Search EUR-Lex, fetch parsed EU legislation and case law, explore the citation graph.

How do I install LexAPI?

Install LexAPI via npm from https://registry.npmjs.org, then add the server config to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code).

Is LexAPI open source?

Yes, LexAPI is open source under the MIT license. Source code is available at https://github.com/Lex-API/lexapi-mcp.

What category does LexAPI belong to?

LexAPI is listed under Search & Knowledge MCP servers on MCPFind.

LexAPI — MCP Server for Search & Knowledge

LexAPI MCP

Model Context Protocol server for LexAPI — query EUR-Lex, EU case law, and the citation graph from Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-enabled clients.

Install once, get an API key, and ask your AI assistant: "summarize Article 17 of the GDPR" or "which regulations amend Directive 95/46/EC?" — the model calls LexAPI directly.

Install

You'll need a LexAPI API key. Create one for free at lex-api.com/dashboard (500 credits/month on the FREE tier, no card required).

Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json (location: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lexapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@lexapi/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LEXAPI_API_KEY": "lex_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop.

Claude Code

claude mcp add lexapi --env LEXAPI_API_KEY=lex_... -- npx -y @lexapi/mcp

Cursor / other MCP clients

Any client that supports stdio MCP servers can run this. The command is npx -y @lexapi/mcp with LEXAPI_API_KEY in the environment.

Tools

Tool	What it does
`lex_search`	Structured EUR-Lex search (text, dates, document type, author, language).
`lex_get_document`	Full parsed document by CELEX — metadata + articles, sections, tables, annexes.
`lex_get_metadata`	Metadata only (faster than full content).
`lex_get_document_by_url`	Fetch by EUR-Lex URL (pasted from a browser).
`lex_recent_documents`	Recent Official Journal publications (default 7 days).
`lex_cited_by`	Documents citing this CELEX (inbound, typed edges).
`lex_cites`	Documents this CELEX cites (outbound, typed edges).
`lex_citation_network`	Both directions in one call.
`lex_semantic_case_law`	Embedding search over EU case law (paid plans).
`lex_semantic_legislation`	Embedding search over EU legislation (paid plans).

Configuration

Env var	Default	Purpose
`LEXAPI_API_KEY`	(required)	Your API key. Get one at lex-api.com/dashboard.
`LEXAPI_BASE_URL`	`https://lex-api.com/api/v1`	Override for self-hosted or staging.

Troubleshooting

LEXAPI_API_KEY is not set — the env var isn't reaching the spawned process. Double-check the env block in your MCP client config.

LexAPI error (401 invalid_api_key) — the key is wrong or revoked. Generate a new one at the dashboard.

LexAPI error (429 …) — you hit your daily quota or per-minute rate limit. The server retries once automatically; if you see this in tool output, you're over quota. Upgrade your plan or wait for reset.

LexAPI error (403 …) on semantic tools — semantic search requires a paid plan. FREE tier returns 403 for those endpoints.

Local development

git clone https://github.com/Lex-API/lexapi-mcp.git
cd lexapi-mcp
npm install
npm run build

LEXAPI_API_KEY=lex_xxx node dist/index.js

License

MIT

Set up in your AI client

AI clientOperating system

Merge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-github-lex-api-lexapi-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@lexapi/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.

Claude Desktop setup reference

Compatible MCP Clients

LexAPI works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.

Claude Desktop~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.

Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect.

VS Code.vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.

Windsurf~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect.

Claude Code.mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.

LexAPI