Connected Papers

Builds visual graphs of related academic papers from one seed paper

NOT REALLY · consider alternatives
price variesestimated build time not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two daysreplaced by 0 people

Do not mistake the interface for the product. Connected Papers's durable value is data, import reliability, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • team libraries and institutional access
  • licensed scholarly metadata
  • publisher-specific import reliability
  • citation graph scale

Why people still pay

Connected Papers: Researchers pay for correct metadata, resilient importers, citation coverage, and workflows that survive publisher and browser changes.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Node.js 22
  • browser automation for user-authorized imports
  • optional OpenAI API key stored in .env
  • Explicit README warning that this is a consolation build, not a production replacement
01
Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite + Playwright.
02
Model source URLs, saved items, reading state, annotations, and exports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
03
Interface for this paper graphing workflow: a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views.
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1, architecture and data

Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite + Playwright. Model source URLs, saved items, reading state, annotations, and exports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.

2

Phase 2, implement

For paper graphing, accept a user-supplied URL or file and save its original URL, fetch time, and content hash.

3

Phase 3, implement

Extract readable content, deduplicate imports, and preserve notes or highlights by stable source position.

4

Phase 4, review and output

Search the saved collection and export an item with its source metadata.

5

Phase 5, recovery and acceptance

Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: An unreachable URL keeps its bookmark and error state; duplicate imports must not discard existing highlights. State the practical limit: team libraries and institutional access.

the pro prompt
Build me a focused paper graphing workflow for the personal core of Connected Papers. Requirements:

- Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite + Playwright. Model source URLs, saved items, reading state, annotations, and exports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
- Paid product context: Builds visual graphs of related academic papers from one seed paper. Build only this DIY scope: Build a private paper graphing workspace that imports user-supplied URLs or files, extracts metadata, supports notes, and searches the local corpus.
- For paper graphing, accept a user-supplied URL or file and save its original URL, fetch time, and content hash.
- Extract readable content, deduplicate imports, and preserve notes or highlights by stable source position.
- Search the saved collection and export an item with its source metadata.
- Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: browser automation for user-authorized imports; optional OpenAI API key stored in .env. Keep credentials in .env.
- Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: An unreachable URL keeps its bookmark and error state; duplicate imports must not discard existing highlights.
- Out of scope: team libraries and institutional access; licensed scholarly metadata. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow.
- Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

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Alternatives to building your own

IncitefulA citation graph from one seed paper, plus a useful trick for connecting two distant ones.$0free↗ResearchRabbitCitation chasing with a map, free until your review becomes industrial.$0free↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Connected Papers pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0/user$0/user5 paper graphs/month.
academic—$6/userUnlimited paper graphs; academic, nonprofit and personal use.Annual-only: $72/year.
business—$20/userUnlimited paper graphs; commercial use.Annual-only: $240/year.

free tier5 paper graphs/month

billingannual only for paid plans; no month-to-month plan

hidden costscommercial use requires the $240/year Business plan rather than Academic

pricing sources checked 2026-08-13 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Connected Papers

Can you build your own Connected Papers with AI?

A full replacement is not the recommended project. Do not mistake the interface for the product. Connected Papers's durable value is data, import reliability, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

What does the Connected Papers build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Build a private paper graphing workspace that imports user-supplied URLs or files, extracts metadata, supports notes, and searches the local corpus. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: team libraries and institutional access; licensed scholarly metadata; publisher-specific import reliability. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Connected Papers prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Connected Papers project take?

The catalogue estimate is not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two days for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Connected Papers?

team libraries and institutional access; licensed scholarly metadata; publisher-specific import reliability; citation graph scale. Connected Papers: Researchers pay for correct metadata, resilient importers, citation coverage, and workflows that survive publisher and browser changes.

What can I use instead of building Connected Papers?

Inciteful: A citation graph from one seed paper, plus a useful trick for connecting two distant ones. ResearchRabbit: Citation chasing with a map, free until your review becomes industrial. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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