Zotero MCP
Read+write MCP server for Zotero with full write support — create items, manage collections, find and merge duplicates, import BibTeX
Overview
zotero-mcp
Read+write MCP server for Zotero. An MCP server with full write support for managing Zotero library from AI assistants.
It lets you create items, manage collections, find and merge duplicates, and import BibTeX from within Claude Code/Desktop, or any MCP-compatible client.
Uses the Zotero Web API (requires API key). Get the key at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys.
Features
Search & Read
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_items | Full-text search with collection, type, and tag filters |
get_item | Detailed metadata or BibTeX export for a single item |
get_collections | List all collections with hierarchy and item counts |
get_collection_items | List items in a specific collection |
find_duplicates | Find duplicates by title/DOI, or scan entire library |
get_tags | List all tags with item counts |
Write
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
create_item | Create item from field data |
create_item_from_doi | Create item by DOI (auto-fills metadata via Zotero translator + CrossRef) |
import_bibtex | Import BibTeX entries into a collection |
update_item | Update item fields with version conflict protection |
Collections
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
create_collection | Create a collection (with optional parent) |
add_to_collections | Add an item to multiple collections at once |
remove_from_collection | Remove item from collection (doesn't delete it) |
Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
merge_duplicates | Merge duplicates: transfer metadata, tags, collections to keeper, delete rest |
delete_item | Delete an item |
Installation
Requires Python 3.11+ and uv.
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/BirdInTheTree/zotero-mcp.git
cd zotero-mcp
uv sync
Usage
Claude Code
claude mcp add zotero \
-e ZOTERO_API_KEY=your-key \
-e ZOTERO_USER_ID=your-user-id \
-- uv run --directory /path/to/zotero-mcp python -m zotero_mcp
Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):
{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero": {
"command": "uv",
"args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/zotero-mcp", "python", "-m", "zotero_mcp"],
"env": {
"ZOTERO_API_KEY": "your-key",
"ZOTERO_USER_ID": "your-user-id"
}
}
}
}
Configuration
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
ZOTERO_API_KEY | yes | Zotero Web API key |
ZOTERO_USER_ID | yes | Your Zotero user ID |
Get your API key at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys. Your user ID is shown on the same page.
Examples
Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant things like:
- "Search my Zotero for papers ..."
- "Create a new collection called ..."
- "Import this BibTeX into my collection"
- "Find duplicate items in my library and merge them"
- "Add this paper to both collections"
- "Look up DOI 10.1234/example and add it to my library"
Development
# Install with dev dependencies
uv sync --dev
# Run tests
uv run pytest tests/ -v
License
MIT
Server Config
{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"run",
"--directory",
"/path/to/zotero-mcp",
"python",
"-m",
"zotero_mcp"
],
"env": {
"ZOTERO_LOCAL": "true"
}
}
}
}Project Info
Created At
3 months agoUpdated At
2 months agoAuthor Name
BirdInTheTreeStar
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