Direct API

MCP server URL

https://mcp.valency.io/

For developers

Use this guide to build an integration or connect an MCP client with a bearer token. For clients that support OAuth, use one of the supported platforms or the general MCP client guide.

Connection details

Setting	Value
Transport	Streamable HTTP
Authentication	Bearer token in the Authorization header
Request format	MCP JSON-RPC

Setup

1. Get your bearer token from your Settings page (opens in new tab) in the Valency app.

2. Configure your MCP client or SDK with the server URL above, the Streamable HTTP transport, and this header:

   Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN

   Replace YOUR_TOKEN with your token. Clients may call this setting Headers, Bearer token, or API token; follow your client's configuration format. An MCP SDK handles initialization and protocol version negotiation for you.

3. Connect and call the list_sources tool. A returned source list confirms that authenticated tool calls work. You can then use the MCP endpoint reference to choose tools and their arguments.

You're connected

You received Valency's source list. Your integration can now call tools to search and analyze papers.

Optional: test the handshake with curl

To check your URL and token without configuring a client, send an initialization request:

curl --fail-with-body -sS https://mcp.valency.io/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2025-11-25","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"api-check","version":"1.0.0"}}}'

Expect a response containing result.protocolVersion, result.capabilities, and result.serverInfo. This checks initialization; use your MCP client or SDK to verify a tool call.

The example uses 2025-11-25, a protocol version supported by Valency. If you implement MCP over raw HTTP, follow the MCP lifecycle (opens in new tab): read the negotiated version, send notifications/initialized, and include the negotiated MCP-Protocol-Version header on subsequent requests.

Troubleshooting

Token rejected?

Check that you copied the full token and that your client sends Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN on every request. A successful health check does not verify your token. If authenticated requests still fail, report the issue without including your token.

Cannot reach the server?

Open the health check (opens in new tab) in your browser, or run:

curl --fail-with-body -sS https://mcp.valency.io/health

The health check requires no token. A successful response confirms the health endpoint is reachable; it does not confirm that your integration can call MCP tools. If it fails, check your network and report the issue.

Need help?

See Troubleshooting or report an issue with your client or SDK name, version, and the error you received.