MCP server for Zotero plugin development
Zotero Dev MCP server exists for a simple reason — assistants are far more useful when they can act on Zotero Dev directly instead of describing what you should do. MCP server for Zotero plugin development.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf to build, test, and debug Zotero 7, 8, 9, and 10 plugins. Screenshots, DOM state, debug logs, and JavaScript execution give the AI rich context to understand what's happening—and tools to help you fix it.
Once Zotero Dev is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:
zotero_screenshot — Capture window, element, or region screenshotszotero_inspect_element — Find elements by CSS selectorzotero_get_dom_tree — Get DOM structure of a window/panelzotero_get_styles — Get computed CSS styles for elementzotero_list_windows — List all open Zotero windowszotero_click_element — Click an element by CSS selector (toolbar/menu button, preference control, list row). Pierces shadow DOM; index picks among multiple matcheszotero_send_keys — Type text into an input/textarea/contenteditable (focuses it first, fires input/change). Optional clear and pressEnterzotero_execute_js — Execute JavaScript in Zotero's privileged context. Auto-wraps code with top-level return statements in IIFEzotero_inspect_object — Explore Zotero APIs - list methods and properties of any object (e.g., Zotero.Items)zotero_open_preferences — Open Zotero's settings window, optionally to a specific pane (built-in or plugin)zotero_search_prefs — Search/discover preferences by pattern (e.g., find all prefs containing "debug")zotero_get_pref — Get a preference valueYou will need 3 environment variables: ZOTERO_RDP_PORT, ZOTERO_RDP_HOST, ZOTERO_PROFILE_PATH. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.
Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at install-mcp on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.
Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Zotero Dev's toolset — zotero_screenshot, zotero_inspect_element, zotero_get_dom_tree and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by introfini; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.
SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| zotero_screenshot | Capture window, element, or region screenshots |
| zotero_inspect_element | Find elements by CSS selector |
| zotero_get_dom_tree | Get DOM structure of a window/panel |
| zotero_get_styles | Get computed CSS styles for element |
| zotero_list_windows | List all open Zotero windows |
| zotero_click_element | Click an element by CSS selector (toolbar/menu button, preference control, list row). Pierces shadow DOM; index picks among multiple matches; mouseEvents synthesizes a full mouse sequence. |
| zotero_send_keys | Type text into an input/textarea/contenteditable (focuses it first, fires input/change). Optional clear and pressEnter. |
| zotero_execute_js | Execute JavaScript in Zotero's privileged context. Auto-wraps code with top-level return statements in IIFE. |
| zotero_inspect_object | Explore Zotero APIs - list methods and properties of any object (e.g., Zotero.Items) |
| zotero_open_preferences | Open Zotero's settings window, optionally to a specific pane (built-in or plugin) |
| zotero_search_prefs | Search/discover preferences by pattern (e.g., find all prefs containing "debug") |
| zotero_get_pref | Get a preference value |
| zotero_set_pref | Set a preference value |
| zotero_scaffold_build | Build plugin (dev or production mode) |
{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero-dev": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev@1.1.2"],
"env": {
"ZOTERO_RDP_PORT": "6101"
}
}
}
}Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.
| Variable | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| ZOTERO_RDP_PORT | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| ZOTERO_RDP_HOST | Endpoint or connection string the server talks to. | Optional |
| ZOTERO_PROFILE_PATH | Filesystem location the server is allowed to use. | Optional |
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