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papersgpt

papersgpt/papersgpt-for-zotero

A Zotero plugin that lets you chat with one PDF, several PDFs, or your whole library, with clickable citations and optional fully local models.

Open-source alternative to:Zotero AI assistants such as Scite AssistantElicitConsensus

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What is it?

PapersGPT is an AI extension for Zotero, the reference manager. It lets you ask questions about a single open PDF, a selection of files or a collection, or the entire library. Answers are synthesized across documents and include citations that jump to the cited paper when clicked. Built-in prompts cover common tasks such as summaries, background sections, literature reviews and future directions.

The plugin works with several model sources. You can use hosted models from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek and OpenRouter by entering an API key. For offline use, it can run integrated open-source models downloaded from Hugging Face, connect to a local Ollama instance, or point to a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Parsing and indexing of documents are described as running on your machine.

The project also includes an AutoPilot mode for batch-processing papers against a research goal and saving results into Zotero notes, plus an MCP server and a skill file so agent tools such as Claude Code or Cursor can search your Zotero library.

Key features

  • 01Chat with a single PDF, multiple selected PDFs, or the entire Zotero library.
  • 02Answers include clickable citations that open the referenced paper.
  • 03Works with cloud models from several providers using your own API key.
  • 04Supports fully offline use through bundled open-source models, Ollama, or custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints.
  • 05AutoPilot mode batch-processes papers against a research goal and saves notes into Zotero.
  • 06Provides an MCP server and a skill file for agent tools to search your Zotero library.

Use cases

  • Comparing findings and methods across many papers in a Zotero collection.
  • Drafting a literature review or background section from your existing library.
  • Asking questions about sensitive documents while keeping processing on your own machine with a local model.
  • Letting an AI agent search your Zotero references while writing or coding.

Topics

#zotero#pdf#llm#rag#local-llm#mcp#research-tools#chat#ai#chatgpt

FAQ

What is papersgpt-for-zotero?
A Zotero plugin that lets you chat with one PDF, several PDFs, or your whole library, with clickable citations and optional fully local models. PapersGPT is an AI extension for Zotero, the reference manager. It lets you ask questions about a single open PDF, a selection of files or a collection, or the entire library. Answers are synthesized across documents and include citations that jump to the cited paper when clicked. Built-in prompts cover common tasks such as summaries, background sections, literature reviews and future directions.
Is papersgpt-for-zotero free to use? What license does it have?
papersgpt-for-zotero is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is papersgpt-for-zotero still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to papersgpt-for-zotero was on Oct 15, 2026.
What can I use papersgpt-for-zotero for?
Comparing findings and methods across many papers in a Zotero collection. Drafting a literature review or background section from your existing library. Asking questions about sensitive documents while keeping processing on your own machine with a local model. Letting an AI agent search your Zotero references while writing or coding.
Where can I get papersgpt-for-zotero?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/papersgpt/papersgpt-for-zotero

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