Zotero MCP Server
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZOTERO_API_KEY | Yes | Your Zotero API key from https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys | |
| ZOTERO_USER_ID | Yes | Your Zotero user ID from https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys |
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 |
|---|---|
| searchA | Search the local Zotero library. Args: query: Search query string. fulltext: If true, search full-text content including PDFs. itemtype: Filter by item type. Use || to combine types, e.g. "book || journalArticle". collection: Filter by collection key. tag: Filter by tag. Use comma-separated values for AND search, e.g. "climate,adaptation". limit: Maximum results to return (default 50). offset: Number of results to skip for pagination. Returns: JSON with count and items list. |
| get_itemB | Get a single Zotero item by its key. Args: key: The Zotero item key. Returns: JSON with the full item data. |
| get_childrenA | Get child items (attachments, notes) of a Zotero item. Args: key: The Zotero item key. Returns: JSON array of child items. |
| list_collectionsA | List all collections in the local Zotero library. Args: limit: Maximum number of collections to return (0 for all). Returns: JSON array of collections with id, name, items count, and parent info. |
| list_tagsA | List all tags in the Zotero library, optionally filtered by collection. Args: collection: Optional collection key to filter tags. Returns: JSON array of tag strings. |
| get_fulltextA | Get full-text content of a Zotero attachment. Args: key: The key of an attachment item (not a top-level item). Returns: JSON with content, indexedPages, and totalPages. |
| find_relatedA | Find papers related to a given paper using Semantic Scholar. Uses SPECTER2 embeddings for semantic similarity. Args: doi: DOI of the paper. limit: Maximum results (default 20, max 500). min_citations: Minimum citation count filter. check_library: If true, annotate results with local Zotero presence. Returns: JSON with count and papers list. |
| get_citationsA | Find papers that cite a given paper using Semantic Scholar. Args: doi: DOI of the paper. limit: Maximum results (default 100, max 1000). min_citations: Minimum citation count filter. check_library: If true, annotate results with local Zotero presence. Returns: JSON with count and papers list. |
| get_referencesA | Find papers referenced by a given paper using Semantic Scholar. Args: doi: DOI of the paper. limit: Maximum results (default 100, max 1000). min_citations: Minimum citation count filter. check_library: If true, annotate results with local Zotero presence. Returns: JSON with count and papers list. |
| search_semantic_scholarA | Search for papers on Semantic Scholar. Args: query: Search query string. limit: Maximum results (default 20, max 100). year: Year filter, e.g. "2020", "2018-2022", or "2020-". open_access: Only return open access papers. sort: Sort by "citations" or "year" (descending). min_citations: Minimum citation count filter. check_library: If true, annotate results with local Zotero presence. Returns: JSON with count, total, and papers list. |
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 10 tools
Every tool has a clearly distinct purpose: local Zotero operations (list_collections, list_tags, search, get_item, get_children, get_fulltext) and Semantic Scholar operations (find_related, get_citations, get_references, search_semantic_scholar). Within each group, tools are differentiated by specific actions (e.g., find_related vs. get_citations vs. get_references). There is no ambiguity.
All tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern using lowercase and underscores (e.g., list_collections, get_item, search_semantic_scholar). The verbs appropriately reflect the action: 'list' for enumerations, 'get' for retrieving single items, 'search' for queries, and 'find_related' for semantic similarity. No mixing of conventions.
With 10 tools, the surface is well-scoped for a Zotero integration. It covers both local library management (6 tools) and external Semantic Scholar access (4 tools), providing a balanced set without unnecessary overlap or missing core functionality. The count is ideal for an MCP server.
The server provides robust read operations for Zotero items and comprehensive Semantic Scholar functionality. However, it lacks any write operations (create, update, delete) for Zotero library items or collections, which is a notable gap for a library management server. The tool set appears read-only, limiting its utility for full library management.