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zotero-mcp

MCP.Pizza Chef: kujenga

Three read-only tools do the whole job: search the library by keyword, pull the complete record for one item, and read the text of an attached PDF. It can talk to the Zotero app on your own computer, which involves no key and no sign-up at all, or to your online Zotero account, which needs a free key and your library number. Nothing in your library can be added, edited, or removed through it.

Files/PDF
Web/Research

Use This MCP server To

Find everything in my library about one topic Read a paper I saved months ago and summarise it Pull the full details of a reference for a citation Check what I already have before hunting for new sources Compare two saved papers against each other Search inside my PDFs, not just their titles

README

Model Context Protocol server for Zotero

GitHub branch status PyPI - Version

This project is a python server that implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Zotero, giving you access to your Zotero library within AI assistants. It is intended to implement a small but maximally useful set of interactions with Zotero for use with MCP clients.

Zotero Server MCP server

Features

This MCP server provides the following tools:

  • zotero_search_items: Search for items in your Zotero library using a text query
  • zotero_item_metadata: Get the complete metadata for a specific Zotero item, covering every populated field grouped into publication details, identifiers, timestamps, and library information
  • zotero_item_fulltext: Get the full text of a specific Zotero item (i.e. PDF contents)

These can be discovered and accessed through any MCP client or through the MCP Inspector.

Each tool returns formatted text containing relevant information from your Zotero items, and AI assistants such as Claude can use them sequentially, searching for items then retrieving their metadata or text content.

Installation

This server can either run against either a local API offered by the Zotero desktop application) or through the Zotero Web API. The local API can be a bit more responsive, but requires that the Zotero app be running on the same computer with the API enabled. To enable the local API, do the following steps:

  1. Open Zotero and open "Zotero Settings"
  2. Under the "Advanced" tab, check the box that says "Allow other applications on this computer to communicate with Zotero".

To use the Zotero Web API, you'll need to create an API key and find your Library ID (usually your User ID) in your Zotero account settings here: https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys

These are the available configuration options:

  • ZOTERO_LOCAL=true: Use the local Zotero API (default: false, see note below)
  • ZOTERO_API_KEY: Your Zotero API key (not required for the local API)
  • ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID: Your Zotero library ID (your user ID for user libraries, not required for the local API)
  • ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE: The type of library (user or group, default: user)

zotero-mcp FAQ

Do I need a key?
Not if Zotero is running on the same computer. Tick one box in Zotero's advanced settings and it talks to the app directly with no key and no account details. Going through your online Zotero account does need a free key and your library number.
Can I use this to summarise a paper I saved?
Yes — search for it by title or topic, then ask for its full text and a summary in one go.
Can it mess up my library?
No. All three tools only read. It cannot add an item, edit a field, change a tag, or delete anything.
Why did one of my PDFs come back with no text?
Because Zotero could not pull words out of it, which usually means a scanned image rather than a real text document. It tells you that outright rather than returning nothing.
Do I have to keep Zotero open?
For the local route, yes, the app has to be running on the same machine. The online route works whether Zotero is open or not.
I searched for a citation key and got nothing. Why?
Citation keys are only searchable through the local Zotero app. The online route does not index them, even though the field is there.
Which apps does it work in?
Claude Desktop is the documented setup, and it works in any assistant that can run a small local command. A container-based option is also provided.
How hard is setup?
Easy by the standards of this list. You paste a short config block, and it fetches the pieces it needs on first run.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free and open source, and Zotero itself is free.