About Valyu MCP Server
Valyu MCP Server is an MCP tool that lets AI models retrieve context from the Valyu API, with search over Wikipedia, arXiv papers and the web. It suits users who need research or finance literature alongside general sources.
Key features
- 01Context retrieval through the Valyu API
- 02Full search over Wikipedia
- 03Search over arXiv papers
- 04Web search
Use cases
- 01Finding recent papers on topics such as reinforcement learning
- 02Retrieving research and finance literature for analysis
- 03Supplying web and encyclopedia context to AI models
MCP support
This project is an MCP server that exposes search tools to MCP clients such as Claude Desktop, which call the Valyu API through it.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
We haven’t collected a package or remote endpoint for this server. Follow the instructions in the project README.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEValyu MCP Server
The Valyu MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool that enables AI models to retrieve high-quality context from Valyu's API, including full search capabilities over Wikipedia, arXiv papers (great for finance, research, etc.), and web search.
Prerequisites
Before setting up the MCP server, ensure you have the following:
- Python 3.10+
- Claude Desktop (latest version)
- Valyu API Key (Get one from Valyu Exchange)
To check your Python version, run:
python --version
Installation & Configuration
Option 1: Automated Setup (Recommended)
- Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ValyuNetwork/valyu-mcp.git
cd valyu-mcp
- Run the setup script
chmod +x setup.sh
./setup.sh
The setup script will:
- Create and activate a virtual environment
- Install all dependencies
- Prompt you for your Valyu API key
- Create the necessary .env file
- Provide instructions for updating your Claude Desktop configuration
Option 2: Manual Setup
If you prefer to set up manually or the automated setup doesn't work for your environment, follow these steps:
- Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ValyuNetwork/valyu-mcp.git
cd valyu-mcp
- Create a virtual environment and activate it
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # macOS/Linux
.venv\Scripts\activate # Windows
- Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
- Create a
.envfile in the project root:
echo "VALYU_API_KEY=your-api-key-here" > .env
-
Open your Claude Desktop config file for editing:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
If the config file doesn't exist:
- Open Claude Desktop
- Go to Settings
- Enable Developer Mode in the Developer tab
- The config file will be generated automatically
You can open this file in VS Code using:
code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json # macOS code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json # Windows (PowerShell) - macOS:
-
Add the following entry under
mcpServers:
{
"mcpServers": {
"valyu-mcp": {
"command": "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/.venv/bin/python",
"args": ["-u", "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/valyu-mcp.py"],
"env": {
"VALYU_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}
Running the MCP Server
- Start the server manually (for testing):
python valyu-mcp.py
- Start Claude Desktop and verify the MCP tool is recognized:
- Look for the
valyu-mcptool in the Claude interface. - Test a query in Claude (e.g., "What are the latest papers on reinforcement learning?").
- Look for the
Testing and Debugging
Check logs if you encounter issues:
tail -n 20 -F ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log # macOS
Get-Content $env:APPDATA\Claude\Logs\mcp_valyu-mcp.log -Wait # Windows
Troubleshooting
ModuleNotFoundError: Ensure your virtual environment is activated before running the script.- Server doesn't start: Check paths in
claude_desktop_config.json. - No results from Valyu API: Verify your API key is valid and has credits.
Free Credits & API Access
Sign up at Valyu Exchange and claim your $10 free credits to test Valyu API with the MCP server.
Contributing
Pull requests are welcome! Feel free to open an issue for bug reports or feature requests.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
For more information about what we are building at Valyu, visit valyu.network. And check out our blogs at valyu.network/blog.
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.