MCP paperswithcode: MCP server, setup and security

What MCP paperswithcode does

According to its repository: “Search papers via the Papers with Code API.”

An MCP server gives an AI agent extra tools it calls during the conversation: the agent reads their description, decides to use them and gets the result back. MCP paperswithcode is listed under Web search and extraction, a category of 159 servers in the directory, where it ranks #83 by stars.

Installing and connecting MCP paperswithcode

No package or remote server is declared in the official MCP registry: you install it from source, following the repository README.

Like any MCP server, you declare it in your client's configuration (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex…): a name, the command that starts it or its URL, and any environment variables. The client then starts it and lists its tools. Project language: Python.

Security: what to check

An MCP server runs code with the rights you give it, and the model reads its tool descriptions: a malicious or compromised server can hijack the agent. Read the code, or pick a maintained and widely used server, before connecting it.

Points found for MCP paperswithcode:

• Maintenance: no commit for 17 months. Possible flaws and protocol changes are no longer tracked.

Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.

Project activity and maintenance

Created on March 16, 2025, the hbg/mcp-paperswithcode repository has 26 stars and 10 forks, with 1 open issues. It has more stars than 42% of the servers in the directory. Last change 17 months ago.

Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.