MCP Zotero

MCP Zotero

Model Context Protocol server for seamless Zotero integration with AI tools.

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MCP Zotero provides a Model Context Protocol server enabling AI models such as Claude to access and interact with Zotero libraries. Users can securely link their Zotero accounts and perform actions including listing collections, retrieving papers, searching the library, and getting details about specific items. Integration is designed for both standalone operation and as an extension for tools like Claude Desktop.

Key Features

Implements Model Context Protocol for standardized model integration
Connects directly to Zotero libraries with API key authentication
Lists and retrieves collections and items from Zotero
Search functionality across entire Zotero library
Provides detailed metadata for academic papers
Easily configurable via environment variables
Seamless integration with Claude Desktop
Supports real-time retrieval of recently added papers
CLI tool for direct control and automation
Troubleshooting and straightforward installation support

Use Cases

Automating bibliography search for research assistants using AI
Integrating Zotero references into AI-powered document writing tools
Allowing language models to recommend papers based on existing library
Enabling AI to fetch and summarize papers from personal Zotero account
Assisting academic workflows with direct Zotero-AI connectivity
Providing institutions with a unified context server for research curation
Enhancing Claude Desktop with academic library access
Supporting scientific literature management and discovery via AI
Automated retrieval and analysis of new papers in a user’s library
Enabling context-aware AI chat based on user’s research database

README

MCP Zotero

NPM Version smithery badge

A Model Context Protocol server for Zotero integration that allows Claude to interact with your Zotero library.

Setup

  1. Get your Zotero credentials:

    bash
    # First, create an API key at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys
    # Then use it to get your user ID:
    curl -H "Zotero-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" https://api.zotero.org/keys/current
    

    The response will look like:

    json
    {
      "userID": 123456,
      "username": "your_username",
      "access": {
        "user": {
          "library": true,
          "files": true,
          "notes": true,
          "write": true
        }
      }
    }
    

    The userID value is what you need.

  2. Set environment variables:

    bash
    export ZOTERO_API_KEY="your-api-key"
    export ZOTERO_USER_ID="user-id-from-curl"
    
  3. Verify your credentials:

    bash
    # Test that your credentials work:
    curl -H "Zotero-API-Key: $ZOTERO_API_KEY" \
         "https://api.zotero.org/users/$ZOTERO_USER_ID/collections"
    

    You should see your collections list in the response.

  4. Install and run:

    bash
    # Install globally (recommended)
    npm install -g mcp-zotero
    mcp-zotero
    
    # Or run directly with npx
    npx mcp-zotero
    

Integration with Claude Desktop

To use this server with Claude Desktop, add the following to your Claude Desktop configuration:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero": {
      "command": "mcp-zotero",
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": YOUR_API_KEY,
        "ZOTERO_USER_ID": YOUR_USER_ID
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

  • get_collections: List all collections in your library
  • get_collection_items: Get items in a specific collection
  • get_item_details: Get detailed information about a paper
  • search_library: Search your entire library
  • get_recent: Get recently added papers

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

  1. Verify your environment variables are set:

    bash
    echo $ZOTERO_API_KEY
    echo $ZOTERO_USER_ID
    
  2. Check the installation:

    bash
    npm list -g mcp-zotero
    
  3. Try reinstalling:

    bash
    npm uninstall -g mcp-zotero
    npm install -g mcp-zotero
    

Star History

Star History Chart

Repository Owner

kaliaboi
kaliaboi

User

Repository Details

Language TypeScript
Default Branch main
Size 23 KB
Contributors 3
License MIT License
MCP Verified Nov 12, 2025

Programming Languages

TypeScript
94.76%
Dockerfile
5.24%

Tags

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