Keyflow

Search Keyflow

Find a shortcut, workflow, MCP server or skill

Zotero MCP

local MCP server

Zotero MCP is a local MCP server: Search your Zotero library, retrieve item metadata, and read full text from AI assistants. Install it from pypi as zotero-mcp.

Installation

Terminal

claude mcp add io-github-kujenga-zotero-mcp -e ZOTERO_LOCAL=... -e ZOTERO_API_KEY=... -e ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID=... -e ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE=... -- uvx zotero-mcp

Run in your project folder. Add --scope user to use it everywhere.

Claude Desktop, Cursor & other clients

Add to claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-github-kujenga-zotero-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "zotero-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_LOCAL": "...",
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "...",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID": "...",
        "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE": "..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Fill in the environment variables with your own credentials.

What you need

  • Runtime: Python with uv (runs with uvx).
  • MCP client: Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, Claude Desktop, Cursor or any other client that speaks MCP over stdio.
  • Environment variables: ZOTERO_LOCAL, ZOTERO_API_KEY, ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID, ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE

Summary

Search your Zotero library, retrieve item metadata, and read full text from AI assistants.

Zotero MCP vs similar servers

ServerStarsTypeAPI keyRuntime
Zotero MCP162LocalYespypi
Zotero MCP5,183LocalYespypi
Firecrawl MCP Server7,526LocalYesnpm
arxiv-mcp-server3,177LocalYespypi
brave1,477HostedYesNone

Questions

It reads 4 environment variables: ZOTERO_LOCAL, ZOTERO_API_KEY, ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID, ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE. Set them in your MCP config before starting the server.

Python with uv (runs with uvx), plus an MCP client such as Claude Code, Codex, Claude Desktop or Cursor.

Zotero MCP is a local MCP server distributed as the pypi package zotero-mcp.

Run: claude mcp add io-github-kujenga-zotero-mcp -e ZOTERO_LOCAL=... -e ZOTERO_API_KEY=... -e ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID=... -e ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE=... -- uvx zotero-mcp

Run: codex mcp add io-github-kujenga-zotero-mcp --env ZOTERO_LOCAL=... --env ZOTERO_API_KEY=... --env ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID=... --env ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE=... -- uvx zotero-mcp

Similar MCP servers

NameStars
  1. Zotero MCPio.github.54yyyu/zotero-mcp5,183
  2. Firecrawl MCP Serverio.github.firecrawl/firecrawl-mcp-server7,526
  3. arxiv-mcp-serverio.github.blazickjp/arxiv-mcp-server3,177
  4. braveai.smithery/brave1,477
  5. SoloMDio.github.zhitongblog/solomd1,130
  6. fastCRWio.github.us/fastcrw1,079
  7. reddit-mcp-buddyio.github.karanb192/reddit-mcp-buddy839
  8. Alfanous - Quranic Search Engineio.github.Alfanous-team/alfanous289