MCP Server for Zotero Plugin Development

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI assistants to build, test, and debug Zotero 7+ plugins. It provides 25 tools for UI inspection, JavaScript execution, build integration, logging, database access, and plugin management.

How it works: Zotero 7+ is built on Firefox ESR, so this server communicates with Zotero through Firefox's built-in Remote Debugging Protocol (RDP). A small companion plugin (MCP Bridge for Zotero) starts the DevTools server inside Zotero, and this MCP server connects to it.

AI Assistant (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.)
         | MCP Protocol (stdio)
         v
    MCP Server (this package)
         | Firefox RDP (TCP port 6100)
         v
    Zotero + MCP Bridge Plugin

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 20
• Zotero 7+ (release, beta, or dev build)
• MCP Bridge for Zotero plugin installed in Zotero — download the latest XPI

Installing the MCP Bridge plugin

1. Download zotero-mcp-bridge-*.xpi from GitHub Releases
2. In Zotero: Tools > Add-ons > gear icon > Install Add-on From File...
3. Select the downloaded .xpi file
4. Restart Zotero

The plugin automatically starts a DevTools server on port 6100 when Zotero launches.

Setup

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-dev": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add zotero-dev -- npx -y @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev

Cursor / Windsurf / Other MCP clients

Configure the MCP server with:

• Command: npx
• Arguments: -y @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev

Or install globally:

npm install -g @introfini/mcp-server-zotero-dev

Tools (25)

JavaScript Execution & Inspection

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | zotero_ping | Test connection to Zotero and get version info | | zotero_execute_js | Execute JavaScript in Zotero's privileged chrome context | | zotero_get_pref | Get a Zotero preference value | | zotero_set_pref | Set a Zotero preference value | | zotero_search_prefs | Search and list Zotero/Firefox preferences | | zotero_inspect_object | Inspect a JavaScript object to discover methods and properties | | zotero_open_preferences | Open Zotero's preferences window, optionally navigating to a pane |

UI Inspection

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | zotero_screenshot | Capture a screenshot of Zotero (main window, specific window, or element) | | zotero_inspect_element | Find DOM elements by CSS selector | | zotero_get_dom_tree | Get a simplified DOM tree structure | | zotero_get_styles | Get computed CSS styles for an element | | zotero_list_windows | List all open Zotero windows |

Logging & Debugging

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | zotero_read_logs | Read Zotero's debug log output | | zotero_read_errors | Read errors from Zotero's error console | | zotero_clear_logs | Clear the debug log buffer and error console | | zotero_watch_logs | Start/stop watching for new log messages |

Build Integration

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | zotero_scaffold_build | Build a Zotero plugin using zotero-plugin-scaffold | | zotero_scaffold_serve | Start/stop the dev server with hot reload | | zotero_scaffold_lint | Run ESLint on a plugin project | | zotero_scaffold_typecheck | Run TypeScript type checking |

Plugin Management

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | zotero_plugin_reload | Reload a Zotero plugin | | zotero_plugin_list | List all installed plugins | | zotero_plugin_install | Install a plugin from a local XPI file |

Database Access (Read-only)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | zotero_db_query | Execute a SELECT query on Zotero's database | | zotero_db_schema | Get database schema information | | zotero_db_stats | Get database statistics |

Prompts (5)

| Prompt | Description | |--------|-------------| | setup-dev | Set up Zotero plugin development environment from scratch | | debug-plugin | Connect to Zotero and start debugging your plugin | | fix-errors | Find and fix errors from Zotero's error console | | inspect-api | Interactive exploration of Zotero's JavaScript APIs | | migrate-z7 | Help migrate a plugin from Zotero 6 to Zotero 7 |

Configuration

Environment variables (all optional):

| Variable | Default | Description | |----------|---------|-------------| | ZOTERO_RDP_PORT | 6100 | RDP port to connect to | | ZOTERO_RDP_HOST | localhost | RDP host address | | ZOTERO_DATA_DIR | auto-detected | Zotero data directory path | | ZOTERO_PROFILE_PATH | auto-detected | Zotero profile path |

Troubleshooting

"Cannot connect to Zotero"

1. Make sure Zotero is running
2. Verify the MCP Bridge plugin is installed (Tools > Add-ons)
3. Restart Zotero after installing the plugin
4. Check port 6100 is not blocked: lsof -i :6100

"Port already in use"

• Another Zotero instance may be running, or Zotero was started with the -debugger flag (which uses port 6000). The MCP Bridge uses port 6100 to avoid conflicts.

License

MIT