Zotero fields cannot be inserted here error in word and Google Docs

fappleton
I am trying to use my Zotero in Google Docs and in word. On each application I keep getting the "Zotero fields cannot be inserted here" when I try to insert a citation. Any idea on how to fix? I just re downloaded the program today.
  • bwiernik
    Are you trying to insert a citation into an area other than the main document text, such as a table or caption or text box or footnote?
  • adomasven
    You cannot insert citations in Google Docs within links. In Word I don't think there's any condition that would trigger this error at the moment, unless you have not updated the plugin in a while (Zotero Preferences -> Cite -> Word Processors).
  • mtrems
    I am having this same problem in Google Docs, and I am not trying to insert the citation within links. If I refresh the Google Doc, I can add only one citation with Zotero. After adding one citation, I repeatedly get the "Zotero fields cannot be inserted here error."
  • adomasven
    Does it work well in a new document? Does it work if you refresh the browser tab with the document?
  • mtrems
    If I create a new document, I have the same issue. I can enter one citation, but then get the "Zotero fields cannot be inserted here" error when I try to insert a new one. If I refresh either the new document or the original document I was trying to use Zotero in, the same thing happens: I can add one citation, but then get the error again when I try to add another citation. I really don't want to have to refresh the document every single time I want to add a citation :/ Also of note is that I am only getting this issue when I use Chrome as my browser; if I use Firefox there is no problem.
  • adomasven
    Do you have other browser extensions that modify Google Docs? Have you tried disabling any of those?
  • mtrems
    OK, that seemed to work. It would be great if the zotero add in played nicely with other browser extensions though...
  • adamsmith
    Which extension was the problem? And did you make sure the re-enabling that actually re-introduced the problem?
  • mtrems
    It looks like it was the Paperpile extension, which makes sense (I was using that before I found out about the Zotero extension!). What's weird though is that Zotero was working with the Paperpile extension on for about a week, so I'm not sure what changed.
  • heatherlbennett
    I had the same issue, but it appears my problem was trying to insert a Zotero citation after a footnote I added manually. Looks like mixing and matching doesn't work super well (at least in Google Docs on Chrome)...
  • GitteA
    edited May 25, 2019
    If not trying to insert in link or footnote, I found out that it helps to do a "hard refresh" meaning shift+refresh in Chrome. After that - i works again....
  • learningme
    edited August 25, 2019
    I too am having the same problem. I use Zotero>Insert citation, and the ***Zotero fields cannot be inserted here*** message appears. I used the Google Docs 'reload' option, and got a never-ending {Updating} placeholder which never updated (even if I closed and re-opened the doc).

    After that I did a Zotero>Refresh, and got this message:

    ***You have modified this citation since Zotero generated it. Do you want to keep your modifications and prevent future updates?

    Clicking "Yes" will prevent Zotero from updating this citation if you add additional citations, switch styles, or modify the item to which it refers. Clicking "No" will erase your changes.

    Original: (Tanu 2018)
    Modified: {Updating}***

    I chose 'No' and the citation appeared as it should.

    I do not have any of the extension mentioned above, though I do have Grammarly. This is the first time this has happened and I've had the same extensions and been using Zotero in Google Docs regularly since June/July. Nothing has changed recently in my browser.
  • adomasven
    Are you experiencing it right now with your document? If you make a copy and remove all but the first page of the document does it still happen?
  • redactie-audiologieboek
    I'm having this same problem, since today. No extra Firefox addons installed today. Is there an easy fix? webpage-refresh, soft an hard, do not help.
  • adomasven
    We receive a fair amount of reports of people experiencing this issue, but nobody ever gets back to us when we ask to take additional debugging steps, such as the ones I asked for in the question above so this issue still has no fix at all. Please perform the additional debugging (i.e. make a copy and remove all but the first page of the document and see if it still occurs) and tell us the results, and hopefully we can get this fixed for everyone, once and for all.
  • debbieskeil
    I just had the same problem but thankfully it corrected itself after refreshing the page - F5. So no further steps needed. Had been using 30 mins earlier with no problem. Cannot see why this suddenly happened but it resolved easily this time
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