Where does Zotero store the notes?

JS0

Hello,
I would like to save my notes on an hard disk, but can't find them. I don't use the online storage option of Zotero, everything should be on my laptop.
Thanks in advance for your help!

dstillman

They're stored in your database in your Zotero data directory.

JS0

Thanks a lot for this fast response
I don't find them precisely. Are they in the storage folder, cache files?

dstillman

They're in the SQLite database.

JS0

OK, thanks!

freedoc

Zotero notes are stored in \\Data\Zotero\Data\zotero.sqlite files and in the ItemNotes table of the zotero.sqlite database. They store text only and do not contain images.

mportal100

Follow-up question here. Is there a way to mass export these files or have them all be searchable outside of the app? For my use case: I extract a bunch of annotations, and would like to be able to just search my desktop for them and find them as a stand-alone document. Does that seem possible? Or should I just be searching in the app?

samvimes

I personally keep my Zotero notes inside Zotero and use Zotero's search.

If you want them as files, maybe this plug-in could be for you (I've only used it sporadically because it does more than I need): https://github.com/windingwind/zotero-better-notes?tab=readme-ov-file#syncing-note-️-markdown

migugg

You would need to export them as a report first. But you would need to export them anew as a report everytime you change an item , which seems to me to not make any sense. The other option is to sync zotero to a note app like obsidian or notion or zettlr. Search on these forums for relevant threads and how people use these apps.
But you may want to ask yourself first, why you would want to have these files on your desktop? What is missing from zotero that necessitates this? Also look at the better notes plugin as it may solve the issues you may have within zotero.

ulahcherubim

@samvimes 's mention is on point. Zotero Better Notes offers an auto-sync option for selected notes. This is a two way sync. This plugin says it also supports exporting images but I haven't tried that.
You can also make use of Actions & Tags plugin to export a new note automatically.
You can also use Word plugin's import note option to search and import them to word.

mportal100

@migugg: I think the idea of having these as files on your desktop is to more quickly access them, to not have them "locked in" an app, etc. I guess I have grown weary of app-based search functions, but that concern really doesn't apply to Zotero.

I see everyone's point though about the Better Notes app. Are you all using it productively? I think you have succeeded in convincing me that this might just not be all that necessary – and the workflow, unproductive!

thaisms

Hello everyone,
So I've been organizing and backing up my Zotero library. And I'm still not quite grasping the idea that all of my notes are stored as one SQLITE file in my desktop under \Zotero\Data\zotero.sqlite. Is that it?
To back that up it would suffice to copy that one file and/or export each individual note?

dstillman

@thaisms: Yes, notes are stored in the Zotero database. See Backing Up Your Zotero Data. You shouldn't be using export to back up anything.

hadifalex

Hello,

I am at a weird situation where I use linked attachments for my pdfs for syncing purposes, but also I am the kind of person that uses lots of pasted pictures in my Zotero notes.

It would be good for me to know where those pictures are stored because you cannot have linked notes and although the notes are synced just fine, the figures within the notes do not propagate on synced computers.

Any insights or help would be appreciated!

tim820

@hadifalex if you do a search in your OS under the Zotero\storage hierarchy for image.png you will find the note image files, each in their own folder.

If you have file syncing turned ON, they should sync. But in a linked attachments scenario you probably don't have that that turned on. And it may not be practical to do so if you have a lot of images and/or any locally stored attachments in your library that, if synced, would push you over your online file storage quota (eg HTML snapshots; although those could be converted to linked files too).

I can't think of any other obvious way to sync note image files. You could perhaps do a regular bulk copy of just those folders/files between computers ?