MCP Zotero

Install

Works with Claude Code, Codex, VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop. Read the repository before you give any tool access to your data.

npx agentmarket install connector/xevos117-mcp-zotero

About

Use cases: writing-editing, deep-research

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Permissions

What this server can do and what it asks for, from its tool list, install config and code. Checked Oct 25, 2026.

Tools

6 read · 7 write · 2 delete

Secrets

1 (API keys, tokens or passwords)

Install scripts

None found

Runs as

Node.js package

Tools (15)

Read from the source code; the running server may differ. Descriptions are the server’s own words; hidden characters are shown as [U+…].

• add_items

  Add items to Zotero by providing metadata directly. Supports ALL 37 Zotero item types. WHEN TO USE: - For items that do not have a DOI (books, theses, reports, etc.) - When you need full control over metadata (e.g., override a title, set a specific itemType, add custom fields) — even if a DOI exists, use add_items when the auto-resolved metadata would be incorrect or incomplete - Mixed batch: if some items have DOIs and others don't, call add_items_by_doi for the DOIs and add_items for the rest (two separate calls) - Prefer add_items_by_doi when DOIs are available AND you don't need to overri…

• add_items_by_doi

  Add items to your Zotero library by resolving DOIs. Works with ANY item type that has a DOI — journal articles, books, datasets, preprints, conference papers, reports, etc. For each DOI, resolves metadata via content negotiation and creates the item in Zotero with the correct type automatically. Returns a list of successfully added items (with item_key and title) and any failures. WHEN TO USE vs add_items: - Use add_items_by_doi when the item HAS a DOI — it auto-resolves all metadata and attaches open-access PDFs (when the server has UNPAYWALL_EMAIL set). - Use add_items when the item does NO…

• add_linked_url_attachment

  Attach a linked URL to an existing Zotero item, or create a standalone linked-URL attachment. Use this to link external PDFs, web pages, or other resources to items already in your library. If parent_item is provided, the attachment is added as a child; otherwise it is standalone. A linked URL stores no file and no full text (get_item_fulltext cannot read it): to store a PDF in Zotero use import_pdf_to_zotero.

• create_collection

  Create a new collection (folder) in your Zotero library. Optionally nest it under a parent collection. Returns the new collection key and name. Use the key as collection_key in add_items_by_doi or add_items to organize imported papers.

• delete_collection

  Delete a collection (folder) from your Zotero library; confirm with the user first. Items inside the collection are NOT deleted — they remain in your library. Disabled unless the server setting UNSAFE_OPERATIONS is 'all'.

• delete_items

  Delete one or more items from your Zotero library: they are permanently deleted (not moved to the Zotero trash), so confirm with the user first. Accepts up to 50 item keys per call. Disabled unless the server setting UNSAFE_OPERATIONS is 'items' or 'all'.

• find_and_attach_pdfs

  For each Zotero item, check Unpaywall for open access PDFs and attach them. Items must have a DOI; needs UNPAYWALL_EMAIL in the server settings. Uploads use the user's Zotero file storage; dry_run only reports what is available. Uses the same source as Zotero Desktop's 'Find Available PDFs'.

• get_collection_items

  Get all items in a specific Zotero collection (only items directly in it, not those in its subcollections). Returns item keys, titles, authors, and dates. Use the collectionKey from get_collections. Use the returned item keys with get_items_details, get_item_fulltext, or inject_citations.

• get_collections

  List all collections (folders) in your Zotero library. Returns collection keys, names, and parent relationships. Use collection keys with get_collection_items or as parent_collection in create_collection. Trashed collections are excluded by default.

• get_item_fulltext

  Get the text of a Zotero item's stored PDF from Zotero's full-text index. Works for PDFs indexed by Zotero desktop and synced, or imported with import_pdf_to_zotero / find_and_attach_pdfs; not for linked URLs or web pages. Use this to read the full content of papers instead of relying on abstracts.

• get_items_details

  Get metadata for multiple Zotero items in a single call. Accepts an array of item keys and returns a map of key → metadata. Use this instead of one call per item. Returns all type-specific fields (e.g. bookTitle for bookSection, proceedingsTitle for conferencePaper, university for thesis). Set include_abstract to include abstracts (excluded by default to keep responses lightweight). Keys not found in the library are listed in not_found (present only when some are missing).

• get_user_id

  Returns the Zotero library configured in the server environment: user_id, library_type, library_id and library_path ("users/<id>" or "groups/<id>"). Pass library_path to the zotero-mcp-integrations skill script (inject.js) to generate Zotero field code URIs. Not needed when using the inject_citations MCP tool, which reads the library internally.

• import_pdf_to_zotero

  Download a PDF from a URL and upload it to Zotero storage as an imported_url attachment. Unlike linked URL attachments, imported files are stored in Zotero's storage and become fulltext-indexed (searchable via get_item_fulltext). Use this when you need the PDF content to be indexed by Zotero. The URL must lead straight to the PDF file (no login, paywall or HTML landing page); files up to 100 MB, counted against the user's Zotero file storage. For items with a DOI, find_and_attach_pdfs finds open-access PDFs by itself.

• inject_citations

  Replace <zcite> placeholder tags in a .docx file with native Zotero field codes that Zotero for Word can recognize and manage. The tool fetches item metadata from Zotero automatically — you only need to provide the .docx file. WORKFLOW — how to create a Word document with live Zotero citations: 1. Collect item keys: use add_items_by_doi or add_items (or search_library for existing items) 2. Generate .docx: create a Word document (e.g. with the "docx" npm package) with <zcite keys="ITEMKEY"/> placeholders where citations should appear. Each <zcite> MUST be in its own dedicated TextRun — do NOT…

• search_library

  Search your Zotero library or list items sorted by a field. When 'query' is provided, matches it against titles, creator names and years (not abstracts, tags or full text). When 'query' is omitted, lists items sorted by the chosen field (default: dateAdded, descending). Examples: - Search: { "query": "deep learning" } - Recent items: { "sort": "dateAdded", "limit": 10 } - Recent with search: { "query": "transformers", "sort": "dateAdded", "limit": 5 } Use the returned item keys with get_items_details, get_item_fulltext, or inject_citations.

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Stars

38

Forks

7

Open issues

5

Last commit

Oct 21, 2026 (7 days ago)

Last release

Oct 25, 2026 (3 days ago)

From GitHub (fetched Oct 24, 2026).

Details

Registry name

io.github.Xevos117/mcp-zotero

Version

2.0.4

Auth

API key

Packages

npm @xevos117/mcp-zotero

License

License unknown

Repository

github.com/Xevos117/mcp-zotero

Website

github.com/Xevos117/mcp-zotero#readme

First seen

Oct 24, 2026

Last checked

Oct 26, 2026

Source

Official MCP Registrygithub-graphql