Automatic metadata retrieval on import

MauritsMB
Hey there,

I am currently switiching from Mendeley to Zotero and I am pretty impressed.

One thing I am missing (or I have overlooked the option) though is that I'd like Zotero to automatically start retrieving the metadata when I import a PDF file. Now I have to do right-click and click Retrieve Meta Data - it would be great if this would be done automatically without having me to click.

If this option already exists, please ignore the request (but kindly let me know where to find the option).

Best from sunny Berlin,

Maurits
  • adamsmith
    There were technical reasons not to do this that prevented this from being implemented until pretty recently (specifically, it was pretty easy to get locked out by google scholar on retrieving metadata). With those now mostly addressed, it's planned, but can't tell you exactly how soon it'll be implemented.
  • toms-library
    I'd like to second that idea (of automatically retrieving metadata on import), and raise it a "rename file using metadata" at the same time. In other words: I import a pdf, zotero indexes it, scans for possible metadata, and renames the file (if metadata is found), all in one step.

    Another question: is it possible to specify exactly what metadata info is used to rename the file?

    Take care,

    -Tom
  • adamsmith
    if you want rename to be more precise, you'll want to be looking at zotfile:
    www.zotfile.com
    which gives you almost limitless customizability for filenames.
  • eps2
    Any update on the timeline for this feature? Looking forward to it. (as always, thanks Adam for your great work)
  • duncandoo
    +1 for this. And raise again.

    I have journals that I read regularly, supplied as ejournals. I'd like to get selected article pdfs, read and annotate the pdf on my mobile device, when I'm at my desk drop the pdf into Zotero and have it find the metadata, change the file name, extract the annotations and create a bibtex key.

    I can do all these steps manually with Zotero/Zotfile/betterBib(La)TeX but automating would be fantastic.

    Zotfile could do most of these steps automatically, but I'd have to import every article into Zotero first.

    Thanks for the great Zotero.
  • bwiernik
    If you set your Watch folder in Zotfile to be a folder that syncs with your tablet, it can rename files automatically by pulling in the raw pdfs (clicking on the New File popup without an item selected).
  • duncandoo
    @bwiernik - Thanks for that. I think what you're suggesting is what I want it to do. However, it isn't doing it, and reading the docs led me to think that it wasn't possible.

    Just to be clear: in Zotfile preferences>general settings>source folder I've got the custom option with /path/to/folder/to/watch and a green tick next to it. Below that I've also got ticked 'watch for new files...' Is this what you mean by 'watch folder'?

    The text above that box seems to reflect the usage I get: if I have an item selected, then right click I can use the 'attach new file' option to attach the last added file to the watch folder to the item and automatically rename it.

    However, if I add pdfs to the folder, nothing happens without my intervention. No popups, no notification that an item has been added to the 'watched' folder. It seems from what you've said that I'm not getting the expected behaviour of the watch folder. Any ideas?
  • adamsmith
    the feature should work as you describe but
    a) it's a bit unreliable in my experience (and Joscha has confirmed that, so it's not just me) and
    b) it only works when no item is selected in Zotero's middle panel.
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