Zotero plug-in for Word

When you install Zotero desktop and use it for the first time, it will also install relevant word processor plug-ins for the software that it supports, including Microsoft Word.

In Word, Zotero will appear as an item in the top menu.

To use the Zotero Word plug-in, Zotero desktop must be open in order for Word and Zotero to communicate.

If you click Add/Edit Citation in the Zotero Word plug-in, you will get a pop-up window from Zotero desktop (Zotero - Document Preferences) where you will be prompted to choose the citation style you wish to use to make your citation.

Then, a red search bar will appear from Zotero desktop prompting you to search for the source that you want to cite in Word. You can search by the source’s author or title.

You can also click into the citation to add a page number or omit the author name.

After you hit enter, the citation will populate in Word in the place where your cursor was when you clicked Add/Edit Citation in Word.

You can also click Add/Edit Bibliography in Word to generate a bibliography/reference list from the citations that you have entered in the Word document.

More information on using Zotero’s Word plug-in can be found here.

Zotero plug-in for Google Docs

Zotero’s Google Docs plug-in is added as a tab to the Google Docs top menu when you install the Zotero Connector browser extension.

To use the Zotero Google Doc plug-in, Zotero desktop must be open in order for Google Docs and Zotero to communicate.

If you click Add/edit citation under the Zotero menu, a red search bar will appear you will get a pop-up window from Zotero desktop (Zotero - Document Preferences) where you will be prompted to choose the citation style you wish to use to make your citation.

Then, a red search bar will appear from Zotero desktop prompting you to search for the source that you want to cite in Google Docs. You can search by the source’s author or title.

You can also click into the citation to add a page number or omit the author name.

After you hit enter, the citation will populate in Google Docs in the place where your cursor was when you clicked Add/edit citation in Google Docs.

You can also click Add/edit bibliography in Google Docs to generate a bibliography/reference list from the citations that you have entered in the Google Docs document.

If the red bar appears but does not allow you to search in your Zotero library, you may have to re-link Google Docs and your Zotero account. To do this, quit both the Zotero desktop application and your browser, and then re-open each of them.

Within your Google Docs document, go to Zotero and then Add/edit citation, and then you will be prompted to choose which Google Workspace account you want to use to grant access to Zotero.

More information on using Zotero’s Google Docs plug-in can be found here.