursor from previous response.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | Yes | ||
| limit | No | ||
| query | Yes | ||
| cursor | No |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
No annotations were provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It effectively reveals key behavioral traits: returns ranked results but not full content, uses pagination via cursor/next_cursor, and has type-specific result sources. It also notes rate limits (Trial max 10, Pro max 50). This is rich, honest contextual disclosure beyond what a schema would convey.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is well-structured with clear section breaks: main purpose, usage, strategy, and args. It is front-loaded with the core statement, then detail. It is longer than a minimal two-sentence description, but nearly every sentence adds value. Minor redundancy exists (query keyword advice appears twice, once in strategy and once in args), which prevents a perfect 5.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
The tool has no output schema and complex behavior with multiple content types, pagination, and strategic search guidance. The description thoroughly covers what the tool does, when to use it, how to use the parameters, what the results include, and how to follow up with other tools. It is complete enough for an agent to select, invoke, and process results correctly.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
The schema provides no description coverage (0%), so the description's parameter docs are essential. It adds substantial meaning beyond the raw schema types: query gets keyword-count guidance and language advice, type gets a complete enumerated list of content types and their sources, limit gets a range and tier-specific cap, cursor is explained as an opaque pagination token tied to next_cursor. This far exceeds basic schema information.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description opens with 'Search documents' which is a specific verb+resource pair, and immediately clarifies what it returns: 'ranked results with title, author, year, description, url, id, score — not full content.' It distinguishes itself from the sibling tool 'detail' by explicitly directing users to 'Use detail() for full metadata on promising results.' This clearly separates the search function from a detail-retrieval function.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description provides an explicit 'Use when:' section that lists a broad but specific set of user intents (research, find papers/books/articles, look up facts, find discussions, legal cases) and generalizes to 'any "search for..." request.' It also gives guidance on alternatives: using fetch/browsing for full content and using detail() for metadata. This goes beyond simple usage indication and provides actionable decision rules.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
2 tool updates
v1.4.1- First observed
detail - First observed
search
TDQS
Scored across 2 tools
The two tools serve distinct functions: search is for exploratory queries, while detail retrieves specific document metadata. There is no overlap in their use cases, making selection unambiguous.
Both tool names are single lowercase verbs, which is consistent, though they do not follow a more descriptive verb_noun pattern. The style is uniform and each name clearly suggests its action.
With only two tools, the server feels minimal, but the search tool is highly versatile and covers many content types. The count is borderline but reasonable for the server's focused purpose.
The search and detail tools cover the core workflow of discovering and examining documents. While full-text retrieval is delegated to other tools, metadata and search are well-covered, with only minor gaps like no direct enumeration of content types.
Maintenance
Related MCP Connectors
Search arXiv/Semantic Scholar/OpenAlex + medical evidence (PubMed/Europe PMC) + LaTeX/PDF tools.
Real-time web and scholarly search with cited answers and multi-step deep research.
Federated search of books and papers, BibTeX/RIS citations, open-access retrieval and reading.
Search 340M+ academic papers — citation graphs, semantic similarity, and AI literature reviews.
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