How to make PDF in storage to attachments links

Adelagle · February 22, 2023

At this point, only a small fraction of my PDFs in my database are stored as linked files with ZotFile, while most of the are stored as Stored Files.

I want to transition to have all of the PDF files as linked files, because of the flexibility to keep them in Dropbox, for instance.

Could you guide me in how to do this?

Thank you!

tim820 · February 24, 2023

It sounds like you already have Zotfile set up correctly, since you already have some linked files. And you have decided that a linked PDF file workflow will work for you (note the caveats):
https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files

If not fully set up, there are some good instructions on how to set up Zotfile like this one (but also some that are out-dated; for example they still refer to annotation extraction, which is now done by Zotero instead):
https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/zotero/zotfile

With Zotfile set up, I would do the initial Rename and Move on manageable-size chunks of your items/attachments - for example select and do all your 'A'-titled items first, then the B's etc. You get a dialog from Zotfile showing progress, so you can see that everything is working, file by file. Depending on the size of your library, it may take quite a while - so maybe do it during down time.

Also, add the Delitem addon to aid deletion of linked PDF files together with their item (Zotero's Move Item to Bin only deletes the parent item to the trash, leaving the linked PDF in Zotfile's Custom Location folder).
https://github.com/redleafnew/delitemwithatt

Finally, you should backup your Zotfile Custom Location folder with your linked PDFs regularly (of course as well as your Zotero data).

Adelagle · February 24, 2023

Thank you :)

I have all those tools. So the way to proceed is just selecting chunks of the items in Zotero, right-click > Manage Attachments > Rename and Move. And that's it? As for Delitem, it is already installed. Will it do its magic when deleting the linked PDF from the storage location automatically when performing the Rename and Move?

tim820 · February 24, 2023

Correct, the way to proceed is just to use right click Rename and Move (if you already have the settings done in Zotero and Zotfile preferences).

And it's actually Zotfile that handles *all* of that rename and move process. So it deletes the PDF from local Zotero storage when the PDF is moved to Zotfile's Custom Location.

Zotfile will also jump in automatically when you save a paper from a journal web page via the Zotero Connector, moving and renaming the PDF as part of that process.

Delitem solves another issue - when you no longer need an item or its linked PDF. So you want to delete them. Delitem adds right click options to ensure the PDF gets deleted if that's what you really want (Zotero itself doesn't do that for linked PDFs).

Adelagle · February 24, 2023

Thanks, clear now. The way you explained it above ("Also, add the Delitem addon to aid deletion of linked PDF files...") made me feel that the PDFs would remain in the storage when using Zotfile.