Zotero Citekey wonkiness

pithwit
I have been using Zotero to generate BibTex .bib files for use in LaTeX on Overleaf for years. However, among recent updates to all of the above, I am experiencing retrace effects to my citekey. Even though my preferences in BibTex preferences in Zotero is set to auth.lower + year (my preference), I am getting citekeys with abbreviated title in the middle. The setting seems stable, but the citekeys keep exporting the incorrect way. Any help out there?
  • adamsmith
    If you're using BetterBibTeX (which gives you visible citekeys and citekey preferences), you need to pin your citekeys (they'll show up in Extra) so that they're getting picked up by the Zotero API (which Overleaf uses) on export.

    Alternatively, you can point Overleaf at an automatically updated local export using BBT, e.g. using a Dropbox share link -- several instructions for that available here and on TeX Exchange
  • pithwit
    I highlighted all of my refs and chose pin with right click. Then I unpinned them. Then I repinned them. On the last attempt, it overwrote all my citekeys to my preferred format in the citekey column. This recovered my bibtex command functionality in overleaf, so thank you. It is troubling that three references that I entered into Zotero just an hour ago are gone now.
  • adamsmith
    Zotero doesn't just delete references -- check the trash or sort by date added to find them.

    (on pin/repin, I think BBT may have documentation on details of this)
  • pithwit
    "several instructions for that available here" were you referring a link..?
  • adamsmith
    as in here on the forums -- I'd have to search for them same as you
  • pithwit
    TY
  • pithwit
    For others' reference:

    https://www.overleaf.com/learn/how-to/How_to_link_your_Overleaf_account_to_Mendeley_and_Zotero
  • emilianoeheyns
    edited June 7, 2023
    You can set BBT to automatically pin your citation keys: https://retorque.re/zotero-better-bibtex/installation/preferences/#automatically-pin-citation-key-after

  • emilianoeheyns
    Zotero doesn't just delete references ... on pin/repin, I think BBT may have documentation on details of this
    BBT does not ever delete items from the library. There is no functionality in BBT that would lead to item deletion.
    It is troubling that three references that I entered into Zotero just an hour ago are gone now.
    Are the items gone (not something BBT could be involved in), or are they no longer findable by the key they used to have (likely given the pin/unpin/pin procedure you executed)?
    I highlighted all of my refs and chose pin with right click. Then I unpinned them. Then I repinned them.
    This can have worked, but the reliable way to do this is: Unpin - Refresh - Pin.
  • adamsmith
    BBT does not ever delete items from the library. There is no functionality in BBT that would lead to item deletion.
    Sorry -- these were intended as entirely separate points: 1) Zotero doesn't just delete items 2) BBT has documentation about refreshing pinned keys
  • emilianoeheyns
    Right, that's a way more sensible reading. Sorry.
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