Zotero Developer
An MCP server that enables AI assistants to build, test, and debug Zotero 7/8 plugins through tools for UI inspection, JavaScript execution, and real-time log monitoring. It integrates with Zotero's Remote Debugging Protocol to provide rich context i
What is Zotero Developer?
Zotero Developer is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server that enables ai assistants to build, test, and debug zotero 7/8 plugins through tools for ui inspection, javascript execution, and real-time log monitoring. it integrates with zotero's remo...
An MCP server that enables AI assistants to build, test, and debug Zotero 7/8 plugins through tools for UI inspection, JavaScript execution, and real-time log monitoring. It integrates with Zotero's Remote Debugging Protocol to provide rich context i
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An MCP server that enables AI assistants to build, test, and
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-devManual Installation
npx -y @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-devConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Zotero Developer
MCP Server Zotero Dev is a TypeScript MCP server that connects AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf to a running Zotero instance through Zotero's Remote Debugging Protocol, enabling AI-assisted Zotero plugin development. It provides 26 tools covering UI inspection (screenshots, DOM trees, element finding, computed styles), JavaScript execution in Zotero's privileged context, build and scaffold integration with hot reload, real-time log and error monitoring, read-only SQLite database access, and plugin installation and reloading. Zotero plugin developers use it to let their AI assistant see the live Zotero UI, run test code, inspect the API, and iteratively build and debug plugins without manual context-copy-pasting.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 20 or later and npm installed
- Zotero 7 or later installed (works on release, beta, and dev builds)
- The zotero-mcp-bridge.xpi plugin installed in Zotero (download from the GitHub releases page)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, or Windsurf
Install the MCP server into your AI client
Use the install-mcp utility to automatically add mcp-server-zotero-dev to your AI assistant's configuration. Supported clients: claude-code, cursor, windsurf, vscode, cline, roo-cline, claude, zed, goose, warp, codex.
npx -y install-mcp @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev --client claude-codeOr add the configuration manually
If you prefer manual setup, add this block to your MCP client configuration file. The ZOTERO_RDP_PORT defaults to 6100 and matches the port the bridge plugin listens on.
Download and install the Zotero MCP bridge plugin
Download the latest zotero-mcp-bridge.xpi from https://github.com/introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev/releases/latest. In Zotero, go to Tools → Plugins, click the gear icon, and select Install Plugin From File. Select the .xpi file and restart Zotero.
Restart your AI assistant
After adding the configuration, restart your AI client so it picks up the new server registration. Open Zotero normally — no special launch flags are needed.
Verify the connection with a first request
Ask your AI assistant to take a screenshot of Zotero. If the bridge plugin is running and the MCP server is connected, you will see a screenshot of the live Zotero window.
Zotero Developer Examples
Client configuration
Manual configuration block for your MCP client config file. The ZOTERO_RDP_PORT environment variable tells the server which port the Zotero bridge plugin is listening on.
{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero-dev": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev"],
"env": {
"ZOTERO_RDP_PORT": "6100"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
These prompts exercise UI inspection, JavaScript execution, log monitoring, and plugin management — the core Zotero plugin development workflow.
- "Take a screenshot of Zotero and list all installed plugins"
- "Execute this JavaScript in Zotero and show the result: return Zotero.Items.getAll(1).length"
- "Inspect the DOM of the main Zotero window and find all toolbar buttons"
- "Read the last 50 debug log entries from Zotero"
- "Build my plugin in dev mode and hot-reload it in Zotero"Troubleshooting Zotero Developer
AI assistant connects but zotero_screenshot returns 'connection refused' or timeout
Ensure Zotero is running with the zotero-mcp-bridge.xpi plugin installed and active. Check Tools → Plugins in Zotero — the bridge plugin must show as enabled. If you changed ZOTERO_RDP_PORT, ensure it matches in both the plugin settings and your MCP server env config.
zotero_execute_js returns 'permission denied' or throws a security error
The MCP server executes JavaScript in Zotero's privileged chrome context, which has access to all Zotero APIs. Errors about permissions usually mean the code is trying to access browser APIs not available in the Zotero context. Use zotero_inspect_object to explore what APIs are available: zotero_inspect_object('Zotero').
zotero_scaffold_build or zotero_scaffold_serve tools are not working
These tools require zotero-plugin-scaffold to be installed and configured in your plugin project. Run npm install in your plugin directory and ensure zotero-plugin-scaffold is in package.json. The tools look for the scaffold configuration in the current working directory.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zotero Developer
What is Zotero Developer?
Zotero Developer is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server that enables ai assistants to build, test, and debug zotero 7/8 plugins through tools for ui inspection, javascript execution, and real-time log monitoring. it integrates with zotero's remote debugging protocol to provide rich context i It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Zotero Developer?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with Zotero Developer?
Zotero Developer works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Zotero Developer free to use?
Yes, Zotero Developer is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Zotero Developer in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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