RefBridgeMCP Desktop

Connect any MCP-capable AI client to your local Zotero library.

You're viewing this in a web browser. The setup values below are only real inside the RefBridgeMCP desktop app. Get it from GitHub Releases.
Local Zotero status
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RefBridgeMCP talks to Zotero 7 over its built-in local API on port 23119. Keep Zotero running while you use your MCP client.

Local MCP endpoint
http://127.0.0.1:3737/mcp
•••
/path/to/refbridgemcp-sidecar

The HTTP endpoint is loopback only (127.0.0.1) and never bound to a public interface. The sidecar binary can also be launched directly by MCP clients that speak stdio (no HTTP, no bearer needed — the OS scopes access to the client that launched it).

Port

The HTTP MCP server uses a stable port so you don't have to reconfigure your MCP client after restarts. Default is 3737. Only change it if another app on your machine already uses that port.

Connect an MCP client

Claude Desktop only accepts stdio-based MCP servers. RefBridgeMCP ships a native stdio mode in the sidecar binary — no npx, no Node.js, no mcp-remote.

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows) and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "refbridgemcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/refbridgemcp-sidecar",
      "args": [
        "--stdio"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. Access is scoped to Claude Desktop itself — no bearer token to manage.