paper-download

Command: auto-paper-download (from https://github.com/jxtse/auto-paper-harvester).

0. Install once

auto-paper-download --help >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
  uv tool install git+https://github.com/jxtse/auto-paper-harvester   # or: pipx install git+...
auto-paper-download doctor

doctor prints three lines, one per download step:

1. Open access (OpenAlex / Unpaywall / Crossref). Needs an e-mail address, sent to those APIs as a contact. If the line starts with --, ask the user which e-mail to use, then write it to ~/.auto-paper-download/.env as OPENALEX_MAILTO=, UNPAYWALL_EMAIL= and CROSSREF_MAILTO= (one per line). Do not invent an address.
2. Publisher TDM APIs (Elsevier / Wiley / Springer). Optional. Without a key that step is skipped. Never ask the user to paste keys into the chat; suggest auto-paper-download ui, which stores them locally.
3. Browser (the user's own Chrome via the Playwright Extension). Optional and manual: the user installs the extension, logs in to their library, and pastes the token in auto-paper-download ui. Only use it if doctor shows it ready.

1. Download

auto-paper-download get 10.1016/j.jocs.2020.101171 10.5194/npg-20-705-2013 -o papers --json
auto-paper-download get --file refs.txt -o papers --json          # any text with DOIs in it
auto-paper-download get --file refs.txt -o papers --json --browser extension   # step 3 on

• Tell the user first: how many DOIs, where the files go, whether step 3 is on.
• Add --browser extension only if doctor line 3 is OK and the user agreed to use their Chrome. It opens one tab. If a CAPTCHA does not clear by itself the paper is skipped and the site cools down for 24 h. Never solve a CAPTCHA for the user.
• Daily caps and per-site pacing are on by default (ledger at ~/.auto-paper-download/ledger.sqlite). Do not pass --no-ledger or raise limits unless the user asks. A rate_limited or host_limited reason means "try again tomorrow".
• Download only papers the user selected. If the list has more than ~50 DOIs, confirm first.

2. Report

--json prints {"requested", "pdfs", "failed": [{"doi", "reason"}], "output_dir"}. Report: <pdfs>/<requested> saved to <output_dir>, then each failed DOI with its reason in plain words:

reason contains	tell the user
no_source / all sources DownloadError	no open copy found; a TDM key or step 3 may get it
rate_limited / host_limited / cooldown	daily limit or a site cooling down; retry later
challenge	the site showed a bot check; it was not solved
auth_redirect	their browser is not logged in to the library

Files: <output_dir>/<doi_slug>/<doi_slug>.pdf plus any supplementary PDFs next to it. Existing files are skipped on re-runs.

More: auto-paper-download get -h, and the repo README.