# How to integrate OpenAlex MCP with Hermes

```json
{
  "title": "How to integrate OpenAlex MCP with Hermes",
  "toolkit": "OpenAlex",
  "toolkit_slug": "openalex",
  "framework": "Hermes",
  "framework_slug": "hermes-agent",
  "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/openalex/framework/hermes-agent",
  "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/openalex/framework/hermes-agent.md",
  "updated_at": "2026-08-28T05:40:00.909Z"
}
```

## Introduction

Hermes is a 24/7 autonomous agent that lives on your computer or server — it remembers what it learns and evolves as your usage grows.
This guide explains the easiest and most robust way to connect your OpenAlex account to Hermes. You can do this through either Composio Connect CLI or Composio Connect MCP. For personal use we recommend the CLI, but you won't go wrong with MCP either.

## Also integrate OpenAlex with

- [ChatGPT Work](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openalex/framework/chatgpt)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openalex/framework/claude-cowork)

## TL;DR

### What is Composio Connect?
Composio Connect is a consumer offering that lets anyone plug 1,000+ applications directly into their agent harness — including Hermes. It can:
- Search and load tools from relevant toolkits on-demand, reducing context usage.
- Chain multiple tools to accomplish complex workflows via a remote workbench, without excessive back-and-forth with the LLM.
- Manage app authentication end-to-end with zero manual overhead.

