by 54yyyu
Zotero MCP: Connects your Zotero research library with Claude and other AI assistants via the Model Context Protocol to discuss papers, get summaries, analyze citations, and more.
Repository-wide counts · Cached 2026-10-04
The Zotero MCP MCP server is a publicly available community project. Review the upstream repository for installation instructions, supported tools, compatibility, permissions, and current maintenance status.
Configuration, transport, authentication, and runtime requirements vary by project. Open the repository before connecting and use the smallest set of credentials and permissions required.
Open the Zotero MCP repository to read the latest documentation.
Compare source, connection, and authentication details before choosing an implementation.
View the complete category
wonderwhy-er
This is MCP server for Claude that gives it terminal control, file system search and diff file editing capabilities
21st-dev
It's like v0, but in your Cursor / Claude Code / Windsurf: search 10,000+ React/Tailwind components, generate new UI with AI, and publish your own — right from your editor. Magic MCP is now the 21st MCP; this package keeps old configs working. Setup: 21st.dev/mcp
Build-time snapshot · Retrieved 2026-10-05
Zotero MCP connects your Zotero research library with ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI assistants (e.g., Cherry Studio, Chorus, Cursor) via the Model Context Protocol. Search your library, read and annotate papers, add and organize items, and find research by meaning.
AI agents: read docs/for-agents.md first. It covers which route to use, setup, and the commands in one place.
zotero.sqlite; writes go to the running Zotero 10+ or through the web APIzotero-cli plus an agent skill for coding agents1. Install (Python 3.10+):
uv tool install zotero-mcp-server # or: pip install zotero-mcp-server
New to the command line? Try the community-built Zotero MCP Setup: a macOS GUI installer, one-click scripts for Mac and Windows, and a step-by-step guide.
2. Enable Zotero's local API: in Zotero 7+, open Settings → Advanced and tick Allow other applications on this computer to communicate with Zotero.
3. Connect your assistant:
zotero-mcp setup # auto-configures Claude Desktop
or add the server by hand (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Claude Code: ~/.claude.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero": {
"command": "zotero-mcp",
"env": { "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "true" }
}
}
}
4. Writes (optional): on Zotero 10+, run zotero-mcp authorize-local once and choose Always Allow. On older Zotero, add ZOTERO_API_KEY and ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID to write through the web API.
Then ask things like "Find papers in my library on attention mechanisms", "Summarize the key findings of this paper", or "Highlight the main claims of this PDF".
ChatGPT, Cherry Studio, Chorus, Autohand, and other clients: see Getting started.
The base install covers search, reading, annotations, and writes. Heavier features are extras:
| Extra | What it adds | Install command |
|---|---|---|
semantic |
Semantic search via ChromaDB, sentence-transformers, OpenAI/Gemini embeddings | pip install "zotero-mcp-server[semantic]" |
pdf |
PDF outlines, page layout and page images (PyMuPDF), EPUB annotations | pip install "zotero-mcp-server[pdf]" |
scite |
Scite citation tallies and retraction alerts (no account needed) | pip install "zotero-mcp-server[scite]" |
all |
Everything above | pip install "zotero-mcp-server[all]" |
Update any time with zotero-mcp update.
If your agent has a shell (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, Amp, OpenCode …), one command teaches it to drive zotero-cli:
zotero-mcp install-skill
An MCP server sends every tool's schema on every request, before you type anything. The skill costs 98 tokens until the agent decides it is relevant:
| Route | In context | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| MCP server, default profile (38 tools) | 13,448 | every request |
| Agent skill, frontmatter only | 98 | always |
| Agent skill, body loaded | 1,368 | when it fires |
Use the MCP server when your client speaks MCP but has no shell (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT); use the skill when it has a shell. Both share one config. Details: CLI and agent skill.
| Guide | What's in it |
|---|---|
| Getting started | Connecting Claude Desktop and Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cherry Studio, Chorus, Autohand, and other MCP clients |
| Configuration | Environment variables, local writes, web and hybrid modes, the SQLite read backend, global search, text extraction, command-line options |
| Semantic search | Embedding models, building and updating the index |
| Tools | Every MCP tool, tool groups (ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS), related items, PDF annotation extraction |
| CLI and agent skill | zotero-cli command reference, --json output, install-skill |
| Docker | Container images and runtime modes |
| Troubleshooting | Common problems and fixes |
| For AI agents | One guide for an agent setting up or using Zotero MCP |
Website: stevenyuyy.com/zotero-mcp · Changelog
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Run the tests with uv run pytest tests/. A live integration test plan, meant to be run by Claude against a real library, is in docs/integration-test-plan.md.
Zotero MCP is free and MIT-licensed.
If it saves you or your lab time, sponsoring helps cover the unglamorous parts: Windows and WSL2 edge cases, Zotero schema changes, group-library support, and the embedding/search infrastructure.
Labs and institutions: the $50 and $200 tiers are meant to be expensable, and include priority triage on the issues affecting your workflow.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed code, fixes, and ideas to Zotero MCP.
MIT