pyzotero

name: pyzotero description: Interact with Zotero reference management libraries using the pyzotero Python client. Retrieve, create, update, and delete items, collections, tags, and attachments via the Zotero Web API v3. Use this skill when working with Zotero libraries programmatically, managing bibliographic references, exporting citations, searching library contents, uploading PDF attachments, or building research automation workflows that integrate with Zotero. allowed-tools: Read Write Edit Bash license: MIT License compatibility: Requires Python 3.10+ and pyzotero 1.13+. Web API access needs a Zotero API key. Optional CLI and MCP extras require Zotero 7 with local API access enabled. required_environment_variables: [{"name": "ZOTERO_API_KEY", "prompt": "Zotero API key.", "required_for": "full functionality"}, {"name": "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID", "prompt": "Zotero library id.", "required_for": "full functionality"}, {"name": "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE", "prompt": "Zotero library type: 'user' or 'group' (default 'user').", "required_for": "optional features"}] metadata: {"version": "1.1", "skill-author": "K-Dense Inc.", "openclaw": {"primaryEnv": "ZOTERO_API_KEY", "envVars": [{"name": "ZOTERO_API_KEY", "required": true, "description": "Zotero API key."}, {"name": "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID", "required": true, "description": "Zotero library id."}, {"name": "ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE", "required": false, "description": "Zotero library type: 'user' or 'group' (default 'user')."}]}}

Pyzotero is a Python wrapper for the Zotero API v3. Use it to programmatically manage Zotero libraries: read items and collections, create and update references, upload attachments, manage tags, and export citations.

Current upstream: pyzotero 1.13.0 (PyPI, May 2026). Docs: pyzotero.readthedocs.io.

Authentication Setup

Required credentials — get from https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys:

User ID: shown as "Your userID for use in API calls"
API Key: create at https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys/new
Library ID: for group libraries, the integer after /groups/ in the group URL

Store credentials in environment variables or a .env file:

ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID=your_user_id
ZOTERO_API_KEY=your_api_key
ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE=user  # or "group"

See references/authentication.md for full setup details.

Installation

uv add pyzotero              # Web API client
uv add "pyzotero[cli]"       # + local CLI (Zotero 7)
uv add "pyzotero[mcp]"       # + MCP server for LLM clients (Zotero 7)

Quick Start

import os
from pyzotero import Zotero

zot = Zotero(
    library_id=os.environ['ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID'],
    library_type=os.environ.get('ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE', 'user'),
    api_key=os.environ['ZOTERO_API_KEY'],
)

# Retrieve top-level items (returns 100 by default)
items = zot.top(limit=10)
for item in items:
    print(item['data']['title'], item['data']['itemType'])

# Search by keyword
results = zot.items(q='machine learning', limit=20)

# Retrieve all items (use everything() for complete results)
all_items = zot.everything(zot.items())

Core Concepts

A Zotero instance is bound to a single library (user or group). All methods operate on that library.
Item data lives in item['data']. Access fields like item['data']['title'], item['data']['creators'].
Pyzotero returns 100 items by default (API default is 25). Use zot.everything(zot.items()) to get all items.
Write methods return True on success or raise a ZoteroError.

Reference Files

File	Contents
references/authentication.md	Credentials, library types, local mode
references/read-api.md	Retrieving items, collections, tags, groups
references/search-params.md	Filtering, sorting, search parameters
references/write-api.md	Creating, updating, deleting items
references/collections.md	Collection CRUD operations
references/tags.md	Tag access and management
references/files-attachments.md	File download and attachment uploads
references/exports.md	BibTeX, CSL-JSON, bibliography export
references/pagination.md	follow(), everything(), generators
references/full-text.md	Full-text content indexing and access
references/saved-searches.md	Saved search management
references/cli.md	Command-line interface (local Zotero 7)
references/mcp.md	MCP server for LLM clients (local Zotero 7)
references/error-handling.md	Errors and exception handling

Common Patterns

Fetch and modify an item

item = zot.item('ITEMKEY')
item['data']['title'] = 'New Title'
zot.update_item(item)

Create an item from a template

template = zot.item_template('journalArticle')
template['title'] = 'My Paper'
template['creators'][0] = {'creatorType': 'author', 'firstName': 'Jane', 'lastName': 'Doe'}
zot.create_items([template])

Export as BibTeX

zot.add_parameters(format='bibtex')
bibtex = zot.top(limit=50)
# bibtex is a bibtexparser BibDatabase object
print(bibtex.entries)

Local mode (read-only, no API key needed)

zot = Zotero(library_id='123456', library_type='user', local=True)
items = zot.items()

Local Zotero 7 (CLI or MCP, no API key)

For searching a locally running Zotero desktop app (including full-text PDF search), use the CLI or MCP server instead of the Web API. Both require Zotero 7 with local API access enabled. See references/cli.md and references/mcp.md.