Zotero MCP

io.github.54yyyu/zotero-mcp · v0.17.1

Search, read, annotate, and add to your Zotero research library, local or web.

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Connect Runs on your machine

Terminal

claude mcp add zotero-mcp -e ZOTERO_LOCAL=<ZOTERO_LOCAL> -e ZOTERO_API_KEY=<ZOTERO_API_KEY> -e ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID=<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID> -e ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE=<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE> -e ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS=<ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS> -- uvx zotero-mcp-server==0.17.1

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "zotero-mcp-server==0.17.1"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "<ZOTERO_LOCAL>",
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "<ZOTERO_API_KEY>",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID": "<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID>",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE": "<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE>",
        "ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS": "<ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS>"
      }
    }
  }
}

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "zotero-mcp-server==0.17.1"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "<ZOTERO_LOCAL>",
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "<ZOTERO_API_KEY>",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID": "<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID>",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE": "<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE>",
        "ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS": "<ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS>"
      }
    }
  }
}

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "zotero-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "zotero-mcp-server==0.17.1"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "<ZOTERO_LOCAL>",
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "<ZOTERO_API_KEY>",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID": "<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID>",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE": "<ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE>",
        "ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS": "<ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace the values in angle brackets with your own. Keys stay on your machine; we never see them.

Tools

This server runs locally, so its tools are listed by your MCP client once it starts.

Environment variables

Name	Description
`ZOTERO_LOCAL` Optional	Read from the local Zotero desktop app instead of the web API. Requires Zotero 7+ with the local API enabled in Settings > Advanced.
`ZOTERO_API_KEY` Optional, secret	Zotero Web API key from https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys. Only needed when ZOTERO_LOCAL is false, or for write operations in hybrid mode.
`ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID` Optional	Zotero user or group library ID. Only needed when ZOTERO_LOCAL is false, or for write operations in hybrid mode.
`ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE` Optional	Whether ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID refers to a personal or a group library.
`ZOTERO_MCP_TOOLSETS` Optional	Which optional tool groups to expose, as a comma-separated list. Every tool is sent to the model on each request, so optional capabilities are off by default. Use 'all' for the full surface, 'none' for core only, 'default' for the default profile, named groups (scite, duplicates, discovery, feeds,…

Details

Package	`[email protected]` (PYPI, stdio)
First published	13 Nov 2026
Last updated	13 Nov 2026
Registry name	`io.github.54yyyu/zotero-mcp`

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Installed and run on your own machine, so there is no public endpoint to check.

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