Install the ZotLit skills
Install the four ZotLit agent skills in one vault for Claude Code, Codex, or pi: templates, library queries, citations, and Pandoc.
The ZotLit skills let an agent such as Claude Code, Codex, or pi work with your Zotero library and literature notes in one vault. You ask in plain language, and the agent runs ZotLit's commands for you.
One installation offers four skills. Install the ones that match your work:
| Skill | What it does for your research | Example request | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
zotlit-template | Creates, edits, and tests the templates that shape your literature notes, and explains template errors. | "Add the Zotero tags below the title in my notes." | Template Workbench CLI |
zotlit-query | Searches your Zotero papers, files, and annotations for literature reviews, reading plans, and missing or broken PDFs. | "Which papers in my thesis collection have no PDF?" | Query your Zotero library |
zotlit-citations | Finds which notes cite a paper, what a note cites, where an annotation is used, and why a citation is broken. | "Which of my notes cite Smith 2020?" | Review and troubleshoot references |
zotlit-pandoc | Sets up, refreshes, and runs the native Pandoc workflow for your manuscript, and diagnoses export problems. | "Set up native Pandoc export for my chapter drafts." | Export with native Pandoc |
Before you start
You need:
- Node.js 22.20 or later, to run the installer.
- Obsidian desktop 1.14.5 or later.
- An open vault with ZotLit loaded.
- The Obsidian CLI activated by following the Obsidian CLI guide.
- For
zotlit-pandoconly: the Pandoc command-line program, installed on your computer.
Agent data access
The agent you select can receive what ZotLit's commands return: Zotero metadata, annotation text, the places in your notes where you cite a paper, and file paths. The agent's own data-handling policies apply.
Install the skills
Open the vault folder
Open a terminal in the root of the vault. This is the folder that contains
the .obsidian folder.
Select the skills
The installer lists the four ZotLit skills. Press Space to select each skill you want, then press Enter. You can select all four.
Select the vault and agents
Select each agent that you use in this vault: Claude Code, Codex, or pi. Select Project scope to install the skills in the current vault.
If the installer asks for an installation method, choose the recommended symlink method. Confirm the summary to install.
Decline the extra skill
If the installer recommends find-skills, select No. This skill is
unrelated to ZotLit.
Verify the installation
Start one of the selected agents from the vault folder. Send this request:
Tell me which ZotLit skills you have, then check that ZotLit responds in this vault. Do not change any files.
The agent should name the ZotLit skills you installed and list the ZotLit commands that Obsidian reports for this vault. Your files remain unchanged.
Make your first requests
Describe the result you want in plain language. Name the skill if the agent picks the wrong one. For example:
- Templates: "Use the ZotLit template skill to add Zotero tags below the title in my literature notes. Show me the rendered result before you finish."
- Library queries: "Use the ZotLit query skill to list the papers in my thesis collection that have no PDF, grouped by year."
- Citations: "Use the ZotLit citations skill to find every note that cites Smith 2020, and show the sentence around each citation."
- Pandoc: "Use the ZotLit Pandoc skill to set up native Pandoc export for my chapter drafts, then convert chapter 1 to Word."
The template skill checks each edit against a real Zotero item and reports the output it verified. The Pandoc skill asks before it replaces an existing output file.
See also
Template Workbench CLI
How the template skill, the CLI, and their safety boundaries fit together.
Query your Zotero library
The questions ZotLit Query answers and the commands the query skill runs.
Review and troubleshoot references
See what a note cites and fix citations that do not resolve.
Export with native Pandoc
Use ZotLit's integration files with your own Pandoc installation.
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