Allows managing your Zotero library, including searching items, reading item content, and exporting the library to Markdown.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Zotero MCP Agent Search for the latest papers on LLM Agents and download two of them."
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
An MCP server that allows an LLM to research online papers, manage your Zotero library, and export knowledge bases.
Install Dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt(Or use uv sync if using uv)
Configuration:
Copy .env.example to .env:
cp .env.example .envFill in your keys in .env (Zotero API Key, LLM Key, Tavily Key).
Proxy: If you are in a restricted network environment (e.g. using v2rayN), ensure HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY are set in .env.
Related MCP server: zotero-mcp-lite
To use this MCP server, you need to configure your client to run the server script.
The server runs via standard input/output (stdio).
Command: python
Arguments: [absolute/path/to/main.py]
Example configuration for Claude Desktop claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero-agent": {
"command": "python",
"args": [
"D:/Yan2file/zotero-mcp/main.py"
],
"env": {
"PYTHONPATH": "D:/Yan2file/zotero-mcp"
}
}
}
}
> [!IMPORTANT]
> **Windows Users**: If you encounter errors like `[Errno 2] No such file or directory` where the path looks mashed together:
> 1. Use **forward slashes** (`/`) in your paths.
> 2. Point to `main.py` in the root folder, NOT `src/server.py`.
> Example: `D:/Yan2file/zotero-mcp/main.py`
*Note: You might need to use the full path to your python executable if it's in a virtual environment (e.g. `D:/Yan2file/zotero-mcp/.venv/Scripts/python.exe`).*
## Available Tools
- `search_online_papers(query, download=True)`: Search and download PDFs.
- `read_local_paper(file_path)`: Read the text content of a downloaded PDF.
- `read_zotero_item(item_key)`: Read the content of a Zotero item by its Key (e.g. `ABCD1234`).
- `search_local_library(query)`: Search your Zotero library.
- `export_knowledge_base(output_path)`: Export Zotero items to Markdown.
## Example Prompts
- "Search for the latest papers on LLM Agents and download two of them."
- "Download the paper 'Attention is All You Need' and summarize its key contributions."This server cannot be deployed
Academic literature search, retrieval, and private library management on top of OpenAlex.
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