Zotero Local API Skill

Interact with a running Zotero 8 desktop app via its local HTTP API.

Critical: Two API Layers

Zotero's local server has two separate API layers with different capabilities:

1. Local API (Read-Only) — /api/...

Mirrors the Zotero Web API v3 at http://localhost:23119/api/. Supports comprehensive read operations but no writes (POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE all return 400).

• Uses users/0 for the local user (not the actual user ID)
• No authentication required
• All query parameters from the Web API work: q, qmode, sort, direction, limit, start, format, include, itemType, tag, since
• Supports format=json (default), format=bib, format=citation, format=keys, format=versions, and export formats like format=bibtex

2. Connector API (Write) — /connector/...

The connector endpoints handle all write operations:

Prerequisites

• Zotero 8 must be running on the local machine
• In Zotero preferences: "Allow other applications on this computer to communicate with Zotero" must be enabled
• The API runs at http://localhost:23119/api/

Common Workflows

Search Items

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items?q=keyword&format=json&limit=20

Query parameters: q (search text), qmode (titleCreatorYear or everything), sort (dateAdded, dateModified, title, creator, date), direction (asc/desc), itemType (book, journalArticle, etc.), tag (filter by tag).

Get a Specific Item

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items/{itemKey}?format=json

Get Item Children (notes, attachments)

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items/{itemKey}/children?format=json

Create Items

POST http://localhost:23119/connector/saveItems
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "items": [{
    "itemType": "book",
    "title": "The Title",
    "creators": [{"firstName": "First", "lastName": "Last", "creatorType": "author"}],
    "date": "2024",
    "publisher": "Publisher Name",
    "ISBN": "978-0-123456-78-9",
    "tags": [{"tag": "history"}, {"tag": "research"}],
    "notes": [{"note": "<p>My note about this book</p>"}]
  }],
  "uri": "http://example.com",
  "sessionID": "unique-session-id"
}

The uri and sessionID fields are required by the connector protocol. Use any unique string for sessionID.

Import BibTeX/RIS

The import endpoint requires a unique session query parameter:

POST http://localhost:23119/connector/import?session=unique-id
Content-Type: text/plain

@book{key2024,
  author = {Author Name},
  title = {Book Title},
  year = {2024},
  publisher = {Publisher}
}

Returns the created item(s) as JSON. Without the session parameter, repeated imports return 409 Conflict.

Import a PDF into Zotero

Upload a PDF as a standalone attachment. Zotero auto-recognizes the document and creates a parent item with extracted metadata (title, authors, DOI, etc.).

POST http://localhost:23119/connector/saveStandaloneAttachment
Content-Type: application/pdf
X-Metadata: {"sessionID": "unique-id", "url": "file:///path/to/file.pdf", "title": "file.pdf"}

<binary PDF data>

Returns {"canRecognize": true} on success (201).

Attach a File to an Existing Item

Requires the Better BibTeX (BBT) extension for its debug-bridge endpoint. Without BBT, use import_pdf() to import as a standalone item instead.

POST http://127.0.0.1:23119/debug-bridge/execute
Content-Type: application/javascript

var item = await Zotero.Items.getByLibraryAndKeyAsync(
    Zotero.Libraries.userLibraryID, 'ITEMKEY'
);
var att = await Zotero.Attachments.importFromFile({
    file: '/path/to/file.pdf',
    parentItemID: item.id
});
return JSON.stringify({key: att.key});

Download Attached Files

Get the local file path for an attachment:

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items/{attachmentKey}/file/view/url

Returns a file:// URL pointing to the file in Zotero's storage directory.

Or redirect to the file directly (returns 302 to a file:// URL; Python's urllib will not follow it, so get_file() reads the path from /file/view/url instead):

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items/{attachmentKey}/file

Get Full-Text Content

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items/{itemKey}/fulltext

Returns indexed full-text content for PDFs and other indexed documents.

