zotero connector safari not working

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FAQ: How do I activate the Zotero extension in Safari?

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Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023     Views: 2450

The Zotero Connector for Safari is bundled with the Zotero desktop application. To activate the Zotero browser extension for Safari, follow these steps:

• Make sure you have Zotero installed  on your computer, then open Zotero
• Open Safari
• In the menu for the browser, click on the  Safari  menu >  Settings  (may show as Preferences ) >  Extensions
• Click on the checkbox next to the Zotero extension
• Finally, click on the  Turn on button to activate

Your Zotero extension should now be enabled for Safari. You will be able to tell that it's working if you see a document or Zotero symbol in the top right of the URL bar in Safari . You will need to keep Zotero open while you are using the browser extension so it can communicate with the program.

If the above step do not work, you may have privacy settings set up in a way that prevents Safari from activating the extension. If you see a privacy prompt, click on the OK button, then quit Safari and re-open. You will need to repeat steps 2 - 4, then click on the  Turn On  button for the extension to be activated.

If you need additional assistance with Zotero, please refer to the library's Zotero Guide , Cite Right with Zotero video or make an appointment with  Kimberly Jackson, STEM Librarian . 

• 5 Steps to Using Zotero
• Adding the Browser Connector
• Creating an Online Account
• Syncing to Online Account
• Browser Add-on (Connector)
• Search Results List
• Google Scholar
• RIS / other file formats
• Manually Add a Source
• Collections / Folders
• Moving / Deleting Sources
• PDFs, Images, & Other Files
• Creating & Sharing Groups
• Modifying Source Records
• Select, Change, Add a Style
• Insert In-text Citations
• Create Bibliographies
• Remove Zotero field codes
• Troubleshooting Plug-in
• Transferring from Other Platforms
• Source Management Comparison Chart
• Zotero Plug-in not Visible
• Error Messages
• Unexpected behavior

Adding the Connector to Your Browser

Zotero provides a browser connector for Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. There is no compatible connector for Internet Explorer.

This page provides instructions for Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge ( step-by-step and video ), and Safari ( step-by-step and video )

Step-by-Step Instructions for Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge

• Go to the Downloads page on Zotero.org
• The system will automatically recognize which browser you are using
• Follow the installation prompts from your browser
• The connector icon will appear in your browser's toolbar or add-on menu In Chrome, pin the add-on so it will be visible all of the time For Firefox and Edge, you may need to close the browser and reopen it if the Connector isn't visible

Browser Connector Video Instructions for Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge

Step-by-Step Instructions for Safari

The Zotero Browser Connector for Safari is bundled with the Zotero app when it is downloaded and installed.

The Zotero Connector for Safari requires at least Safari 15 on macOS 11 Big Sur or later.

• Open the Zotero desktop app
• Open Safari
• From the Safari drop down menu, select Preferences.
• In the Preferences pop-up window, choose the Extensions tab
• In the left sidebar, check the Zotero Connector option
• The Browser Connector icon should appear in the upper right bar of the Sarari window
• You can now search for and add sources to your Zotero Library

Step-by-Step Video Instructions for Safari

**video coming soon**

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Answered By: Keely Wilczek Last Updated: Mar 14, 2024     Views: 8835

The Zotero Connector for Safari is bundled with the Zotero application. In other words, unlike for other browsers, it is not necessary to install the Zotero Connector extension separately. 

Even though the Safari extension is installed automatically, however, it is not automatically activated in Safari. To do so, follow these steps: 

• Open Safari. 
• From the Safari menu, go to Preferences. 
• Select the Extensions tab. 
• In the list on the left, check the checkbox next to the Zotero Connector. 
• The Zotero icon should now display next to the URL box (usually to the left of it). 

Return to Search and Browse All FAQs

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2. Installing the Zotero Connector for Firefox, Chrome, or Safari

(If you have come back to this part of the tutorial without completing the preceding part/s, create a separate working window using this link. )

Download and Install the Zotero Connector

The next step in using Zotero is installing the connector that will connect Zotero to your internet browser.  Connectors are available for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.  Follow the steps below for the browser/s you use

• Copy the address of this tutorial page (see below) so that you can return to this tutorial page if you have to restart your browser:
• Click on the “ Install Firefox Connector ” button.

• A series of notification pop-ups will probably appear. The Firefox pop-ups looked like the screenshots below at one time, but the appearance of these prompts changes from browser to browser and from time to time.

