Zotero MCP Connector
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZOTERO_USER_ID | No | Your Zotero user ID, defaults to 0 for local installations | 0 |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": false
} |
| prompts | {
"listChanged": false
} |
| resources | {
"subscribe": false,
"listChanged": false
} |
| experimental | {} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| get_zotero_informationC | Returns by default information on the Zotero library containing Research Papers collected by the User.Good to call if you dont have a clear understanding yet what to ask from this tool. The returned information can be finetuned by asking for summary, collections, recent items, tags. |
| get_collection_itemsC | Gets all items in a specific Zotero collection. |
| get_items_metadataC | Get detailed information on specific item(s) in the library |
| search_libraryB | Search the Zotero library for an item. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 4 tools
The tools have mostly distinct purposes: get_collection_items retrieves items from a collection, get_items_metadata fetches details for specific items, get_zotero_information provides library overview, and search_library searches across the library. However, get_collection_items and search_library could be slightly confused as both retrieve items, but their scopes (collection-specific vs. library-wide) help differentiate them.
The naming follows a consistent verb_noun pattern (get_collection_items, get_items_metadata, get_zotero_information, search_library) with all tools using snake_case. The only minor deviation is that get_zotero_information uses 'information' instead of a more specific noun like 'overview', but it still fits the pattern well.
With 4 tools, the count is on the low side for a library management system like Zotero, which typically involves CRUD operations. While it covers basic retrieval and search, it feels thin for the domain, lacking tools for creating, updating, or deleting items or collections, which are common in such systems.
The tool set is severely incomplete for a Zotero connector, focusing only on read operations (get and search). There are significant gaps: no tools for creating, updating, or deleting items, collections, or tags, and no support for managing attachments or notes. This will cause agent failures when full library management is needed.