Configuration Reference¶
ads-mcp is configured entirely through environment variables. The
recommended approach is to place them in a .env file next to wherever
you run the server; the server loads this file automatically via
python-dotenv.
Variables¶
ADS_API_TOKEN (required)¶
Your ADS API bearer token. Obtain one at https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/user/settings/token.
ADS_API_TOKEN=your_key_here
Warning
Keep this value secret. Do not commit it to version control.
ADS_MCP_LOG_LEVEL (optional)¶
Python log level for the server process.
Value |
Effect |
|---|---|
|
Very verbose output; useful for development |
|
Informational messages |
|
(default) Warnings and errors only |
|
Errors only |
ADS_MCP_LOG_LEVEL=WARNING
Rate limits¶
ADS API access is rate-limited per endpoint (typically 5,000 requests per
day for search). The HTTP response headers X-RateLimit-Limit,
X-RateLimit-Remaining, and X-RateLimit-Reset report the current status.
If you exceed the limit you will receive an ADSError with status 429.
Contact adshelp@cfa.harvard.edu if you need higher limits for a
research project.