Automatically adding pdf files to Zotero items afterwards

Mojo Dodo
When I add a paper from a scientific journal Zotero automatically downloads the corresponding pdf file. For me this is one of Zotero's greatest features.
Since a large amount of articles is not Open Access downloading the pdf fiiles obviously requires me to have permission to download. This is the case while I'm on campus with the University's IP or using a VPN. However, I sometimes add articles while not having a permission (either because I'm working on a computer with no VPN-Client installed or simply because I forgot to enable the connection).
So, is there a way to let Zotero afterwards automatically grab the pdfs of certain articles (e.g. all articles in a folder or all selected articles)? Currently I manually add the pdfs to the Zotero items.
Thanks already for your suggestions!
  • bwiernik
    You can speed up the process a bit using the Zutilo plugin. This plugin adds "Attach Link to Zotero Item" and "Attach Page to Zotero Item" options to the Firefox context menu. That way, you can just right-click on the PDF link to attach it to the item in Zotero (vs having to download it first).

    There is code written to automatically retrieve the PDF for an item if available, but it hasn't been fully reviewed yet for incorporation into Zotero. No ETA on when that may be finished.
  • mark
    edited January 10, 2017
    Another helpful plugin is Zotfile. I have set it to look for new PDF downloads in a given folder. It'll show a popup when a new PDF is detected in that folder, and one click allows you to attach the most recently detected PDF to the currently selected item. I use this a lot when Zotero doesn't download the PDF directly and I have to go after it manually.
    (This doesn't cover your wish of doing a set of items at once)
  • Mojo Dodo
    Thanks a lot for the information!
    You can speed up the process a bit using the Zutilo plugin. This plugin adds "Attach Link to Zotero Item" and "Attach Page to Zotero Item" options to the Firefox context menu. That way, you can just right-click on the PDF link to attach it to the item in Zotero (vs having to download it first).
    I don't understand how that differs from the option of opening the pdf in the browser and then right clicking on the item → Add attachment → Attach snapshot of current page. This also attached the pdf to the item.
    There is code written to automatically retrieve the PDF for an item if available, but it hasn't been fully reviewed yet for incorporation into Zotero. No ETA on when that may be finished.
    It would be great if that feature came in future versions of Zotero. I think it would also be great for people who import a bibliography (e.g. via a RIS file) since they could then get all the accessible articles without tedious picking all files individually
    Another helpful plugin is Zotfile.
    This seems to be useful for those who often have to add pdfs to items afterwards. Thanks for the hint!
  • adamsmith
    I don't understand how that differs from the option of opening the pdf in the browser
    not dramatically, but it works for links to PDFs, so you don't have to even open the PDF in the browser.
  • bwiernik
    It also attaches the PDF directly to the selected item so you don't have to drag in Zotero afterward.
  • zweckoptimismus
    Guys, being a new Zotero user coming from Citavi:
    The Zutilo plugin seems to no longer work with Firefox, doesn't it? So the -theoretically very handy way- that bwiernik suggested seems to be disfunctional at the moment? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Please let me be wrong.
  • LiborA
    The current version of Zotero does not work with Firefox. You can use only so-called "standalone" version. Zutilo works very well with Zotero 5. You have to download Zutilo from https://github.com/willsALMANJ/Zutilo/releases to your computer and install it directly to Zotero, not to the Firefox.
This discussion has been closed.