Auto metadata for PDFs on iOS

Calorion
The [documentation](https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files) says:

>If you save a PDF directly to your library, Zotero will attempt to retrieve metadata for it and create a parent item automatically. If the item can't be recognized, you'll be left with a standalone attachment. You can add a parent by either saving an item from the web and dragging the PDF on top of it (if a PDF isn't attached automatically) or by right-clicking on the PDF, choosing Create Parent Item, and entering an identifier such as a DOI or ISBN. If all else fails, you can click Manual Entry after selecting Create Parent Item and manually enter metadata for the item.

However, the iOS version does not seem to either attempt to retrieve metadata and create a parent item automatically from an imported PDF, or to be able to look up metadata from identifiers when choosing Create Parent Item.
  • benediktpvr
    This is important to me too.
  • bcricket
    I’m really enjoying the new iOS app but the lack of this feature makes it much less useful while traveling.
  • dstillman
    Yes, PDF metadata retrieval on iOS will obviously be added — it just doesn't exist yet. No need to request it.
  • Calorion
    Well, it’s hard to know without a list somewhere.
  • oplatek
    Any news, regarding this feature?

    Or any suggested workaround e.g. through the web interface?

    I am using my iPad app but just because of this lack of functionality I need to wait to sync with my laptop library, retrieve the metadata there and then only use correct citation. It often takes day or two before I reach my laptop while travelling.
  • dstillman
    We recently added Add by Identifier functionality to the iOS app, which is a prerequisite for PDF metadata retrieval. It can also be used as a temporary workaround if there's a DOI in the PDF that you can copy. (But as always, if you got the PDF from an article page on a supported site, you should just save from there instead of saving the PDF directly, and Zotero will save the metadata and the PDF together.)
  • oplatek
    Thank you! That's very useful!

    I noticed that arxiv.org is supported (obviously).

    By "supported site" you mean one of the websites that have a translator[1]?

    I.e. one can check if the website is supported [1] and then only figure out which is the corresponding site for the pdf link?


    [1] https://github.com/zotero/translators/ ?
  • dstillman
    and then only figure out which is the corresponding site for the pdf link?
    Sorry, not sure what you mean by this. You certainly don't need to go and manually check whether a site is supported.

    When you go to save a page to Zotero on iOS, you can see the translator being used at the bottom of the save sheet, and then it will show you whether it's attaching a PDF. That should just work on the vast majority of publisher sites with article pages.

    You can also see from the icon whether it's saving a journal article, webpage, etc.

    If a site isn't supported and it looks like it's just saving a webpage, you might want to go and instead save the PDF directly and try to retrieve metadata later, or if there's a DOI in the PDF you can paste that into Add by Identifier in the app.
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