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Zotero

v1.0.0•Knowledge & Memory•stable

Enables semantic search and management of Zotero reference libraries using PostgreSQL with pg-vector and OpenAI/Ollama embeddings. Provides AI-powered search, full-text extraction, metadata access, annotations, notes, tags, and collections management

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What is Zotero?

Zotero is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables semantic search and management of zotero reference libraries using postgresql with pg-vector and openai/ollama embeddings. provides ai-powered search, full-text extraction, metadata access, an...

Enables semantic search and management of Zotero reference libraries using PostgreSQL with pg-vector and OpenAI/Ollama embeddings. Provides AI-powered search, full-text extraction, metadata access, annotations, notes, tags, and collections management

This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.

Features

  • Enables semantic search and management of Zotero reference l

Use Cases

Enables semantic search and management of Zotero reference libraries using Postg
kujenga

Maintainer

LicenseMIT License
Languagepython
Versionv1.0.0
UpdatedMay 22, 2026
Statushealthy
Maintenanceactive

Works with

ClaudeOpenAIwindowsmacoslinux
View SourceBrowse All Servers

Installation

Manual Installation

npx zotero-mcp-server

Configuration

Configuration Details

Config File

claude_desktop_config.json

Performance

Response Metrics

Response Time< 200ms
ThroughputMedium

Resource Usage

Memory UsageLow
CPU UsageLow

How to Set Up and Use Zotero

Zotero MCP Server gives AI assistants direct access to your Zotero reference library, enabling semantic search across papers and documents, retrieval of full item metadata, and extraction of full PDF text content. It connects either to the locally running Zotero desktop application via its local API or to your remote Zotero library via the Zotero Web API. Researchers and academics use it to ask questions about their literature collections, surface relevant papers from hundreds of stored references, and pull citation details directly into their AI-assisted writing and analysis workflows.

Prerequisites

  • Zotero desktop application installed and running (for local API access), or a Zotero account with library ID and API key (for web API access)
  • For local API: enable 'Allow other applications on this computer to communicate with Zotero' in Zotero Preferences → Advanced
  • For full-text extraction: Zotero Beta Build (as of mid-2025, the fulltext endpoint requires the beta)
  • uvx installed (`curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh`)
  • Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client
1

Enable local API access in Zotero (local mode)

Open Zotero, go to Preferences → Advanced, and enable 'Allow other applications on this computer to communicate with Zotero'. This starts a local HTTP server on port 23119 that the MCP server will use.

2

Or obtain Web API credentials (remote mode)

For the web API, log in at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys and create a new API key with read access to your library. Also note your numeric Library ID from your account profile URL.

3

Configure Claude Desktop for local mode

Add the zotero-mcp server entry to claude_desktop_config.json. Set ZOTERO_LOCAL to 'true' for local Zotero app access — no API key or library ID needed.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--upgrade", "zotero-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}
4

Or configure for Web API mode

To use the Zotero Web API instead of the local app, set ZOTERO_LOCAL to false and provide your API key and library ID.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--upgrade", "zotero-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "false",
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "your-zotero-api-key",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID": "your-numeric-library-id",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE": "user"
      }
    }
  }
}
5

Restart Claude Desktop and test

Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. Then ask Claude to search your Zotero library to confirm the three tools — zotero_search_items, zotero_item_metadata, and zotero_item_fulltext — are available.

Zotero Examples

Client configuration

Claude Desktop config for local Zotero app access — the simplest setup requiring no API key.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--upgrade", "zotero-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Prompts to try

These prompts exercise the three core tools: zotero_search_items, zotero_item_metadata, and zotero_item_fulltext.

- "Search my Zotero library for papers about transformer attention mechanisms."
- "Find all items in my library tagged 'climate change' published after 2020."
- "Get the full metadata for the paper titled 'Attention Is All You Need'."
- "Extract the full text from the PDF of [paper title] and summarize the methodology section."
- "Which papers in my library cite [author name]?"
- "Find papers about retrieval-augmented generation and list their abstracts."

Troubleshooting Zotero

Connection refused or 'Zotero local API not available' error

Ensure the Zotero desktop app is open and running. Go to Zotero Preferences → Advanced and confirm 'Allow other applications on this computer to communicate with Zotero' is checked. The local API runs on port 23119.

zotero_item_fulltext returns an error or empty text

Full-text extraction via the local API requires a Zotero Beta Build. Download the latest beta from https://www.zotero.org/support/beta_builds and use it instead of the stable release. Also ensure the item has an attached PDF in your library.

Web API returns 403 Forbidden

Check that your ZOTERO_API_KEY has read permissions for your library. Generate a new key at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys and verify ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID matches your numeric user ID (found in your profile URL, not your username).

Frequently Asked Questions about Zotero

What is Zotero?

Zotero is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables semantic search and management of zotero reference libraries using postgresql with pg-vector and openai/ollama embeddings. provides ai-powered search, full-text extraction, metadata access, annotations, notes, tags, and collections management It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.

How do I install Zotero?

Follow the installation instructions on the Zotero GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.

Which AI clients work with Zotero?

Zotero works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.

Is Zotero free to use?

Yes, Zotero 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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Quick Config Preview

{ "mcpServers": { "zotero-mcp-server": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "zotero-mcp-server"] } } }

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json

Read the full setup guide →

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