Zotero Native MCP

An MCP server that reads and writes your Zotero 10+ library, entirely offline. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People who work with academic research, bibliography and bibtex and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-04 · ★ 5 · #134 OF 278 MAINTAINED API INTEGRATION · VERIFIED 2026-09-18

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Zotero Native MCP

before you install - you'll need

The README does not document required environment variables for a basic install.

Claude Code

claude mcp add dvdsosa-zotero-native-mcp -- npx -y zotero-native-mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dvdsosa-zotero-native-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "zotero-native-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

repo age created 2026-09-03 - young repo, little track record yet

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package zotero-native-mcp - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.dvdsosa is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Zotero Native MCP can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Limitations (from the README)

[!WARNING] This server can modify and delete items in your Zotero library. Back it up before you start, and keep backing it up. Deleting is reversible by default: zotero_delete_items and zotero_delete_collection move things to Zotero's trash, where you can

04 · Who maintains Zotero Native MCP

Zotero Native MCP is maintained by dvdsosa. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Sep 2026.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp
category: API integration - ranked #134 of 278 actively-maintained API integration servers as of 2026-09-18.
registry: io.github.dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp (active, first published 2026-09-03 · 2 versions)
packages: npm:zotero-native-mcp

06 · Zotero Native MCP FAQ

What is Zotero Native MCP?

An MCP server that reads and writes your Zotero 10+ library, entirely offline. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is Zotero Native MCP still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-18, its last commit was 2026-09-04. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Zotero Native MCP?

Run `npx -y zotero-native-mcp`. The README does not document required environment variables for a basic install. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Zotero Native MCP run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Zotero Native MCP

Alternatives to Zotero Native MCP

Maintained API integration servers if Zotero Native MCP isn't the fit.

More API integration MCP servers · Cambio Uruguay · Avito MCP · Star Wars MCP · Unifi MCP Server · Liquid

More TypeScript MCP servers · Quicken Mac MCP · Gunsnation · Dynatrace Managed MCP · E18e · Boxpdf · see all