•  Click on the “ Allow “, “ Install “, “ Add “, and/or “ Restart” buttons as needed.

Now it’s time to activate the Zotero connector:

• The Zotero connector sometimes starts life in the form of a “ Z ” icon in the browser header (to the right of the address box).
• If you see a “ Z ” icon click it.

• Then click the “ Got It” button (or similar button) in the pop-up that appears.

• The activated Zotero Connector in Firefox appears to the right of the browser’s address box.  It is a “page” symbol when a normal webpage is being displayed by the browser and is a “folder” symbol when multiple results of a database search are displayed.

• Click on the “ Install Chrome Connector ” button.

• You will be asked to respond to a couple prompts.  Click the “Add to Chrome” and “Add extension” buttons that appear.

• Click the “Puzzle piece”/”Extensions” icon and then click the “Pin” icon for the “Zotero Connector”

• Click the “Z” icon that appears close to the “Puzzle piece” icon to activate the Zotero Connector.

• Click the “Got It” button in the pop-up that appears.

• The activated Zotero Connector in Chrome appears to the right of the browser’s address box.  It is a “page” symbol when a normal webpage is being displayed by the browser and is a “folder” symbol when multiple results of a database search are displayed.

The Safari Connector is installed when you install Zotero on a Mac computer.  You just have to enable it.

• Use the “Safari” menu to select “Preferences”

• When the “Preferences” box appears click on the “extensions” tab (a. in figure below)

• Check the box in front of “Zotero Connector” (b. in figure above)
• Click the “Turn on” button (c. in figure above).
• The activated Zotero Connector in Safari appears to the left of the browser’s address box.  It is a “page” symbol when a normal webpage is being displayed by the browser and is a “folder” symbol when multiple results of a database search are displayed.

Zotero Tutorial Copyright © 2020 by Cindy Schmidt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Notifications

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari extensions for Zotero

zotero/zotero-connectors

Folders and files, repository files navigation, zotero connectors.

• git clone --recursive https://github.com/zotero/zotero-connectors.git
• cd zotero-connectors
• npm install
• ./build.sh -d

The connectors are built in build/ .

Running from the build directory

• Go to chrome://extensions/
• Enable "Developer Mode".
• Click "Load unpacked extension…" and select the build/browserExt directory.
• Go to about:debugging
• Click "Load Temporary Add-on" and select the build/browserExt/manifest.json file.
• Get and install the Mozilla web-ext tool
• cd to project root
• ./scripts/firefox/run_xpi

See https://github.com/zotero/safari-app-extension

Automatic rebuilding/reloading

Chrome on macos.

• brew install chrome-cli
• npm install -g gulp
• build.sh -d
• gulp watch-chrome

As files are changed, the connectors will be rebuilt automatically and Chrome will reload the extension.

• ./scripts/firefox/run_xpi (in a different terminal window)

As files are changed, the connectors will be rebuilt automatically and Firefox will reload the extension.

As files are changed, the connectors will be rebuilt automatically. You will need to manually reload the extension in the browser being developed for.

Requirements for packaging extensions from the command line

• Copy config.sh-sample to config.sh and modify as necessary
• Safari/Chrome extension certificates
• Google Chrome or Chromium
• xar with patch for building Safari extensions

To run tests locally, build the extension with the -d flag, and then run

Test files are located at src/common/test . See src/common/test/testSetup.js for test framework documentation

Zotero Connectors are built with standard tools, such as browser extension APIs, but the architecture is quite complex. This section is a short overview of some of the complexities, to make it more accessible for newcomers.

Technologies

Chrome/firefox browser extension framework.

The functionality exposed on Chrome and Firefox is provided by the Chrome extension framework, which has also been adopted by Firefox. See Chrome Extension docs and Firefox Extension docs for more information.

Safari Extension Framework

For Safari specifics see https://github.com/zotero/safari-app-extension

Zotero Translator Framework

The Connectors share code with Zotero desktop application , to support translation. A basic understanding of how translation works or at least the handlers it exposes in Zotero will be highly useful in understanding the codebase.

Saving resources to Zotero library is facilitated by two major components: the Zotero Connector running in the browser and either the Zotero client or zotero.org web api. The Zotero Connector itself is split into two components: code running on the webpage and a background process.

a) Injected scripts for individual webpages

Each webpage is injected ( Chrome / Firefox / Safari ) with a full Zotero translation framework . A Zotero.Translate.Web instance orchestrates running individual translators for detection and translation.

