zotero-mcp
zotero-mcp is a read+write MCP server that lets AI assistants fully manage a Zotero reference library via the Zotero Web API.
Search & Read
Full-text search with optional filters for collection, item type, and tag
Retrieve detailed metadata or BibTeX export for a single item
List all collections with hierarchy and item counts
List items within a specific collection
Find duplicate items by title, DOI, or by scanning the entire library
List all tags with item counts
Create & Update
Create a new item from field data (type, title, creators, DOI, tags, etc.)
Auto-create an item by DOI (metadata fetched via Zotero translator + CrossRef)
Import BibTeX entries into a collection
Update fields on an existing item (with version conflict protection)
Collection Management
Create new collections, optionally nested under a parent
Add an item to one or more collections simultaneously
Remove an item from a collection without deleting it
Library Maintenance
Merge duplicates: transfer metadata, tags, and collections to a keeper item, then trash the rest
Delete items by moving to trash or permanently deleting
Supports creating new library items by automatically fetching and filling metadata using Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs).
Provides full read and write support for managing Zotero libraries, including tools for searching items, managing collections and tags, creating new entries, and performing maintenance tasks like merging duplicates.
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 |
| Full-text search with collection, type, and tag filters |
| Detailed metadata or BibTeX export for a single item |
| List all collections with hierarchy and item counts |
| List items in a specific collection |
| Find duplicates by title/DOI, or scan entire library |
| List all tags with item counts |
Write
Tool | Description |
| Create item from field data |
| Create item by DOI (auto-fills metadata via Zotero translator + CrossRef) |
| Import BibTeX entries into a collection |
| Update item fields with version conflict protection |
Collections
Tool | Description |
| Create a collection (with optional parent) |
| Add an item to multiple collections at once |
| Remove item from collection (doesn't delete it) |
Management
Tool | Description |
| Merge duplicates: transfer metadata, tags, collections to keeper, delete rest |
| 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 syncUsage
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_mcpClaude 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 |
| yes | Zotero Web API key |
| 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/ -vLicense
MIT
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