Manage Zotero reference libraries through Python: search, create, update, and delete records, organize collections and tags, upload PDF attachments, and export citation data for research workflows.
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.
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See how to installReview the instructions the agent will receive before you install.
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.
Required credentials — get from https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys:
/groups/ in the group URLStore 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.
uv add pyzotero
# or with CLI support:
uv add "pyzotero[cli]"
from pyzotero import Zotero
zot = Zotero(library_id='123456', library_type='user', api_key='ABC1234XYZ')
# 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())
Zotero instance is bound to a single library (user or group). All methods operate on that library.item['data']. Access fields like item['data']['title'], item['data']['creators'].zot.everything(zot.items()) to get all items.True on success or raise a ZoteroError.| 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 retrieval and management |
| references/files-attachments.md | File retrieval 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 retrieval |
| references/saved-searches.md | Saved search management |
| references/cli.md | Command-line interface usage |
| references/error-handling.md | Errors and exception handling |
item = zot.item('ITEMKEY')
item['data']['title'] = 'New Title'
zot.update_item(item)
template = zot.item_template('journalArticle')
template['title'] = 'My Paper'
template['creators'][0] = {'creatorType': 'author', 'firstName': 'Jane', 'lastName': 'Doe'}
zot.create_items([template])
zot.add_parameters(format='bibtex')
bibtex = zot.top(limit=50)
# bibtex is a bibtexparser BibDatabase object
print(bibtex.entries)
zot = Zotero(library_id='123456', library_type='user', local=True)
items = zot.items()
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