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Zotero MCP Server and API by Cotlet

by dev.cotlet
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Cotlet: how to work in an app

cotlet_app_guide
Read-onlyIdempotent

How to work in an app by clicking in the user's Cloud Browser with Cotlet's browser tools: which browser to use for this workspace and the sign-in link, the method step by step, the app's screens, menus and actions, notes, and the app's dedicated tools when Cotlet has them. Call it before the first browser step in an app. Works for any web app; one outside Cotlet's catalog gets the general method. Free, no browser session. For Zotero it covers these actions: Add item by DOI, Search library, Add to collection, Get annotations, Create note, Export citations.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "cotlet_app_guide"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
appNoThe app's name or Cotlet slug. Default: Zotero.
taskNoWhat the user wants done in the app, in their words.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observed

TDQS

A4.2/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare read-only, idempotent, non-destructive, closed-world, but the description adds genuinely new operational facts: it costs nothing, consumes no browser session, and degrades gracefully to a general method for uncatalogued apps. It doesn't describe the shape/length of the returned guidance, which keeps it at a 4.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core purpose and timing cue, then supporting scope. The trailing Zotero action enumeration is useful but reads as a catalog dump appended to an already long sentence; the prose could be broken more cleanly.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

No output schema exists, yet the description tells the agent what the returned guidance will contain, that no session is consumed, and that arbitrary web apps are supported. For a two-optional-parameter, read-only guidance tool, nothing an agent needs before calling is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so both parameters (app, task) are already documented, including the Zotero default and 'in their words' phrasing. The only added meaning is that `app` may name a web app outside Cotlet's catalog, which is a modest contribution over the schema baseline.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource: it returns guidance on how to operate an app through Cotlet's browser tools, and enumerates the content covered (which browser, sign-in link, step-by-step method, screens/menus/actions, notes, dedicated tools). This clearly separates it from the cotlet_browser_* action siblings, which perform steps rather than explain them.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

'Call it before the first browser step in an app' gives an explicit trigger point in the workflow, and 'one outside Cotlet's catalog gets the general method' clarifies the fallback case. It stops short of naming a concrete alternative or an explicit when-not-to-call condition, so not a 5.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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