Get metadata for an academic paper by its ID without downloading full content. Returns title, authors, abstract, publication date, journal info, and download URLs. Supports ArXiv, OpenAlex, and OSF IDs.
AI agents call get_paper_metadata_by_id to retrieve information from Paperclip without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This is a straightforward read operation that queries and returns metadata about academic papers. It has no capability to create, modify, delete, or execute operations. The retrieval of bibliographic metadata poses minimal security risk, making this a low-severity Read categorization.
From the tool's definition The tool 'Get metadata for an academic paper by its ID without downloading full content' retrieves structured information (title, authors, abstract, publication date, journal info, and download URLs) with no side effects or ability to modify data.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_paper_metadata_by_id gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Paperclip, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_paper_metadata_by_id:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_paper_metadata_by_id": {}
}
}get_paper_metadata_by_id is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get metadata for an academic paper by its ID without downloading full content. Returns title, authors, abstract, publication date, journal info, and download URLs. Supports ArXiv, OpenAlex, and OSF IDs. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Paperclip MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Paperclip MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_paper_metadata_by_id: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Paperclip. Nothing to install.
get_paper_metadata_by_id is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_paper_metadata_by_id rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_paper_metadata_by_id. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
get_paper_metadata_by_id is provided by the Paperclip MCP server (matsjfunke/paperclip). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Paperclip, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
5 Paperclip tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.