The translation framework shares some code with the Zotero codebase and provides custom classes concerning translator retrieval and item saving . These custom classes talk to the background process (b) of the Zotero Connector for functionality outside the translation framework, such as retrieving translator code and sending translated items either to Zotero (c) or zotero.org (d).

b) Background process

The Connector runs a background process ( Chrome / Firefox / Safari ) which works as a middle-layer between the translation framework running in inject scripts (a) and Zotero (c) or zotero.org (d).

The background process maintains a cache of translators and performs the initial translator detection using URL matching . Translators whose target regexp matches the URL of a given webpage are then further tested by running detectWeb() in injected scripts. A list of translators and their code is fetched either from Zotero (c) or zotero.org (d) .

The background process is also responsible for updating the extension UI, kicking off translations, storing and retrieving connector preferences and sending translated items to Zotero or zotero.org. Browser specific scripts are available for BrowserExt and Safari .

c) Connector server in Zotero

When Zotero is open it runs a connector HTTP server on port 23119. The HTTP server API accommodates interactions between the Connectors and Zotero client. Calls to Zotero.Connector.callMethod(endpoint) in this codebase are translated to HTTP requests to the connector server.

Note that Zotero cannot interact with the connectors on its own accord. All communication is Connector initiated.

d) zotero.org API

When Zotero is not available item saving falls back to using zotero.org API . The interactions with zotero.org API are defined in api.js

Message passing

The only way for the background extension process and injected scripts to communicate is using the message passing protocol provided by the browsers ( Chrome / Firefox / Safari ). Injected scripts often need to communicate to background scripts. To simplify these interactions, calls to functions in background scripts are monkey-patched in injected scripts. These calls are asynchronous and if a return value is required, it is provided either to a callback function as the last argument of the call or as a resolving value of a promise returned.

messages.js contains the list of the monkey-patched methods. If the method value is false no response is expected, otherwise the calls provide a response. An optional pre-send processing on the background end and post-receive processing on the injected end is possible to treat values that cannot be sent as-is via the messaging protocol.

The background process registers message listeners in messaging.js . Zotero.Messaging class also provides a way to send messages to injected scripts and add custom message listeners.

The injected scripts monkey-patch methods in messaging_injected.js ( BrowserExt / Safari ) Zotero.Messaging class also provides a way to send messages to the background process and add message listeners.

Build process

The build process combines files from the Zotero codebase, common files to all connectors and specific files for Chrome/Firefox/Safari connectors. At the moment the build process is awkward and uses a SH script and gulp procedures. This will be reconciled in the future to only use gulp.

• build.sh copies images and extension files
• gulp process-custom-files initiated by build.sh performs post-processing on copied files

If you have any questions about developing Zotero Connectors you can join the discussion in the zotero-dev mailing list .

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Why can't I install the Zotero connector in Safari 12?

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Apple has discontinued support for full-featured Safari extensions in Safari 12. Safari 11 and earlier no longer receive security updates and are no longer safe to use.

To continue using Zotero with Safari 12, install the  Zotero Bookmarklet . The bookmarklet will allow you to save items to your online library, and Zotero will then  sync  those items down to your computer. We'll soon be releasing an updated version of the Zotero Bookmarklet that will save all webpages (rather than just those with high-quality metadata), along with other improvements.

Alternatively, for the best Zotero experience, we recommend using the Zotero Connector for Firefox or Chrome. Firefox and Chrome provide powerful extension frameworks that allow us to offer advanced functionality such as automatic proxy redirection and automatic RIS/BibTeX interception, features that weren't possible in Safari even before Apple further restricted what Safari extensions can do.

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• Last Updated: Jul 21, 2022 2:28 PM
• URL: https://elon.libguides.com/zotero

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• Attach full-text articles to your references by double-clicking
• Attach full-text articles to your references using Library Lookup
• Attach full-text articles to your references using Google Scholar
• Attach full-text articles to multiple references using Find Available PDFs
• Edit references
• Annotate full-text articles in Zotero
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• Back up and restore your Zotero data

Full Transcript

• How to Use Zotero Full Transcript

Instructions

Zotero is compatible with Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

For Chrome, Edge and Firefox

• After installing Zotero (see Install Zotero ), you should be redirected to the Zotero "Download" Web page for the appropriate browser extension. If not, return to the Zotero Download page ( https://www.zotero.org/download/ )
• Click on the "Install x Connector" button (x = name of browser) on the right to install the extension (follow all the steps and prompts to download the extension and then install it; procedures may vary based on the operating system and the browser)

The browser connector for Safari is included when you install Zotero (see Install Zotero ). To use the connector, it needs to be activated in Safari.