## Connect OpenAlex to Hermes

### Integrating OpenAlex with Hermes
### Using Composio Connect CLI
1. Install the Composio CLI
Run the install script directly, or paste https://composio.dev/hermes into your Hermes chat box to have it installed for you.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://composio.dev/install | bash
```

## What is the OpenAlex MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The OpenAlex MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your OpenAlex account. It provides structured and secure access so your agent can perform OpenAlex operations on your behalf.

## Supported Tools

| Tool slug | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `OPENALEX_ADD_COLLECTION_ENTITIES` | Add Collection Entities | Bulk-add one or more matching OpenAlex entity IDs to an owned collection without duplicating existing memberships. |
| `OPENALEX_AUTOCOMPLETE_ENTITIES` | Autocomplete Entities | Resolve a partial name or title to likely OpenAlex entity IDs before filtering or retrieving metadata. |
| `OPENALEX_CREATE_COLLECTION` | Create Collection | Create a private, single-entity-type OpenAlex collection, optionally with an initial bounded set of entity IDs. |
| `OPENALEX_DELETE_COLLECTION` | Delete Collection | Permanently delete exactly one owned private OpenAlex collection and all of its collection memberships. This does not delete the underlying OpenAlex entities. |
| `OPENALEX_DOWNLOAD_WORK_CONTENT` | Download Work Content | Download an OpenAlex-cached PDF or gzipped GROBID TEI file for a work. Choose the format matching the work's has_content flags. Each call currently costs $0.01, and source copyright terms still apply. |
| `OPENALEX_GET_COLLECTION` | Get Collection | Get metadata for one private OpenAlex collection owned by the connected user. |
| `OPENALEX_GET_ENTITY` | Get Metadata Entity | Retrieve one OpenAlex work, author, source, institution, topic, keyword, publisher, funder, award, taxonomy item, country, continent, or language by its supported identifier. Returns the provider's entity object directly; use select to limit its top-level fields. |
| `OPENALEX_GET_RATE_LIMIT_STATUS` | Get Rate Limit Status | Validate the connected OpenAlex API key and inspect daily budget, prepaid balance, reset timing, and current endpoint costs before expensive queries or downloads. |
| `OPENALEX_LIST_COLLECTION_ENTITIES` | List Collection Entities | List one page of entity IDs in an owned private collection together with collection metadata and page totals. |
| `OPENALEX_LIST_MY_COLLECTIONS` | List My Collections | List private OpenAlex collections owned by the connected API-key user, optionally finding collections that contain an entity. |
| `OPENALEX_QUERY_ENTITIES` | Query Metadata Entities | Search, filter, sort, sample, select, or group one OpenAlex metadata resource other than works, including authors, venues, organizations, taxonomy, geography, awards, and enumerations. Returns one cursor-controlled page. |
| `OPENALEX_QUERY_WORKS` | Query Works | Search, filter, sort, sample, select, or group scholarly works. Returns one cursor-controlled page and its OpenAlex query cost; use the snapshot for whole-catalog exports. |
| `OPENALEX_REMOVE_COLLECTION_ENTITIES` | Remove Collection Entities | Bulk-remove one or more entity memberships from an owned private OpenAlex collection without deleting the underlying OpenAlex entities. |
| `OPENALEX_UPDATE_COLLECTION` | Update Collection | Update a private collection's name or description, or change its entity type while the collection is empty. Provide at least one of display_name, description, or entity_type. |

## Supported Triggers

None listed.

## Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK

The OpenAlex MCP server provides comprehensive access to OpenAlex operations through Composio. Once connected, Hermes can perform all major OpenAlex actions on your behalf using natural language commands.

## Complete Code

None listed.

## Conclusion

### Way Forward
With OpenAlex connected, Hermes can now act on your behalf whenever it detects a relevant task or you ask it to.
From here, you can extend Hermes further:
- Connect more apps: Calendar, Slack, Notion, Linear, and hundreds of others are available through the same Composio Connect setup. Each new integration compounds what Hermes can do for you.
- Build workflows across tools: Once multiple apps are connected, Hermes can chain actions together — turn an email into a calendar invite, a Slack message into a Linear ticket, or a meeting note into a follow-up draft.
- Let it learn your patterns: The more you use Hermes, the better it gets at anticipating how you'd handle recurring tasks. Give it feedback on drafts and decisions, and it will adapt.
If you run into trouble or want to share what you've built, join the [community](https://discord.com/invite/composio) or check out the [Docs](https://docs.composio.dev?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_template&utm_campaign=hermes&utm_content=docs) for deeper configuration options.

## How to build OpenAlex MCP Agent with another framework

- [ChatGPT Work](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openalex/framework/chatgpt)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openalex/framework/claude-cowork)

## Related Toolkits

- [Firecrawl](https://composio.dev/toolkits/firecrawl) - Firecrawl automates large-scale web crawling and data extraction. It helps organizations efficiently gather, index, and analyze content from online sources.
- [Tavily](https://composio.dev/toolkits/tavily) - Tavily offers powerful search and data retrieval from documents, databases, and the web. It helps teams locate and filter information instantly, saving hours on research.
- [Exa](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa) - Exa is a data extraction and search platform for gathering and analyzing information from websites, APIs, or databases. It helps teams quickly surface insights and automate data-driven workflows.
- [Serpapi](https://composio.dev/toolkits/serpapi) - SerpApi is a real-time API for structured search engine results. It lets you automate SERP data collection, parsing, and analysis for SEO and research.
- [Peopledatalabs](https://composio.dev/toolkits/peopledatalabs) - Peopledatalabs delivers B2B data enrichment and identity resolution APIs. Supercharge your apps with accurate, up-to-date business and contact data.
- [Snowflake](https://composio.dev/toolkits/snowflake) - Snowflake is a cloud data warehouse built for elastic scaling, secure data sharing, and fast SQL analytics across major clouds.
- [Posthog](https://composio.dev/toolkits/posthog) - PostHog is an open-source analytics platform for tracking user interactions and product metrics. It helps teams refine features, analyze funnels, and reduce churn with actionable insights.
- [Ahrefs MCP](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ahrefs_mcp) - Ahrefs MCP is Ahrefs' hosted MCP server for SEO data and insights. Use it to access backlinks, organic metrics, keyword research, and competitor analysis.
- [Amplitude](https://composio.dev/toolkits/amplitude) - Amplitude is a digital analytics platform for product and behavioral data insights. It helps teams analyze user journeys and make data-driven decisions quickly.
- [Bing Webmaster Tools](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bing_webmaster_tools) - Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft's search console for site performance, crawling, indexing, URL submission, and verified site management. It helps site owners understand Bing Search visibility and fix issues that affect organic traffic.
- [Bread & Butter](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bread_butter) - Bread & Butter is a lead-intelligence and identity platform for website visitor tracking, user profiles, attribution, authentication, and conversion workflows. It helps teams understand who is visiting, where leads come from, and how users convert.
- [Bright Data MCP](https://composio.dev/toolkits/brightdata_mcp) - Bright Data MCP is an AI-powered web scraping and data collection platform. Instantly access public web data in real time with advanced scraping tools.
- [Browseai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/browseai) - Browseai is a web automation and data extraction platform that turns any website into an API. It's perfect for monitoring websites and retrieving structured data without manual scraping.
- [BSC Designer](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bsc_designer) - BSC Designer is a strategy execution platform for balanced scorecards, KPIs, dashboards, and strategy maps. It helps teams turn goals into measurable performance plans they can track over time.
- [Chameleon](https://composio.dev/toolkits/chameleon) - Chameleon is a product adoption platform for building in-app experiences, managing customer data, and analyzing user engagement. It helps teams improve onboarding, feature discovery, and product adoption with targeted user experiences.
- [ClickHouse](https://composio.dev/toolkits/clickhouse) - ClickHouse is an open-source, column-oriented database for real-time analytics and big data processing using SQL. Its lightning-fast query performance makes it ideal for handling large datasets and delivering instant insights.
- [ClickHouse MCP](https://composio.dev/toolkits/clickhouse_mcp) - ClickHouse MCP is ClickHouse Cloud's managed observability query service via the ClickStack MCP server. Use it to run fast analytical queries against observability data with managed access.
- [Coinmarketcal](https://composio.dev/toolkits/coinmarketcal) - CoinMarketCal is a community-powered crypto calendar for upcoming events, announcements, and releases. It helps traders track market-moving developments and stay ahead in the crypto space.
- [Control d](https://composio.dev/toolkits/control_d) - Control d is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic redirection platform. It helps you manage internet access, enforce policies, and monitor usage across devices and networks.
- [Databox](https://composio.dev/toolkits/databox) - Databox is a business analytics platform that connects your data from any tool and device. It helps you track KPIs, build dashboards, and discover actionable insights.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and OpenAlex MCP?

With a standalone OpenAlex MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of OpenAlex tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from OpenAlex and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

### Can I use Tool Router MCP with Hermes?

Yes, you can. Hermes fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right OpenAlex tools.

### Can I manage the permissions and scopes for OpenAlex while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which OpenAlex scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

### How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your OpenAlex data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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