PapersGPT for Zotero
A powerful Zotero AI and MCP plugin with ChatGPT, Gemini 3.1, Claude, DeepSeek V4, Grok, OpenRouter, Kimi 2.5, GLM 5, SiliconFlow, GPT-oss, Gemma 4, Qwen 3.5
What is PapersGPT for Zotero?
PapersGPT for Zotero is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to powerful zotero ai and mcp plugin with chatgpt, gemini 3.1, claude, deepseek v4, grok, openrouter, kimi 2.5, glm 5, siliconflow, gpt-oss, gemma 4, qwen 3.5
A powerful Zotero AI and MCP plugin with ChatGPT, Gemini 3.1, Claude, DeepSeek V4, Grok, OpenRouter, Kimi 2.5, GLM 5, SiliconFlow, GPT-oss, Gemma 4, Qwen 3.5
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A powerful Zotero AI and MCP plugin with ChatGPT, Gemini 3.1
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx papersgpt-for-zoteroConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use PapersGPT for Zotero
PapersGPT for Zotero is a powerful AI plugin that integrates directly into the Zotero reference manager, enabling researchers to chat with their PDF library using over 30 supported LLMs including GPT-5, Claude Opus, DeepSeek V4, Gemini, and local models like Qwen and Llama. It provides a Model Context Protocol server so external MCP clients can query your Zotero library, and includes an AutoPilot agent capable of autonomously processing hundreds of papers overnight. Privacy-focused local RAG with vector storage and reranking is built in, and AI-generated insights are automatically synced back to Zotero Notes.
Prerequisites
- Zotero 7 desktop application installed
- Node.js 18 or higher (for building the plugin from source)
- An API key for at least one supported LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, etc.) or a local model via Ollama
- An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or similar) if using the MCP server feature
- Git for cloning the repository
Clone and build the plugin
Clone the repository and install dependencies to build the Zotero plugin XPI file.
git clone https://github.com/papersgpt/papersgpt-for-zotero.git
cd papersgpt-for-zotero
npm install
npm run buildInstall the plugin in Zotero
Open Zotero, go to Tools > Add-ons, click the gear icon, select 'Install Add-on From File', and choose the compiled papersgpt.xpi file from the build directory.
Configure your LLM API key
In Zotero, open the PapersGPT settings panel from the plugin interface. Select your preferred LLM provider and enter your API key in the 'Configure API KEY' field. Supported providers include OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Kimi, GLM, and more.
Connect the MCP server to your AI client
To expose your Zotero library to an external MCP client like Claude Desktop, add the PapersGPT MCP server entry to your client's configuration file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"papersgpt-zotero": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["papersgpt-for-zotero"]
}
}
}Chat with your papers
Select one or more papers in Zotero, then use the PapersGPT panel to ask questions. Use Cmd+Enter (Mac) or Ctrl+Enter (Windows) to submit queries. Built-in templates include Summary, Background, Literature Review, and Future Directions.
Enable AutoPilot for batch processing
Activate the AutoPilot agent to autonomously read and extract insights from 100+ papers. The agent processes papers overnight and syncs generated notes back to Zotero automatically.
PapersGPT for Zotero Examples
Client configuration
MCP client configuration for Claude Desktop to access the PapersGPT Zotero server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"papersgpt-zotero": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["papersgpt-for-zotero"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for chatting with your Zotero library through PapersGPT.
- "Summarize the key findings from the selected paper."
- "What is the theoretical framework used in these papers and how do they compare?"
- "Generate a literature review section covering the main themes across my selected papers."
- "What are the limitations and future research directions mentioned in this paper?"
- "Find all papers in my library about transformer attention mechanisms and summarize their methodologies."Troubleshooting PapersGPT for Zotero
Plugin does not appear in Zotero after installing the XPI
Ensure you are running Zotero 7 or later. Restart Zotero completely after installing the .xpi file. If issues persist, try reinstalling by going to Tools > Add-ons and removing any previous version first.
API key not being accepted or LLM requests failing
Double-check the API key in the PapersGPT settings panel — ensure there are no leading/trailing spaces and the key corresponds to the correct provider selected. Some providers like DeepSeek require the base URL to also be configured.
MCP server not connecting to Claude Desktop
Run 'npx papersgpt-for-zotero' manually in a terminal to check for errors. Ensure Zotero is running when the MCP server starts, as it needs to connect to the local Zotero instance to access the library.
Frequently Asked Questions about PapersGPT for Zotero
What is PapersGPT for Zotero?
PapersGPT for Zotero is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that powerful zotero ai and mcp plugin with chatgpt, gemini 3.1, claude, deepseek v4, grok, openrouter, kimi 2.5, glm 5, siliconflow, gpt-oss, gemma 4, qwen 3.5 It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install PapersGPT for Zotero?
Follow the installation instructions on the PapersGPT for Zotero GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with PapersGPT for Zotero?
PapersGPT for Zotero works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is PapersGPT for Zotero free to use?
Yes, PapersGPT for Zotero is open source and available under the AGPL-3.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up PapersGPT for Zotero 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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