• Open Zotero on your Mac
• Open Safari
• From Safari, click “Safari” from the menu bar and select “Preferences”
• Select the “Extensions” tab
• Check the box next to the Zotero extension to enable it

Complete Instruction

• Installing Zotero
• Using Zotero

Task for learning: Install Zotero browser connector in your compatible browser of choice.

Review question:

All Review Questions

• How to Use Zotero Review Questions

If you have questions, or if you run into problems that the course does not address, e-mail the University of Ottawa Library at [email protected] .

This online course is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Unless otherwise stated, it is attributed to Mish Boutet, and is based on handouts by Patrick Labelle (also under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 ).

[How to Use Zotero online course updated: November 8, 2022]

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• Next: Create a Zotero account (optional) >>
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Additional help

Additional documentation, along with more instructional videos, is available at Zotero's web site .

The Library sometimes offers workshops on Zotero and other citation management tools. We will do so "on demand" if a minimum of 5 students will be in attendance. You can also email questions to Jennifer Dorner at the Social Research Library,  David Eifler at the Environmental Design Library, or Lisa Ngo at the Engineering Library.

What is Zotero and why would I use it?

Zotero is a tool that collects, manages, and cites the sources you find during your research. In addition to saving a citation, you can add notes and images in your Zotero library and in many cases automatically download PDFs.

You can use Zotero to...

• Create and organize a personal database of references
• Import references automatically from many websites and library E-resources
• Format bibliographies in your papers

Why choose Zotero over another tool, like RefWorks or Endnote?

• Your Zotero library is saved locally and though it is possible for you to create a cloud space and sync your citations, it requires you to adjust your settings on every computer you use Zotero with. If you do your research and writing mostly on one or two computers, Zotero is a great option.
• Zotero can be used offline -- an internet connection is not necessary to work with your Zotero library.
• Learning to use Zotero is easy

Where do I find Zotero?

Download Zotero from  https://www.zotero.org/download/

1. Download the Zotero application for your operating system. If you plan to use Zotero with a word processor, close all word processing applications before running the installer.

2. When installing the Zotero connector, the option you are given depends on which browser you are using to access the page. In the example above, I used Chrome to access the Zotero site, so it prompted me to install the Chrome connector.  Connectors are also available for Firefox and Edge. Use those browsers to access the Zotero page if you want to install their connectors. You can add as many connectors as you want -- they will all connect to your Zotero application. 

Note : The Zotero Connector for Safari is bundled with Zotero 6.0. After opening Zotero 6.0 for the first time, you can enable it from the Extensions pane of the Safari preferences. The Zotero Connector for Safari requires Safari 15 on macOS 11 Big Sur or later. If you experience issues with the Safari connector, check out the documentation on the Zotero website.

Getting Started with Zotero

Zotero provides the ability to save references from many library catalogs and article databses with one click. Your Zotero library allows you to organize and edit the entries.

Collections: The left column shows My Library, which contains all the items. Clicking the button above the left column creates a new collection, a folder into which items relating to a specific project or topic can be placed.

Below that is the tag selector, where tags assigned to items can be added or removed.

Items : The items pane displays a list of all the items in each collection with icons that indicate the type of item (book, article, thesis, screenshot, etc.).

Item Details: This pane displays the bibliographic information that was imported by Zotero for each item. Each field can be edited. There are also options to add additional notes, attachments, links to the original sources, tags, and subject headings.

• Next: Importing Citations >>
• Last Updated: Feb 5, 2024 10:09 AM
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Installing Zotero is easy, but it's important to note that it happens in two parts: the desktop application and the browser extension. To install both, go to zotero.org/download . 

• Download the desktop application installer  (on the left), open it, and follow the prompts.  Make sure that Microsoft Word is closed during the Zotero installation. If not, the Zotero Word plugin may not install correctly. 
• Important: You will have to open the download page in each browser you may want to use and install the extension in each browser separately. (The Zotero extension works in Firefox , Chrome , and Edge , as well as in other Chromium-based browsers.) 
• Also good to know: In Safari , the browser extension is automatically installed when you install the desktop application. To activate it, go to the Safari preferences > Extensions > toggle the Zotero Connector to on. 

