| name | arx-paper-fetch |
| description | Add arXiv papers to arx by queueing downloads through arxd and tracking the durable download queue. |
arx-paper-fetch
Use this skill when a user wants a paper added to the local arx cache, needs PDF or TeX source material, or needs to know how arx downloading works.
Workflow
- Start with
lookup_arxiv_papers for the target ids. Confirm which material is already cached and which material is missing.
- Call
fetch_arxiv_paper only for missing material that is actually needed. It queues work through arxd and returns immediately with a job id.
- Tell the user that queued work runs in the background. Do not assume the PDF or source is ready until the queue says so.
- Call
get_arxiv_download_queue_status with the returned job_id to inspect one job, or with include_finished: true to see completed and failed jobs after arxd exits.
- After a completed download, use
lookup_arxiv_papers again to refresh readiness, then use full_text_search when the task requires paper text.
Notes
arxd enforces the shared arXiv request delay across CLI and MCP clients.
- Finished job records are durable across
arxd restarts, so include_finished: true is the reliable default for follow-up checks.
- Do not queue downloads when metadata is enough for the user's task.
- If a job fails, report the failure reason from the queue status and avoid retry loops unless the user asks.