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Zotero MCP Server

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Overview

Zotero MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with Zotero, enabling AI applications to access and manipulate Zotero libraries.

To use the Zotero MCP Server, clone the repository, set up a virtual environment, install dependencies, configure your Zotero API credentials, and run the server to listen for JSON-RPC requests.

  • Search for items in Zotero libraries - Retrieve citations and bibliographies - Add new items to Zotero libraries - Access collections and items - Support for both personal and group libraries
  1. Integrating Zotero with AI applications for automated citation management.
  2. Building tools that require access to bibliographic data from Zotero.
  3. Enhancing research workflows by automating item retrieval and citation generation.

Add to your AI client

Use these steps to connect Zotero MCP Server in Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible apps. The same JSON appears in the Use with menu above for one-click copy.

Cursor

Add this to your .cursor/mcp.json file in your project root, then restart Cursor.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp-server-cr625": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-zotero-mcp-server-cr625"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add this server entry to the mcpServers object in your Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp-server-cr625": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-zotero-mcp-server-cr625"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Add this to your project's .mcp.json file. Claude Code will detect it automatically.

.mcp.json (project root)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp-server-cr625": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-zotero-mcp-server-cr625"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

Add this to your .vscode/mcp.json file. Requires the GitHub Copilot extension with MCP support enabled.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "zotero-mcp-server-cr625": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-zotero-mcp-server-cr625"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add this to your Windsurf MCP config file, then restart Windsurf.

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp-server-cr625": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-zotero-mcp-server-cr625"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cline

Open Cline settings, navigate to MCP Servers, and add this server configuration.

Cline MCP Settings (via UI)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp-server-cr625": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-zotero-mcp-server-cr625"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Can Zotero MCP Server work with group libraries?

Yes! You can configure it to access both personal and group libraries.

Is there a guide for integrating with AI applications?

Yes! Detailed examples are provided in the `USAGE_GUIDE.md` file.

What programming language is Zotero MCP Server written in?

Zotero MCP Server is written in Python.7:["$","div",null,{"className":"container mx-auto flex flex-col gap-4","children":["$L26","$L27",["$","$L28",null,{"currentProject":{"id":3105,"uuid":"99c99797-48db-4d80-80ef-d70539303eeb","name":"zotero-mcp-server","title":"Zotero MCP Server","description":"","avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/70023998?v=4","created_at":"2025-03-18T02:50:28.289Z","updated_at":"2025-03-23T04:53:42.679Z","status":"created","author_name":"cr625","author_avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/70023998?v=4","tags":"zotero,mcp-server,ai-integration","category":"research-and-data","is_featured":false,"sort":1,"url":"https://github.com/cr625/zotero-mcp-server","target":"_self","content":"$29","summary":"$2a","img_url":null,"type":null,"metadata":"{\"star\":\"0\",\"license\":\"MIT license\",\"language\":\"Python\",\"is_official\":false,\"latest_commit_time\":\"2025-03-17 20:25:00\"}","user_uuid":null,"tools":null,"sse_url":null,"sse_provider":null,"sse_params":null,"is_official":false,"server_command":null,"server_params":null,"server_config":null,"allow_call":false,"is_innovation":false,"is_dxt":false,"dxt_manifest":null,"dxt_file_url":null,"is_audit":false},"randomProjects":[],"currentServerKey":"$undefined"}]]}]

Research and data