Pubmed MCP Server - install, status & alternatives [2026]

01 · Install Pubmed MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, NCBI_API_KEY before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add cyanheads-pubmed-mcp-server --transport http https://pubmed.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-pubmed-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://pubmed.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

https://pubmed.caseyjhand.com/mcp

transport: streamable-http

endpoint alive - responded to MCP initialize · probed 2026-09-30

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · remote - your agent's requests go to pubmed.caseyjhand.com

endpoint auth accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize - no credentials needed to connect

license Apache-2.0 - declared in the repository

npm package @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@cyanheads)

registry namespace io.github.cyanheads is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Pubmed MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

With this server connected, an agent can fetch article metadata by PMID: abstract, authors, journal, MeSH terms, grants, linked retraction and correction notices, fetch full text by PMID, PMCID, or DOI, falling back from PMC to Europe PMC to Unpaywall, fetch complete Europe PMC records, including the untruncated abstract, by source + epmcId, and format citations in APA 7th, MLA 9th, BibTeX, RIS, or Vancouver (ICMJE/NLM).

The 11 tools it gives your agent

Extracted from the project's README - what pubmed-mcp-server lets an agent do.

pubmed_search_articles: - Search PubMed with full query syntax, structured filters, date ranges, and optional summaries
pubmed_fetch_articles: - Fetch article metadata by PMID: abstract, authors, journal, MeSH terms, grants, linked retraction and correction notices
pubmed_fetch_fulltext: - Fetch full text by PMID, PMCID, or DOI, falling back from PMC to Europe PMC to Unpaywall
pubmed_europepmc_search: - Search Europe PMC for preprints, patents, Agricola, and open-access records PubMed doesn't carry
pubmed_europepmc_fetch: - Fetch complete Europe PMC records, including the untruncated abstract, by source + epmcId
pubmed_format_citations: - Format citations in APA 7th, MLA 9th, BibTeX, RIS, or Vancouver (ICMJE/NLM)
pubmed_find_related: - Find similar articles, citing articles, or references for a PMID
pubmed_spell_check: - Correct a misspelled PubMed query via NCBI ESpell
pubmed_lookup_mesh: - Look up MeSH headings with tree numbers, scope notes, and entry terms
pubmed_lookup_citation: - Resolve partial references, up to 25 at a time, to PMIDs via ECitMatch
pubmed_convert_ids: - Convert between DOI, PMID, and PMCID via the PMC ID Converter

Latest releases

v2.10.19 · 2026-09-28

Retraction notices, input validation, clearer failure reasons · pubmed_fetch_articles returns commentsCorrections[]: the retraction, erratum, and comment notices NCBI links to a record, listed ahead of the abstract…

v2.10.18 · 2026-09-23

Europe PMC pacer, NCBI request gap, OpenAlex error codes · Europe PMC request queue moves onto the framework pacer, with retries outside it: a backoff no longer holds one of the four concurrency slots, every attempt is…

v2.10.17 · 2026-09-23

fetch_fulltext budget cuts, section titles, DOI matching · pubmed_fetch_fulltext reads a figure's or supplementary file's pointer from <alternatives>, preferring the rendering marked for the web (#142)…

04 · Who maintains Pubmed MCP Server

pubmed-mcp-server is maintained by cyanheads. We track 137 MCP servers from cyanheads - 131 actively maintained, 1,856 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Dec 2024. Full record: all servers from cyanheads.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server
category: science & health - ranked #65 of 75 actively-maintained science & health servers as of 2026-09-30.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-28)
registry: io.github.cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server (active, first published 2025-09-15 · 91 versions)
packages: npm:@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server · npm:@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server

06 · Pubmed MCP Server FAQ

Is Pubmed MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-30, its last commit was 2026-09-28 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

What can Pubmed MCP Server do?

With this server connected, an agent can fetch article metadata by PMID: abstract, authors, journal, MeSH terms, grants, linked retraction and correction notices, fetch full text by PMID, PMCID, or DOI, falling back from PMC to Europe PMC to Unpaywall, fetch complete Europe PMC records, including the untruncated abstract, by source + epmcId, and format citations in APA 7th, MLA 9th, BibTeX, RIS, or Vancouver (ICMJE/NLM).

How do I install Pubmed MCP Server?

Run `npx -y @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server`. The README documents 3 environment variables (MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, NCBI_API_KEY) to set first. Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, NCBI_API_KEY before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Pubmed MCP Server require authentication?

No - the endpoint accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize when probed on 2026-09-30; you can connect without credentials.

07 · Alternatives to Pubmed MCP Server

Alternatives to Pubmed MCP Server

Maintained science & health servers if Pubmed MCP Server isn't the fit.

More science & health MCP servers · Who Gho MCP Server · Cytoscape Desktop MCP · Apple Health MCP · Eight Sleep MCP · Fitbitmcp

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