"Manage Attachment" and "Extract Annotation" do not appear when I right click

I am new to Zotera. I am using MacBook Air. I am using Chrome to download Zotero and Zotfile 5.0.6-fx.xpi. I drag a PDF from my Document, which I had downloaded earlier, and drop into my project folder in the My Library. I have done the 'rename'. I opened the PDF using the 'View PDF' icon. After highlighting the sentences and saved, now I place my cursor at the PDF and right click 'manage attachment' and 'Extract Annotation' did not appear.

What have I missed?
  • PDFs need to be attached to Zotero items for you to be able to use ZotFile functionality. Use retrieve metadata or create parent item.
    https://www.zotero.org/support/retrieve_pdf_metadata
  • Thank you for the speedy reply. I have done as you (or the link) suggested. Yet 'manage attachment' and 'extract annotation' did not appear.
    May be the Zotfile that I had downloaded is not 'attached' to Zotero. FYI,
    1) I can find the Zotfile in my 'Download' folder but not in the 'Application' folder.
    2) The Zotfile that I downloaded is a '.xpi' file and not 'dmg'
    3) My Zotero is 'dmg' file and can be found in the 'Application' folder.
  • To install Zotfile, in the Zotero app, click Tools->Add-ons. Then drag the Zotfile .xpi into the window that pops up.
  • Got it. Thank you Sirs.
  • Dear billykang, I have the same problem. Unfortunately, the comments have not helped me yet. Would you be willing to try to help me?
  • You will have to say more. You just have to download the latest version of Zotfile from Zotfile.com and install it in Zotero. What isn’t working for you?
  • Thanks for caring, bwiernik.
    I have failed to install Zotfile. Firefox does not allow me to download it. It does not tell why, but I have understood that I have a compatibility problem between Zotfile and Firefox.
    I guess my questions are: a) which version of Zotfile would be compatible with Firefox and Zotero 5.0? b) where do I get it? Thank you very much. BTW I believe I have the last version of Firefox.
  • In Firefox, right-click on the download link and choose Save Link Target As. Save the xpi file to your computer. In Zotero, open Tools->Add-Ons and drag the xpi file into the window that pops up.
  • Sorry for the stupid question, but where exactly do I find the 'download link'?
  • The bold "Download" at the top right here: http://zotfile.com/
  • And note that you do only need to install ZotFile in Zotero, you don't need to, nor will you be able to, install it in Firefox.
  • edited February 15, 2018
    Thank you so much, guys!
  • I have downloaded the zotfile and when in zoetero, I click on to tools->Add-ons I don't see any window pop up. Has anyone faced a similar issue ?
  • Which operating system? Have you cycled through your windows to make sure it's not opening in the back?
  • New to Zotero and I had this issue of not being able to extract annotations from my pdfs. This Youtube video explained everything really well and it now works perfectly.
    https://youtu.be/faYJ4gEGZ40
  • Hi have similar issue- using windows for chrome/ laptop, watching youtube video working with PDFs, notice that on the right click drop down on the PDF : manage attachment does not appear? - ps very computer literate NOT! ,plz use simple words
  • Do you have the Zotfile add-on installed? See instructions above
  • Hello,
    I am new to zotero as well and i have a similar question. Im using zotero 6.0.4 and downloaded zotfile 5.1.1, installed the plug in using the add on option and restarted zotero. I do see the zotfile preferences option as well as manage attachment option if i right click on the pdf file, however the only to option in the menu are "rename and move" and "get table of content". I dont get the option of extract pdf annotations. I highlighted some of the txt using adobe reader, if i go into the zotero pdf reader there is a way to find the annotations and highlights from adobe reader but it force me to choose the zotero reader to get the annotations. If i choose to use the device defaulter pdf reader, then i cant see any of my annotations and i cant extract them either using zotfile.
    Has anybody encountered this issue or found a solution?
  • @dstillman thank you! Super useful
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