How to Install Zotero, BetterBibTex and Zotfile

Installing Zotero plus two key add-ons turns reference collection into a near one-click workflow—then keeps citations and PDFs synchronized automatically for later writing and exporting. Zotero is free and available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and its extensibility is the foundation for the setup: a browser connector makes saving sources from sites like Google Scholar fast, while BetterBibTeX and Zotfile handle the BibTeX export and PDF management that writing tools typically need.

The process starts with downloading Zotero from its website and installing the correct version for the operating system. After the first launch, the setup focuses on the Zotero connector for the browser (the transcript uses Google Chrome). Once installed, the connector icon is pinned to the address bar, and a keyboard shortcut (Command+Shift+S) can trigger “collect source” without clicking the toolbar. From Google Scholar, sources can be saved by selecting the connector icon and choosing one or multiple items; saved entries land in the Zotero library immediately.

A critical next step is installing BetterBibTeX to generate citation “keys” (the transcript notes that earlier examples already had keys, but a fresh library needs this add-on to create them). BetterBibTeX is downloaded as an XPI file, installed via Zotero’s Tools → Add-ons flow (“install add-on from file”), and Zotero must be restarted. After restart, BetterBibTeX adds a “site key” column in Zotero and enables exporting the library to a BibTeX file.

Export settings matter. The transcript recommends a citation key format that uses the author’s name in lowercase, the year, and the first meaningful word of the title (skipping “the”/“a”). It also emphasizes keeping keys unique across libraries. On the export page, “automatic export on change” is enabled so the BibTeX file updates whenever Zotero changes. The “data directory location” is noted for future use, and “keep updated” is used to maintain a persistent BibTeX file (named in the transcript as references.bib) in a stable location such as the Documents folder.

To demonstrate the update behavior, the transcript imports an additional source (Robert Sapolsky’s “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”) via the Zotero connector and shows that the new entry appears in the BibTeX file automatically. That BibTeX file then becomes the backbone for compiling citations into Word documents later.

Finally, Zotfile is installed to manage PDFs inside Zotero. After downloading and installing the add-on (again via Tools → Add-ons from file, followed by a restart), PDFs can be drag-and-dropped onto Zotero items, and Zotfile moves and organizes them. In Zotfile preferences, the transcript recommends using a dedicated folder (creating Documents/papers) and optionally using subfolders based on author names. File naming can incorporate citation metadata (e.g., using BibTeX-derived arguments) so PDFs follow a consistent pattern like “sapolsky_2004.pdf.” With Zotero, BetterBibTeX, and Zotfile configured, the reference-management workflow is ready for the next stage: moving notes and citations into Roam Research and exporting formatted bibliographies with minimal manual effort.