To make sure that the installation worked properly , check the following: 

• On your computer, do you see the Zotero icon (a red Z) in your start menu (on Windows) or in your Applications folder or Launchpad (on MacOS)? If yes, you're good to go. If not, re-run the installer. 
• How to troubleshoot issues with the Zotero Connector extension for Chrome.  
• How to troubleshoot issues with the Zotero Connector extension for Safari.  
• How to troubleshoot issues with the Zotero plug-in for Microsoft Word  (on Zotero.org).
• How to troubleshoot issues with the Zotero integration for Google Docs  (on Zotero.org; you may need to look at the Zotero Forums to find an answer to your specific issue). 

You can start using Zotero out of the box, as is, but here are a few configurations we'd like to recommend: 

Create a Zotero account (and sync with the cloud)

A Zotero account allows you to

• sync your local Zotero library on your computer into the cloud, which is great if you need to switch computers or if you work on multiple computers simultaneously; 
• collaborate and share libraries with other Zotero users; 
• store unlimited files in the cloud, as long as you use your Harvard email to register for the account. 

To sign up for a Zotero account , simply go to the registration page , fill out and submit the form, wait for the confirmation email and click on the confirmation link it will contain, and you should be good to go. 

Next, set up syncing :

• Open your Zotero app. 
• on Windows, in the Edit menu; 
• on MacOS, in the Zotero menu; 
• on iOS, go to Settings [the cog symbol in the top right corner], then Account. 
• Note: If you're concerned about storage space on your hard drive, set the two dropdowns under "file syncing" to "download files as needed." 

Finally, we recommend adding an additional email address to your Zotero account as a failsafe, especially once you leave Harvard.

• Go to your account settings on Zotero.org (make sure you're logged in!).
• Enter another email address in the field below your already registered email.
• Wait for the email sent to the newly added address, click on the confirmation link contained in it.
• Refresh the account settings page to double-check that you now have a second email listed. 

Other recommended tweaks  

• In the General tab, uncheck "Automatically tag items with keywords and subject headings." This setting will allow you to create and maintain your own tags instead of creating unwanted clutter. [ more information on tags ]
• In the Cite tab, open the Word Processors tab & check the box next to "Use Classic Add Citation dialog." This setting allows you to view your Zotero library and collections the same way you see them in the desktop app when you insert citations in Word or Google Docs . [ more information on using the Word and Google Docs plugins ] 
• In the  Advanced tab, open the dropdown under "OpenURL," go to "North America," and then select Harvard. In the resolver field, you should now see the following URL: https://hollis.harvard.edu/openurl/01HVD/HVD_URL? . This setting allows you to search for the full text of a citation using Harvard Library subscription resources. [ more information on locating online versions of citations (on Zotero.org)] 
• Also in the Advanced tab, change the Zotero language to English if your computer is set to another language.
• Next: Add Sources to Zotero >>

Except where otherwise noted, this work is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which allows anyone to share and adapt our material as long as proper attribution is given. For details and exceptions, see the Harvard Library Copyright Policy ©2021 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College.

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Get training & assistance

Check out our Zotero Basics video series below or on YouTube .

One-on-one training

Schedule a consultation with Renae if you'd like one-on-one training or need help with certain steps for using Zotero after trying it out on your own.

Is Zotero accessible?

The desktop version is not accessible, while the browser versions are generally accessible with a few issues. See this Zotero Accessibility page for details.

How do I get the Zotero connector icon to show in my browser toolbar?

• In Chrome:  go to  chrome://extensions/  and enable the connector. (Click on the little switch. To turn on, it should be to the right and blue.) If you're still not seeing it, go to Extensions (the puzzle piece) in your browser menu. In the pop-up, click on the little pin (make it blue) to pin the connector to your browser bar.
• In Firefox:  go to  about:addons  and then go to Extensions using the side menu. Enable the Zotero connector. (Click on the little switch. To turn on, it should be to the right and blue.) If you're still not seeing it, go to Extensions (the puzzle piece) in your browser menu. In the pop-up, click on the gear for the Zotero connector. Click on "Pin to toolbar."
• In Edge:  go to  edge://extensions/  and enable the connector. (Click on the little switch. To turn on, it should be to the right and blue.) If you're still not seeing it, click on Extensions (the puzzle piece) in the browser menu. In the pop-up, click on the crossed-out eye for the Zotero connector to show it in your toolbar.
• In Safari:  see  Zotero's Safari compatibility page  for help.

