Upgrade StorageFeature Request: Option to Export PDFs into a Single Folder without Subfolders
Hello,
I am a Zotero user who frequently needs to export a limited number of articles along with their attached PDF files to share with colleagues or integrate them into other systems. However, I have encountered an issue that significantly slows down my workflow and could benefit from an improvement.
When I export a group of references from Zotero, the associated PDF files are automatically organized into separate subfolders, with additional subfolders within them. While I understand that this structure can be useful for maintaining organization in large libraries, in my particular case—and likely for many others—this setup is inefficient.
Example of the Issue:
For instance, if I select and export five articles, Zotero generates five separate folders, each containing multiple subfolders. This forces me to manually search for and reorganize the PDF files into a single folder. This process is tedious and time-consuming, especially when I need a quick and straightforward solution.
Suggested Improvement:
I would like to propose adding an option in Zotero to allow users to export all PDF files into a single folder, without subfolders. This could be implemented as a selectable option in the export menu, allowing each user to decide which folder structure best suits their needs at the time of export.
Benefits of the Suggestion:
Efficiency: It would streamline the export process when working with a limited number of references, saving time by eliminating the need for manual reorganization of files.
Flexibility: It would provide an additional option that caters to different workflows without affecting users who prefer the current folder structure.
Improved User Experience: It would reduce frustration and enhance satisfaction for users who need to quickly export their references for sharing or archiving.
I am confident that this improvement would be greatly appreciated by many Zotero users who, like me, need a more direct and simple solution for handling their exported files. I would greatly appreciate your consideration of this suggestion for future updates to Zotero.
Thank you for your attention and for the excellent work you do with this tool.
Best regards,
Daniel
I am a Zotero user who frequently needs to export a limited number of articles along with their attached PDF files to share with colleagues or integrate them into other systems. However, I have encountered an issue that significantly slows down my workflow and could benefit from an improvement.
When I export a group of references from Zotero, the associated PDF files are automatically organized into separate subfolders, with additional subfolders within them. While I understand that this structure can be useful for maintaining organization in large libraries, in my particular case—and likely for many others—this setup is inefficient.
Example of the Issue:
For instance, if I select and export five articles, Zotero generates five separate folders, each containing multiple subfolders. This forces me to manually search for and reorganize the PDF files into a single folder. This process is tedious and time-consuming, especially when I need a quick and straightforward solution.
Suggested Improvement:
I would like to propose adding an option in Zotero to allow users to export all PDF files into a single folder, without subfolders. This could be implemented as a selectable option in the export menu, allowing each user to decide which folder structure best suits their needs at the time of export.
Benefits of the Suggestion:
Efficiency: It would streamline the export process when working with a limited number of references, saving time by eliminating the need for manual reorganization of files.
Flexibility: It would provide an additional option that caters to different workflows without affecting users who prefer the current folder structure.
Improved User Experience: It would reduce frustration and enhance satisfaction for users who need to quickly export their references for sharing or archiving.
I am confident that this improvement would be greatly appreciated by many Zotero users who, like me, need a more direct and simple solution for handling their exported files. I would greatly appreciate your consideration of this suggestion for future updates to Zotero.
Thank you for your attention and for the excellent work you do with this tool.
Best regards,
Daniel
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you personally for your guidance on the Zotero forum. Your advice has been extremely helpful to me.
Thanks again!
I have the same problem under Linux. Drag and drop creates a .txt of citations - I assume this is the Quick Copy feature.
The context menu Export Items option is almost perfect, except for the intermediate folders as Daniel described.
Apologies for posting in a year-old thread.
Export Items is for exporting metadata.