Zotero MCP Server for managing reference library
Zotero MCP Server for managing reference library
You will need 4 environment variables: ZOTERO_API_KEY, ZOTERO_USER_ID, TRANSLATION_SERVER_URL, ZOTERO_GROUP_ID. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.
npm on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.
Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. It is maintained by xbghc; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"zotero": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@xbghc/zotero-mcp"],
"env": {
"ZOTERO_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
"ZOTERO_USER_ID": "your-user-id"
}
}
}
}Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.
| Variable | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| ZOTERO_API_KEY | Credential the server authenticates with. | Yes |
| ZOTERO_USER_ID | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| TRANSLATION_SERVER_URL | Endpoint or connection string the server talks to. | Yes |
| ZOTERO_GROUP_ID | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
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