What do I do if the Zotero connector isn't pulling any information into Zotero?

Make sure the Zotero desktop software is open before trying to use the browser connector. The connector does not work with the online/browser version of Zotero.

What do I do if I'm getting a bunch of coding in my Word document instead of citations?

On Windows, try pressing Alt + F9. On Mac, try pressing option + fn + F9.

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• Manual Creation of Zotero Library Items
• Collections
• Subcollections
• Using Zotero with Google Docs
• Using Zotero with Microsoft Word
• Export a Bibliography from the Zotero Application
• Storage Options
• Collaborate with Group Libraries
• Migrate a Library from Endnote to Zotero
• Adding Additional Citation Styles

Research Services Librarian

What is Zotero ?

Zotero is a free and open source citation management software that helps Bates students, staff, and faculty members collect, organize, and cite sources found online and in library databases. 

Zotero makes it easy to capture and save citation data with a single click, and also saves connected PDFs when they are available. Users can organize their Zotero libraries by creating collections for their classes, assignments, or thesis topics. Once users are ready to write, Zotero can be used to generate citations and bibliographies, and can be integrated into Google Docs and Microsoft Word.

Additional features in Zotero include the ability to sync your library across multiple devices and the ability to collaborate with Zotero group libraries.

To set up Zotero, you will need to install two components on your computer: the Zotero desktop application and the Zotero Connector, a browser extension that will allow you to save sources with a single click.

To begin, go to zotero.org/download , then follow these steps:

• Download the desktop application installer (on the left side of the download webpage )
• Open the desktop application installer, and follow the installation instructions.
• Install the Zotero Connector browser extension (on the right side of the download webpage )

System Requirements and Plug-ins

Zotero can be used on macOS10.11 or later, Windows 7 or later, Linux, and iOS 15.6 or later operating systems. Zotero is not compatible with Chromebooks.

Browser connectors are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The Zotero Connector for Safari is bundled with Zotero. You can enable it from the Extensions pane in the Safari settings.

Plug-ins are available that integrate Zotero into Microsoft Word and Google Docs. For more information on setting up and using word processor plug-ins, visit Add Citations and Bibliographies to Documents .

Zotero can be used as soon as you download the desktop application and browser extension. We recommend creating a free Zotero account and syncing your library. This will allow you to store your citations and pdf attachments in the cloud, and provide access to your Zotero library on other devices. Registering also will allow you to collaborate with other Zotero users using group libraries. 

For more information on Zotero storage, visit our page on  Zotero storage .

Register for a Zotero account at  zotero.org/user/register . We recommend that you register with your Bates email address. Once registered, we also strongly recommend that you add an additional email address as a failsafe, to ensure that you will have access to your Zotero collections after you leave Bates and lose access to your Bates email. 

Open the Zotero desktop application, and navigate to your Zotero preferences.

• On a PC preferences are located under the Edit menu.
• On a Mac preferences are located under the Zotero menu.
• On PC or Mac, from the preferences window, navigate to the Sync tab, then click Link Account and log in with your Zotero username and password.
• On iOs navigate to the Settings by tapping the gear symbol, then click on Account and log in with your Zotero username and password.

We recommend the following configurations and tweaks to optimize your Zotero setup.

Add a Citation Preview View to Zotero

Download the Zotero Preview extension  by following this link . Then in the tools menu in the Zotero application, open the the add-ons window, then click on the gear icon and select Install Add-on From File. Open the ZoteroPreview.xpi then follow the prompt to Install Now. You will then be prompted to restart Zotero to complete the add-on installation.

Connect to Full Text in the Bates Library

On the Advanced tab of the Zotero Preferences window, in the OpenURL section, select North America, then select Bates College from the list. This selection will add you to use the Library Lookup tool to check for full text via our Bates library database subscriptions. 

Reduce Tag Clutter

On the General tab of the Zotero Preferences window, uncheck "Automatically tag items with keywords and subject headings." Unchecking this option will reduce clutter in your tags and allow you to create your own, more practical tags.

Disable Proxy Redirection

Open the Zotero Connector options in your prefered browser and navigate to the Proxies tab. Uncheck the box next to " Enable proxy redirection" to disable automatic proxy detection pop-up messages that appear when accessing databases on the campus network.

