Zotero fingerprinting on websites

vmfrank · 2026-10-27T15:21:40+00:00

What fingerprint does Zotero leave on a website when I add a resource by URL?

dstillman · 2026-10-27T15:25:49+00:00

Can you say more about what you're asking, what your concerns are, etc.? The answer is complicated, and the current behavior might be changing soon.

vmfrank · 2026-10-27T15:56:06+00:00

What I mean is that when I visit a website, my browser reveals certain things, including possibly my ip address or a unique browser fingerprint. (See browserleaks.com) That may be very undesirable for certain types of research.

What happens when I add a resource to Zotero by providing the URL? I think Zotero causes the webpage to load. What kind of fingerprint does it leave?

dstillman · 2026-10-27T15:57:49+00:00

Add how? You can't add by URL in the desktop app.

vmfrank · 2026-10-27T17:01:40+00:00

Add by identifier:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u6378295/il4cxg2u7vc1tf3c98sp.png

dstillman · 2026-10-27T17:18:50+00:00

But that's the web library. It doesn't have anything to do with your local machine.

vmfrank · 2026-10-27T17:23:24+00:00

I do understand that. I'm asking what fingerprint the Zotero web library will leave on the website.

dstillman · 2026-10-27T19:44:46+00:00

The save service currently makes requests using a standard browser user-agent string. At times I believe it has identified as coming from Zotero, and it might do so again in the future — there's a trade-off between being a good web citizen and avoiding unreasonable site blocks. It doesn't identify the person saving in any way.

vmfrank · 2026-10-27T20:10:16+00:00

Thanks @dstillman