Be the first to get access to new connectors. Get early access →
ConnectorBay Early access

NCBI Entrez (PubMed) (BYOK) — connector documentation

  • MCP endpoint: https://byok-ncbieutils.connectorbay.com/mcp
  • REST API: POST https://byok-ncbieutils.connectorbay.com/v1/tools/{tool_name}, described by the OpenAPI 3.1 spec at https://byok-ncbieutils.connectorbay.com/openapi.json
  • Transport: Streamable HTTP, stateless, MCP specification 2025-06-18 or later
  • Authentication: your own NCBI Entrez (PubMed) NCBI API key, sent in the X-Upstream-Key header of every request (never stored, logged or cached)
  • Health: https://byok-ncbieutils.connectorbay.com/health · Tool schemas: https://byok-ncbieutils.connectorbay.com/tools.json
  • Publisher: Unify Dynamics LLC · connectorbay.com/byok-ncbieutils · agent@connectorbay.com

What NCBI Entrez (PubMed) (BYOK) is for

NCBI Entrez (PubMed) (BYOK) lets an AI assistant read your own NCBI Entrez (PubMed) data through the NCBI Entrez (PubMed) API with a key you supply (NCBI API key). Read-only: 5 tools (search_records, get_summaries, list_databases, get_database_info, find_links). The BYOK key travels with each request, is used for that one call only and is never stored, logged or cached; it is only ever sent to eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Unofficial connector by Unify Dynamics LLC: not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by NCBI Entrez (PubMed). NCBI Entrez (PubMed) and its logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to say which service the connector works with.

Ask your assistant things like:

  • "Find PubMed articles about CRISPR in sickle cell disease from 2023"
  • "Summarize PubMed records 37000001 and 37000002"
  • "Which NCBI Entrez databases can I search?"
  • "Which search fields does the pubmed database have?"
  • "Which articles are related to PubMed record 37000001?"

What it does

  • search_records: Search an Entrez database (PubMed by default) with an Entrez query such as 'covid[Title] AND 2023[pdat]' and list the matching record ids (PMIDs for PubMed), the total count and how the query was interpreted. For PubMed only the first 10,000 matches can be paged. Keyed requests may make up to 10 per second (3 per second without a key).
  • get_summaries: Get document summaries (title, authors, journal, date and identifiers for PubMed) for up to 50 record ids of one Entrez database. Keyed requests may make up to 10 per second (3 per second without a key).
  • list_databases: List the names of all Entrez databases that the E-utilities can query. Keyed requests may make up to 10 per second (3 per second without a key).
  • get_database_info: Describe one Entrez database: record count, last update, searchable fields with their tags, and link names. Keyed requests may make up to 10 per second (3 per second without a key).
  • find_links: Find records linked to given records, within or across Entrez databases (for example PubMed articles related to a PMID, or the gene records of an article). Keyed requests may make up to 10 per second (3 per second without a key).

BYOK key

You bring your own NCBI Entrez (PubMed) NCBI API key (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/account/settings/). Your assistant sends it in the X-Upstream-Key header with each request. ConnectorBay uses it for that one call only: it is never stored, logged or cached, never shown in an answer, and it is only sent to eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov over https, with no redirects followed. Create a key with the fewest permissions the tools need (read-only if the provider offers it), and revoke it at the provider whenever you like.

Data sources

Live from the NCBI Entrez (PubMed) API (eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) with a BYOK key; documentation: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK25499/. Endpoints checked against that documentation on 2026-10-16.

What it is not

Unofficial connector by Unify Dynamics LLC: not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by NCBI Entrez (PubMed). NCBI Entrez (PubMed) and its logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to say which service the connector works with. It is read-only: it never creates, changes, sends or deletes anything in your NCBI Entrez (PubMed) account.

Built for: Worldwide. Languages: English.