# altmetric-mcp

Connects an AI agent to Altmetric APIs for tracking research attention across news, policy documents, social platforms, and other sources.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 7
- Author: altmetric
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/altmetric/altmetric-mcp
- Updated: 2026-10-14
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/altmetric-mcp

## What it does

altmetric-mcp exposes Altmetric’s Details Page API and Explorer API to an AI agent. It can inspect attention for a specific output by DOI or PubMed ID, break results down by source, and search or aggregate outputs, mentions, journals, and audience data.

The hosted option uses `https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp` and sends the user through browser-based OAuth. Available tools follow the permissions on the Altmetric account. A local setup runs through `npx` and uses Altmetric API credentials directly. Without access to an API, the related product tools cannot be provided.

The server calls Altmetric’s own APIs. X mentions expose numeric IDs, counts, and aggregate demographics, while account names and post text are withheld.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Remote server: `https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp`
- Environment variables: `ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY`, `ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY`, `ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http altmetric-mcp https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY=<ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY> --env ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY=<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY> --env ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET=<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET> --transport stdio altmetric-mcp -- npx -y altmetric-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Codex

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
codex mcp add altmetric-mcp --url https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add altmetric-mcp --env ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY=<ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY> --env ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY=<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY> --env ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET=<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET> -- npx -y altmetric-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "altmetric-mcp": {
            "url": "https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "altmetric-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "altmetric-mcp"
            ],
            "env": {
                "ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY": "<ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY>",
                "ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY": "<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY>",
                "ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET": "<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "altmetric-mcp": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "altmetric-mcp": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "altmetric-mcp"
            ],
            "env": {
                "ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY": "<ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY>",
                "ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY": "<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY>",
                "ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET": "<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Gemini CLI

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
gemini mcp add -t http altmetric-mcp https://mcp.altmetric.com/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY=<ALTMETRIC_DETAILS_API_KEY> -e ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY=<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_KEY> -e ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET=<ALTMETRIC_EXPLORER_API_SECRET> altmetric-mcp npx -y altmetric-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- look up attention for a DOI
- separate news attention from policy attention
- find research outputs cited in policy documents
- map the audience locations for a research topic

## Example prompts
- Use Altmetric to measure attention for DOI `10.1038/nature12373` and break it down by source.
- Find research outputs mentioned in policy documents during the last month.
- List my institution’s research outputs with news coverage and rank them by attention.

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