MCP Zotero: Seamless Sync & Faster Citing

Seamlessly sync Claude Desktop with your Zotero Cloud libraries—organize sources, cite faster, and boost research productivity effortlessly.

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About MCP Zotero

What is MCP Zotero: Seamless Sync & Faster Citing?

MCP Zotero is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed to bridge your Zotero library with AI tools like Claude. It enables real-time synchronization of your research materials and streamlines the process of citing sources directly from your workflow. Whether you're writing a paper or collaborating on a project, this integration ensures your references are always up-to-date and easily accessible.

How to Use MCP Zotero: Step-by-Step Setup

Obtain Zotero API Credentials:
Visit Zotero's API page to generate an API key. Use this key in a curl command to fetch your user ID:
```
curl -H "Zotero-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" https://api.zotero.org/keys/current
```
The response will include your userID, which is crucial for authentication.
Configure Environment Variables:
Set up environment variables to store your API key and user ID:
```
export ZOTERO_API_KEY="your_key_here"
export ZOTERO_USER_ID="your_user_id_here"
```
Install and Verify:
Run pip install mcp-zotero to install the package. Test the connection by querying a sample collection:
```
mcp-zotero list-collections
```

MCP Zotero Features

Key Features: Boost Your Research Workflow

MCP Zotero offers powerful tools to enhance productivity:

Instant Search: Use mcp-zotero search "climate change" to find relevant papers in seconds.
Collection Sync: Keep teams aligned by syncing shared collections across devices.
Auto-Citation: Generate formatted citations (APA, MLA, etc.) directly from the command line.

Real-World Use Cases

Imagine a scenario where a researcher needs to quickly reference a study from a recent conference:

"I used mcp-zotero search "neural networks 2023" to find the latest paper, then copied its APA citation into my draft with one command. No more juggling tabs or manual formatting!"

Teams can also leverage synchronization to avoid version conflicts:

mcp-zotero sync --collection "Team_Project"

MCP Zotero FAQ

FAQ: Troubleshooting Common Issues

Q: The API returns an error "Unauthorized": A: Double-check your environment variables. Run echo $ZOTERO_API_KEY to confirm the key is correctly set.
Q: How do I update the server after adding new references?: A: Use mcp-zotero refresh-cache to ensure the latest data is available.
Q: Can I customize citation formats?: A: Yes! Edit the citation_formats.json file in your config directory to add new styles.

Content

MCP Zotero

NPM Version

A Model Context Protocol server for Zotero integration that allows Claude to interact with your Zotero library.

Setup

Get your Zotero credentials:

First, create an API key at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys

# Then use it to get your user ID:
curl -H "Zotero-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" https://api.zotero.org/keys/current

The response will look like:

    {
  "userID": 123456,
  "username": "your_username",
  "access": {
    "user": {
      "library": true,
      "files": true,
      "notes": true,
      "write": true
    }
  }
}

The userID value is what you need.

Set environment variables:

export ZOTERO_API_KEY="your-api-key"

export ZOTERO_USER_ID="user-id-from-curl"

Verify your credentials:

Test that your credentials work:

curl -H "Zotero-API-Key: $ZOTERO_API_KEY" \
     "https://api.zotero.org/users/$ZOTERO_USER_ID/collections"

You should see your collections list in the response.

Install and run:

Install globally (recommended)

npm install -g mcp-zotero
mcp-zotero

# Or run directly with npx
npx mcp-zotero

Integration with Claude Desktop

To use this server with Claude Desktop, add the following to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero": {
      "command": "mcp-zotero",
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": YOUR_API_KEY,
        "ZOTERO_USER_ID": YOUR_USER_ID
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

get_collections: List all collections in your library
get_collection_items: Get items in a specific collection
get_item_details: Get detailed information about a paper
search_library: Search your entire library
get_recent: Get recently added papers

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

Verify your environment variables are set:

echo $ZOTERO_API_KEY

echo $ZOTERO_USER_ID

Check the installation:

npm list -g mcp-zotero
Try reinstalling:

npm uninstall -g mcp-zotero

npm install -g mcp-zotero