Q. How do I use Zotero in word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs?

Download the Zotero desktop app to your computer. This will automatically install a Zotero plugin in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Google Docs will also require installing the Zotero Connector on your browser. The plugin will add a Zotero tab to your word processor, letting you add Zotero citations directly to your paper. See the instructions below for adding citations in Word and Docs.

Note on Microsoft Word: the Zotero plugin only works in the desktop Word app. It will not work on Word for the web, and you will need to manually generate citations from Zotero if you do not have access to the Word desktop app.

Note on Chromebooks: the Zotero plugins cannot be used in Chromebooks because Chromebooks cannot install the Zotero desktop app unless you are running Linux on your Chromebook. You will need to manually generate citations from Zotero.

Using Zotero in Microsoft Word

1. Open both your Word document and the Zotero desktop app.
2. Select the Zotero tab in the top navigation.
   
3. In the Zotero tab, select "Document Preferences" to pick which citation style you want to use. The most popular styles will appear by default, but you can see the full list by clicking "More Styles."
   
4. To add an in-text citation, click in the document where you want to add the citation and then select "Add/Edit Citation" in the Zotero tab. This will bring up a search bar.
   • If you do not see the search bar, click the Zotero desktop app, and it should appear.
   • Search for your citation by author or title and click the citation you want to use.
     
   • The citation will appear formatted in the search bar. You can click the citation if you want to add a page number or omit the author if you are using a narrative citation.
     
   • If you need to add multiple citations at once, just keep searching for more.
     
   • When you have all of your citations, click enter to add them to the document.
5. If you need to change a citation, click it and then select "Add/Edit Citation" to bring the search bar back up.
6. When you have added all of your in-text citations, go to where you want to add your bibliography (references page/works cited page). Select "Add/Edit Bibliography" from the Zotero tab, and a complete list of formatted citations for every citation you used in the document will appear.
   
   • If you add any new citations in your document, they should be automatically added to the bibliography.
   • If you need to change any details in the bibliography citations, select them and then click "Add/Edit Bibliography" again to open a new box that allows you to manually make changes.
     

See the complete Zotero for Microsoft Word documentation for more details.

Using Zotero in Google Docs

1. Open both your Docs document and the Zotero desktop app.You will also need the Zotero Connector installed on your browser.
2. Select the Zotero tab in the top navigation.
   
3. In the Zotero tab, select "Document Preferences" to pick which citation style you want to use. The most popular styles will appear by default, but you can see the full list by clicking "More Styles."
   
4. To add an in-text citation, click in the document where you want to add the citation and then select "Add/Edit Citation" in the Zotero tab. This will bring up a search bar.
   • If you do not see the search bar, click the Zotero desktop app, and it should appear.
   • Search for your citation by author or title and click the citation you want to use.
     
   • The citation will appear formatted in the search bar. You can click the citation if you want to add a page number or omit the author if you are using a narrative citation.
     
   • If you need to add multiple citations at once, just keep searching for more.
     
   • When you have all of your citations, click enter to add them to the document.
5. If you need to change a citation, click it and then select "Add/Edit Citation" to bring the search bar back up.
6. When you have added all of your in-text citations, go to where you want to add your bibliography/reference page/works cited page. Select "Add/Edit Bibliography" from the Zotero tab, and a complete list of formatted citations for every citation you used in the document will appear.
   
   • If you add any new citations in your document, they should be automatically added to the bibliography.
   • If you need to change any details in the bibliography citations, select them and then click "Add/Edit Bibliography" again to open a new box that allows you to manually make changes.
     

See the complete Zotero for Google Docs documentation for more details.