{
 "categories": [
  "productivity",
  "open-source"
 ],
 "deployment": "hybrid",
 "evidence": [
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "homepage",
   "note": "Zotero presents a free tool to collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research, with Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android downloads, plus web access.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "license",
   "note": "The homepage says Zotero is open source and developed by an independent nonprofit.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.api.exists",
   "note": "Zotero documents Web API version 3 at https://api.zotero.org for library data.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.api.kinds[0]",
   "note": "The basics page documents HTTPS requests, HTTP headers, and resource URLs under /users/ and /groups/.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.api.auth[0]",
   "note": "Private libraries use an API key in the Zotero-API-Key header or as Authorization: Bearer.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.api.auth[1]",
   "note": "Third-party developers should use OAuth to establish credentials. The page says Zotero currently supports only OAuth 1.0a.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.api.coverage",
   "note": "The opened page documents read requests. It says local write requests on Zotero 10 and later use a separate local API key. The write reference was not opened.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.api.docs",
   "note": "Opened the Zotero Web API v3 basics page.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.third_party[0].repo",
   "note": "GitHub describes 54yyyu/zotero-mcp as a server that connects a Zotero library to assistants. The owner is the user 54yyyu.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/54yyyu/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.third_party[0].maintained",
   "note": "GitHub reported the repository unarchived, MIT-licensed, and pushed on 2026-10-08.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/54yyyu/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.third_party[1].repo",
   "note": "GitHub describes kujenga/zotero-mcp as a Python MCP server for the Zotero API. The owner is the user kujenga.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/kujenga/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.third_party[1].maintained",
   "note": "GitHub reported the repository unarchived and pushed on 2026-08-07.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/kujenga/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.third_party[2].repo",
   "note": "GitHub describes dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp as a local read/write server for Zotero 10 and later. The owner is the user dvdsosa.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.third_party[2].maintained",
   "note": "GitHub reported the repository unarchived and pushed on 2026-10-07.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[0]",
   "note": "Read requests default to format=json. JSON mode returns an array for multi-object requests and an object for a single item.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "modalities.agent_docs.llms_txt",
   "note": "https://www.zotero.org/llms.txt returned 404 on 2026-10-09.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/llms.txt",
   "tier": "scraped"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.api",
   "note": "Version 3 read access is documented with API keys and OAuth 1.0a. The write reference was not opened, so the score stays at a partial library API.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.mcp",
   "note": "Three separate user-owned servers were current on 2026-10-09. None is published by the Zotero organization.",
   "source": "https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[0].url",
   "note": "Opened the Zotero Web API v3 basics page.",
   "source": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[1].url",
   "note": "Opened the GitHub API record for 54yyyu/zotero-mcp.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/54yyyu/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[2].url",
   "note": "Opened the GitHub API record for kujenga/zotero-mcp.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/kujenga/zotero-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-09",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[3].url",
   "note": "Opened the GitHub API record for dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp.",
   "source": "https://api.github.com/repos/dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp",
   "tier": "community"
  }
 ],
 "freshness": {
  "last_verified": "2026-10-09",
  "volatility": "medium",
  "watch": [
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/54yyyu/zotero-mcp"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/kujenga/zotero-mcp"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp"
   }
  ]
 },
 "homepage": "https://www.zotero.org/",
 "id": "zotero",
 "license": "open-source",
 "modalities": {
  "agent_docs": {
   "llms_txt": false
  },
  "api": {
   "auth": [
    "api-key",
    "oauth1"
   ],
   "coverage": "partial",
   "docs": "https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics",
   "exists": true,
   "kinds": [
    "rest"
   ]
  },
  "cli": {
   "exists": "unknown"
  },
  "computer_use": {
   "issues": [],
   "viability": "unknown"
  },
  "data_access": {
   "export": [
    "json"
   ],
   "import": []
  },
  "extensibility": {
   "scripting": [],
   "webhooks": "unknown"
  },
  "integrations": {
   "make": "unknown",
   "n8n": "unknown",
   "power_automate": "unknown",
   "zapier": "unknown"
  },
  "mcp": {
   "first_party": "unknown",
   "third_party": [
    {
     "maintained": true,
     "registries": [],
     "repo": "https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp"
    },
    {
     "maintained": true,
     "registries": [],
     "repo": "https://github.com/kujenga/zotero-mcp"
    },
    {
     "maintained": true,
     "registries": [],
     "repo": "https://github.com/dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp"
    }
   ],
   "verdict": "unknown"
  },
  "rpa": {
   "drivability": "unknown",
   "notes": "No UI probe was run. Zotero documents a Web API. The community MCP servers opened here are not Zotero organization repositories.\n",
   "ui_stack": [],
   "vendor_support": []
  },
  "sdk": {
   "exists": "unknown",
   "languages": [],
   "official": "unknown"
  }
 },
 "name": "Zotero",
 "platforms": [
  "macos",
  "windows",
  "linux",
  "ios",
  "android",
  "web"
 ],
 "related": {
  "alternatives": [],
  "our_products": []
 },
 "schema_version": 1,
 "score_version": 1,
 "status": "active",
 "vendor": "Zotero",
 "verdict": {
  "best_path": "api",
  "scores": {
   "api": 6,
   "cli": null,
   "computer_use": null,
   "integrations": null,
   "mcp": 6,
   "overall": 6,
   "rpa": null
  },
  "summary": "Zotero is automatable today through its Web API. This record is the Zotero reference manager, including the desktop apps and the web library. The homepage says Zotero is free and open source, with downloads for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Web API version 3 is served at https://api.zotero.org. The opened basics page documents read access to library items, collections, tags, and searches. Public libraries can be read without a key. Private libraries use an API key in Zotero-API-Key or Authorization: Bearer. Third parties can also use OAuth 1.0a to establish a key. The page says Zotero does not yet support OAuth 2.0. The desktop client exposes the same read API at http://localhost:23119/api/. The page says local write requests on Zotero 10 and later need a separate local key. This pass did not open the write reference. Three maintained community MCP servers were opened: 54yyyu/zotero-mcp, kujenga/zotero-mcp, and dvdsosa/zotero-native-mcp. GitHub pushes were 2026-10-08, 2026-08-07, and 2026-10-07. None is a Zotero organization repository. No Zotero page was opened that says an official MCP server does not exist. https://www.zotero.org/llms.txt returned 404. Connector catalogs were not opened. Computer-use viability is unassessed. The API scores 6 and is the best path. The community MCP servers also score 6.\n"
 }
}