Get Zotero Item Children
zotero_get_item_childrenList the notes and file attachments of a parent Zotero item by providing its 8-character key. Supports filtering to notes only, pagination, and markdown or JSON output.
Instructions
List the child items (notes and file attachments) of a parent item.
Args:
item_key (string): 8-character Zotero key of the PARENT item
only_notes (boolean): return only notes, excluding attachments (default: false)
limit (number): 1-100 (default: 25)
offset (number): pagination offset (default: 0)
response_format ('markdown' | 'json')
Returns: child items with their type (note/attachment), and for notes, the note text.
Examples:
Use when: "does this item have any notes attached?" -> item_key=, only_notes=true
Don't use when: you want top-level library items (use zotero_search_items instead)
Error Handling:
Returns "Error: Not found (404)" if the parent item key doesn't exist
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | No | Maximum number of results to return, 1-100 (default: 25). | |
| offset | No | Number of results to skip, for pagination (default: 0). | |
| item_key | Yes | The 8-character Zotero key of the parent item. | |
| only_notes | No | If true, return only child notes (exclude attachments) (default: false). | |
| response_format | No | Output format: 'markdown' for human-readable text or 'json' for machine-readable structured data. | markdown |