• Next: What is Zotero? >>
• Updated: Apr 12, 2024 2:39 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bates.edu/zotero

Your personal research assistant

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research.

Available for Mac, Windows, Linux, and iOS

Just need to create a quick bibliography? Try ZoteroBib .

Meet Zotero.

Collect with a click..

Zotero automatically senses research as you browse the web. Need an article from JSTOR or a preprint from arXiv.org? A news story from the New York Times or a book from a library? Zotero has you covered, everywhere.

Organize your way.

Zotero helps you organize your research any way you want. You can sort items into collections and tag them with keywords. Or create saved searches that automatically fill with relevant materials as you work.

Cite in style.

Zotero instantly creates references and bibliographies for any text editor, and directly inside Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs. With support for over 10,000 citation styles, you can format your work to match any style guide or publication.

Stay in sync.

Zotero can optionally synchronize your data across devices, keeping your files, notes, and bibliographic records seamlessly up to date. If you decide to sync, you can also always access your research from any web browser.

Collaborate freely.

Zotero lets you co-write a paper with a colleague, distribute course materials to students, or build a collaborative bibliography. You can share a Zotero library with as many people you like, at no cost.

Zotero is open source and developed by an independent, nonprofit organization that has no financial interest in your private information. With Zotero, you always stay in control of your own data.

Still not sure which program to use for your research? See why we think you should choose Zotero .

Ready to try Zotero?

Install older beta build

• aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 4 days ago I'm wondering the same thing.
• aborel 4 days ago edited 4 days ago I'm not sure that it really makes sense to use an older beta version: you would not get any support if something doesn't work. And obviously things will break more often since it is a beta version! If something doesn't work properly in the latest beta, report it and provide as much information as possible so that developers can fix it in the next beta. Over time, this will bring the whole community closer to an official, stable version. If you need a reliable, supported situation for your regular work, that's completely fine, of course, but then Zotero 6 feels like a safer choice - at least in my own understanding.
• aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 4 days ago @aborel that's generally good advice. But in this particular case, I need to export a document for my thesis committee ASAP, but the latest beta version has broken compatibility with the Better BibTeX for Zotero plugin, and the dev of that plugin has confirmed that it's not an easy fix on their end. Since I rely on that plugin to link between my PDF generation workflow and my bibliography, I need to get ahold of versions of Zotero and Better BibTeX that are compatible with each other. Rolling back to the Zotero beta version from last week would solve my immediate problem, since that older version was compatible with Better BibTeX. I just don't know where I can find a link to download that version.
• aborel 4 days ago edited 4 days ago Using beta software for your thesis is an unwise choice, that's all I can say for sure. Large, important documents with a deadline are the exact situation where you need a reliable tool, which beta software isn't, by definition - I know it doesn't solve your problem, but this might be informative for others. You might be able to roll back to Zotero 6. Since you're using Bibtex, the risk of damaging your own documents is probably minimal but I'd still recommend backing them up before you try anything.
• adamsmith 4 days ago ( FWIW, I think v72 of the beta should fix the BibTeX issue)
• aborel 4 days ago edited 4 days ago Crossing my fingers for aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, obviously this is a lot of stress and I wish them the best for their thesis! If v72 works for them in this final week, that's certainly the most conforable solution.
• unifields 4 days ago edited 4 days ago There is also a problem v72 that did not exist in v68: The zotero citation picker cannot be called out with the following error: (5)(+1678625): GET /better-bibtex/cayw?format=pandoc&brackets=1&minimize=true HTTP/1.1 Accept: application/json, text/plain, */* User-Agent: axios/0.24.0 Host: localhost:23119 Connection: close (5)(+0000002): HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found X-Zotero-Version: 7.0.0-beta.72+128a540af X-Zotero-Connector-API-Version: 2 Content-Type: text/plain No endpoint found
• dstillman 4 days ago @unifields : As noted above, the BBT developer needs to update BBT for beta 69 and above. You should report all problems to them. (We provided a test build to developers on March 30 and said when we'd be releasing it. The BBT developer just missed the announcement.)
• unifields 4 days ago Thank you!
• Sciroccogti 3 days ago A friend of mine happens to have kept older installer for Windows: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FSo8Oqg9-0j846HMqo7-dFr_Lpa9ojB5/view?usp=drive_link
• emilianoeheyns 3 days ago A new BBT is out to address this.

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