papergrep

Search Google Scholar, download open-access PDFs, and query a local full-text index.

1|Updated Nov 25, 2021

Search Tags:#pdf #indexing #full-text-search #academic-research #google-scholar #papergrep

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/budmonde/dotfiles --skill papergrep

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: papergrep
Source: https://github.com/budmonde/dotfiles/tree/main/opencode/skills/papergrep
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/budmonde/dotfiles --skill papergrep

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Researchers often need to locate relevant academic papers, obtain open-access PDFs, and perform fast content search across their own library. papergrep provides an integrated workflow to do all three efficiently.

Core Features & Use Cases

Find papers via Google Scholar and review results
Download open-access PDFs into a local papers directory
Full-text search across indexed PDFs using a local database
Read cached renderings of indexed papers for quick reference

Quick Start

Search for a paper and, if open-access, download the PDF to ~/papers and index it for fast local search.

Frequently Asked Questions about papergrep

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I search Google Scholar and download open-access PDFs locally?▼

To search Google Scholar and download open-access PDFs locally, use this workflow to find papers, retrieve the PDFs, and save them directly into a designated local papers directory for offline access.

How do I perform full-text search across downloaded academic PDFs?▼

Full-text search across downloaded academic PDFs is performed by initializing a local database index with the papergrep CLI, allowing you to query the indexed content and read cached renderings of the papers.

Do I need to set up a specific directory structure before indexing PDFs?▼

Yes, you need a local papers directory initialized at ~/papers before indexing PDFs. The CLI requires this specific directory structure to operate safely and manage the local full-text search database.

What is the best way to manage academic research papers for offline access?▼

The best way to manage academic research papers for offline access is to search Google Scholar, download open-access PDFs to a local directory, and build a local full-text index for fast content querying.

Can I read cached renderings of indexed papers without the original PDF?▼

Yes, you can read cached renderings of indexed papers without the original PDF. Once the local full-text index is built using the CLI, the cached renderings are available for quick reference.

Why does full-text search on academic PDFs require a local indexing step?▼

Full-text search on academic PDFs requires a local indexing step because the CLI must process and cache the document contents into a local database to enable fast, offline content querying across the library.