zotero-mcp
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZOTERO_LOCALE | No | Override the default locale (en-US). | en-US |
| ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID | No | Override the default Zotero library ID (0). | 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": true
} |
| logging | {} |
| prompts | {
"listChanged": false
} |
| resources | {
"subscribe": false,
"listChanged": false
} |
| extensions | {
"io.modelcontextprotocol/ui": {}
} |
| experimental | {} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| search_itemsA | Search the Zotero library for items matching a query. Returns condensed metadata for each match. Attachments and notes are excluded so results are actual references; use get_item_children to see an item's PDFs and notes. |
| get_itemB | Get full metadata for a single item by its key. |
| get_item_childrenA | List the attachments and notes attached to an item. |
| get_item_fulltextA | Get the indexed full text of an attachment (PDF, snapshot, etc.). The key must be an attachment item key, not its parent. Use get_item_children on a reference to find its attachment keys. Text is only available if Zotero has indexed the attachment. |
| list_collectionsB | List collections (folders) in the library. |
| get_collection_itemsB | List the items inside a collection. |
| list_tagsB | List tags used in the library. |
| get_recent_itemsB | List the most recently added items in the library. |
| library_statsA | Report totals for the library: item counts and collection count. |
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 9 tools
Each tool targets a distinct operation: retrieving single items, searching, listing attachments, getting fulltext, browsing collections/tags, and library stats. There is no meaningful overlap between tool purposes, and descriptions clarify edge cases like attachment keys.
Most tools follow a verb_noun pattern (get_item, list_collections, search_items), with 'get' for single-item retrieval and 'list' for enumerations. The only outlier is library_stats, which uses a noun-noun form, slightly breaking the pattern.
With 9 tools, the server is well-scoped for a Zotero library read-only workflow. Each tool covers a distinct aspect of browsing and retrieving references, without unnecessary redundancy or excessive granularity.
The toolset covers the core read operations: item retrieval, search, attachments, fulltext, collections, tags, and recent items. Missing write operations (create/update/delete) are likely intentional for a reference-manager assistant, and a method to list all items at once is absent but can be approximated via search.