List Collections

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/collections?format=json
GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/collections/top?format=json
GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/collections/{collectionKey}/items?format=json

Create / Delete Collections (requires BBT)

These operations use the Better BibTeX debug-bridge. See the "Better BibTeX" section below.

z = ZoteroLocal()

# Check if BBT is available
if not z.check_bbt():
    print("Install Better BibTeX: https://retorque.re/zotero-better-bibtex/installation/")

# Create a top-level collection
col = z.create_collection("My Research")
# Returns: {"key": "ABCD1234", "name": "My Research"}

# Create a sub-collection
sub = z.create_collection("Chapter 1", parent_key=col["key"])
# Returns: {"key": "EFGH5678", "name": "Chapter 1", "parentKey": "ABCD1234"}

# Delete a collection (items remain in library).
# Warning: Zotero also deletes all sub-collections of this collection.
z.delete_collection("ABCD1234")

# Delete a collection and trash items only in that collection
z.delete_collection("ABCD1234", delete_items=True)

List Tags

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/tags?format=json

Export Citations

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items?format=bibtex
GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items/{itemKey}?format=ris
GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/items?format=bib&style=chicago-author-date

Supported export formats: bibtex, ris, csljson, mods, refer, rdf_bibliontology, rdf_dc, rdf_zotero, tei, wikipedia.

Execute Saved Searches

Unlike the web API, the local API can execute saved searches:

GET http://localhost:23119/api/users/0/searches/{searchKey}/items?format=json

Item Types

Common types: book, bookSection, journalArticle, conferencePaper, thesis, report, webpage, document, manuscript, letter, map, artwork, film, videoRecording, audioRecording, presentation, statute, case, patent, blogPost, forumPost, encyclopediaArticle, dictionaryEntry, newspaperArticle, magazineArticle.

Get all types: GET http://localhost:23119/api/itemTypes
Get fields for a type: GET http://localhost:23119/api/itemTypeFields?itemType=book
Get creator types: GET http://localhost:23119/api/itemTypeCreatorTypes?itemType=book

Response Structure

Items from the local API return this structure:

{
  "key": "ABC12345",
  "version": 0,
  "library": {"type": "user", "id": 0, "name": "My Library"},
  "meta": {"creatorSummary": "Author", "numChildren": 2},
  "data": {
    "key": "ABC12345",
    "itemType": "book",
    "title": "...",
    "creators": [...],
    "date": "2024",
    "publisher": "...",
    "ISBN": "...",
    "tags": [{"tag": "..."}],
    "collections": ["COLLKEY1"],
    "dateAdded": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
    "dateModified": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
  }
}

Python Script

from scripts.zotero_api import ZoteroLocal
z = ZoteroLocal()  # connects to localhost:23119

# Search
items = z.search("keyword", limit=10)

# Get item
item = z.get_item("ABC12345")

# Create book
item = z.create_item("book", title="My Book", creators=[{"firstName":"A","lastName":"B","creatorType":"author"}])

# Import BibTeX
items = z.import_bibtex('@book{...}')

# Import a PDF (auto-recognizes metadata)
result = z.import_pdf("/path/to/paper.pdf")

# Download an attachment
path = z.download_attachment("ATTKEY12", "/tmp/")

# Check if Better BibTeX is available
if z.check_bbt():
    # Attach file to existing item (requires BBT)
    z.attach_file("/path/to/paper.pdf", "ITEMKEY1")

    # Create/delete collections (requires BBT)
    col = z.create_collection("My Collection")
    sub = z.create_collection("Sub-Collection", parent_key=col["key"])
    z.delete_collection(sub["key"])

# Export
bibtex = z.export_items(format="bibtex")

Better BibTeX (BBT)

Some features require the Better BibTeX extension, which provides a debug-bridge for executing JavaScript inside Zotero. BBT is free and open-source — any user can install it.

Features requiring BBT:
- Creating and deleting collections/sub-collections
- Attaching files to existing items

Check if BBT is installed:

z = ZoteroLocal()
if z.check_bbt():
    print("BBT is available")
else:
    print("Install BBT: https://retorque.re/zotero-better-bibtex/installation/")

Install BBT: Download the latest .xpi from BBT releases, then in Zotero: Tools → Add-ons → gear icon → Install Add-on From File.

Limitations

• No PATCH/PUT/DELETE: The local API is read-only. Items can only be created through connector endpoints, not updated or deleted programmatically.
• Connector write format: saveItems requires uri and sessionID wrapper fields around the items array.
• No item templates: The /api/items/new?itemType= endpoint returns empty on the local API. Use /api/itemTypeFields?itemType= to discover fields instead.
• Collection management and file attachment: Requires Better BibTeX (BBT) extension. Without BBT, use import_pdf() to import files as standalone items with auto-recognition instead.

Resources

• references/api_reference.md — Complete endpoint reference with all parameters
• scripts/zotero_api.py — Python client for read and write operations