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Zotero MCP Server

A connector for Claude Desktop to work with collection and sources on your Zotero Cloud.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kaliaboi-mcp-zotero": {
      "command": "mcp-zotero",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "ZOTERO_USER_ID": "YOUR_USER_ID"
      }
    }
  }
}

You set up a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Zotero so Claude can browse, query, and retrieve items from your Zotero library. This lets you search collections, fetch item details, and get recently added papers directly through Claude’s interactions with your Zotero data.

How to use

Once the Zotero MCP server is running, you connect your MCP client (such as Claude Desktop) to it so you can perform common Zotero tasks from your conversations. You can list your collections, retrieve items in a collection, view item details, search across your library, and get recently added papers. The server handles authentication with your Zotero API key and user ID, so you can safely access your data without sharing credentials in chats.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing:
- Node.js installed on your machine (LTS version recommended)
- npm (comes with Node.js) or use npx if you prefer not to install globally.

# Install globally (recommended)
npm install -g mcp-zotero
mcp-zotero

# Or run directly with npx
npx mcp-zotero

Configuration and usage notes

To connect Claude Desktop to the Zotero MCP server, configure the MCP server entry in your Claude Desktop settings to point to the local command and provide your Zotero credentials. The server runs locally and uses your API key and user ID to access Zotero data.

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

Security and best practices

Keep your Zotero API key and user ID secret. Use environment variables to pass credentials to the MCP server and avoid embedding keys in prompts or chat messages. If you need to rotate keys, update the environment variables and restart the MCP server.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, verify that your credentials are set correctly and that the MCP server is running. Check that the environment variables match what you provided in the configuration and that the server process is active. If problems persist, reinstall or restart the MCP server as needed.

Available tools

The Zotero MCP server exposes a set of tools to interact with your Zotero library, including: - 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

Available tools

get_collections

List all collections in your Zotero library.

get_collection_items

Retrieve all items within a specified Zotero collection.

get_item_details

Fetch detailed metadata for a specific Zotero item (paper).

search_library

Search across your entire Zotero library using keywords or advanced queries.

get_recent

Return recently added papers from your library.