# OokCite MCP Server
[](LICENSE)
[](https://crates.io/crates/ookcite-mcp)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@turtletech/ookcite-mcp)
Give any LLM the ability to validate DOIs, format citations, manage
bibliography collections, and catch hallucinated references. Returns citation
metadata only -- not PDFs or full-text articles. Works with any MCP client:
Claude, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenCode, Qwen agents, and more.
## Quick Start
One command to install and configure:
```bash
npx @turtletech/ookcite-mcp setup
```
This auto-detects your MCP clients (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex)
and writes the config for you. Add an API key for higher rate limits:
```bash
npx @turtletech/ookcite-mcp setup --key YOUR_API_KEY
```
No API key required for basic usage (10 lookups/day). [Sign up](https://my.turtletech.us/signup) for more.
## Install (Alternative Methods)
**npm** (recommended):
```bash
npm install -g @turtletech/ookcite-mcp
```
**cargo-binstall** (fastest, no Node.js):
```bash
cargo binstall ookcite-mcp
```
**cargo install** (from source):
```bash
cargo install ookcite-mcp
```
**Pre-built binaries**: Download from
[GitHub Releases](https://github.com/TurtleTech-ehf/ookcite-mcp/releases)
for Linux (x86_64, aarch64), macOS (x86_64, aarch64), and Windows.
## Configure
If you used `setup`, you're done. Otherwise, add to your MCP client config:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ookcite": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@turtletech/ookcite-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
With an API key:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ookcite": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@turtletech/ookcite-mcp"],
"env": {
"OOKCITE_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
}
}
}
}
```
If you installed globally (`npm install -g` or `cargo install`), you can use
`"command": "ookcite-mcp"` directly instead of npx.
Common config file locations:
| Claude Desktop (Linux) | `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
| Claude Desktop (macOS) | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
| Claude Code | `.mcp.json` (project) or `~/.claude/settings.json` (global) |
| Cursor | Settings > MCP Servers |
| Codex | `~/.codex/config.json` |
## Tools
### Lookup & Validation
| `validate_doi` | Check if a DOI exists (anti-hallucination) |
| `lookup_isbn` | Look up a book by ISBN |
| `reverse_lookup` | Find a paper from messy citation text |
| `health_check` | Check API availability and health |
### Formatting
| `format_citation` | Format a DOI in any of 2900+ CSL styles |
| `verify_references` | Batch-check a list of DOIs |
| `batch_format` | Format multiple citations at once |
| `search_styles` | Find CSL style IDs by name |
| `group_cite` | Generate grouped in-text markers (e.g. [1-3]) |
### Collections (requires sign-in)
Collections are a signed-in feature. Set `OOKCITE_API_KEY` to use these tools.
| `list_collections` | List saved citation collections |
| `add_to_collection` | Add a citation (by DOI or free-text) |
| `batch_add_to_collection` | Add multiple citations at once |
| `import_bibliography` | Import BibTeX/RIS files into a collection|
| `export_collection` | Export collection as BibTeX |
| `search_collection` | Search within a collection |
| `check_duplicates` | Check for duplicate entries |
| `delete_collection` | Delete a collection |
| `update_collection` | Update name, description, or style |
| `remove_from_collection` | Remove a specific entry |
| `update_tags` | Set tags on a collection |
| `reorder_collection` | Reorder entries |
### Sharing & Bulk Operations (requires academic/business plan)
| `share_collection` | Create a shareable link |
| `unshare_collection` | Revoke sharing |
| `view_shared` | View a shared collection by token |
| `merge_collections` | Merge multiple collections |
| `batch_move_entries` | Move entries between collections |
## Plans & Pricing
| Anonymous | Free | 10 | 0 | -- |
| Free | Free | 30 | 1 | 100 |
| Academic | $4/mo | 10,000 | 5 | 500 |
| Business | $12/mo | 10,000 | 10 | 2,000 |
Papers in your collections are **free and unlimited** to re-lookup.
Only new lookups count against your daily quota. Papers stay free
as long as they remain in a collection.
Batch operations require an academic or business plan. Academic pricing
is for students, researchers, and educators at accredited institutions.
## Anti-Hallucination
Add this to your system prompt:
> Before citing any paper, use validate_doi to confirm the reference exists.
> If validation fails, do not include the citation.
## How It Works
The MCP server connects to the public [OokCite](https://ookcite.turtletech.us)
API to look up and format citations. It's a thin MCP wrapper around the OokCite
REST API with no local database, and no heavy dependencies.
[Sign up](https://my.turtletech.us/signup) for a free account (30 lookups/day),
or upgrade to academic ($4/mo) or business ($12/mo) for batch operations
and larger collections.
## Documentation
- [Full MCP setup guide](https://ookcite.turtletech.us/docs/howto/mcp-setup/)
- [OokCite app](https://ookcite.turtletech.us/app)
- [TurtleTech](https://turtletech.us)
## License
MIT. see [LICENSE](LICENSE).