Zotfile plugin disabled in Zotero 7.0.24 for Windows 10

gnixon · 2025-09-05T23:08:47+00:00

When dropping files as attachments to an item I believe the Zotfile utility allowed renaming and moving of the file to a cloud database automatically. I have set preferences in Zotero to rename files from parent metadata but the file is simply labelled as "pdf". Is it possible to enable Zotfile or is there another way to achieve file labelling?

dstillman · 2025-09-06T01:16:59+00:00

Zotero has always renamed files automatically and still does in Zotero 7. "PDF" is the attachment title:

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/attachment_title_vs_filename

tim820 · 2025-09-06T02:51:38+00:00

Zotfile does not support Zotero v7+. And since Zotero enhanced its attachment file renaming scheme in v7, the plugins that have replaced Zotfile's linked file operations (Zotmoov or Attanger) leave renaming of the linked file's *file name* to Zotero. But I believe both those plugins mimic Zotfile's behaviour of making the linked file's Zotero *title* (as displayed in the main library pane) the same as its file name (as displayed in the right pane and in your OS). (Zotfile users were commonly unaware that the file's Zotero title and its file name were two different things, because Zotfile always made them the same).

gnixon · 2025-09-06T18:52:15+00:00

Gentlemen,
Thank you for your comments. I now understand the new file designation. A useful feature in Zotfile was the ability to move (linked) files to an external (cloud) drive when attachments were added. This is not happening in Zotero 7.0.24 with the Webdav utility (path verified in Zotero) which places attachment files in the Zotero Storage directory instead of the cloud drive.

Report ID: 1848121979

adamsmith · 2025-09-06T18:58:29+00:00

As noted above, Zotmoov and Attanger both do this, replacing ZotFile in that way, but you also seem somewhat confused about file storage in Zotero: if you're using WebDAV, you want your files in the Zotero data folder rather than moved & linked. You'd want the cloud drive if you were to use some syncing folder tool like Dropbox, GDrive, etc.

The most notable advantage of WebDAV over moving and syncing files is that the mobile apps work with WebDAV, not with linked files.

gnixon · 2025-09-06T19:22:18+00:00

Adam, thanks. I may be confused. I use Cloudme where my Zotero attachment files are stored and synced using Webdav. My understanding is that these attachment files in Zotero are linked to the Cloudme drive (as shown by the attachment file icon) . How do I get new file attachments into Cloudme using Webdav?

adamsmith · 2025-09-06T20:02:12+00:00

Can you share an screenshot of the sync tab of your preferences and one that shows some attachments in the middle panel?

gnixon · 2025-09-06T20:41:48+00:00

https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u4198641/vzuiqu5h1dleak2ldp7b.png

https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u4198641/1bilqr536mh0az4lfhdt.png

adamsmith · 2025-09-07T14:41:09+00:00

Yeah, those are indeed contradictory settings. You have your files moved and linked (by ZotFile, presumably) to a location outside of the Zotero data directory. You may well have them synced from there via CloudMe (and it's even possible CloudMe uses WebDAV under the hood for that), but that's not what the file syncing settings in the second screenshot are fore: if you want to use WebDAV (CloudMe or other wise) to sync Zotero attachments, you need to store them in Zotero. The WebDAV then behaves very similarly to Zotero File Storage (except you can't use it in groups or access files through the web library) and will work in the mobile apps.

You have two options:
1) To stick with your current setup, you should install ZotMoov and have it move & link your files the way ZotFile used to and then uncheck "Sync attachment files in My Library entirely.
2) To move to actually using WebDAV as intended by Zotero, move the files back to Zotero's data folder (you can do this in bulk by selecting all items then Tools --> Manage Attachments --> Convert Linked Files to Stored Files

Both options are viable and there are lots of users using either of them. The 2nd option is recommended by Zotero and, unless you really need to access your files outside of the Zotero context, does have some advantages (mobile apps, files are properly handled by Zotero, including when you remove them, less likely to break links to files accidentally).

gnixon · 2025-09-07T23:29:03+00:00

Adam, Thank you very much for your guidance. Everything seems to work now just fine. Cheers, Graham

hoppek · 2025-09-10T20:15:07+00:00

@adamsmith

Do you know if there is a way to change ZotMoov settings for naming and placing files in a directory? I had been using ZotFile and it's disappointing to see this isn't supported in the new version of Zotero. Hopefully ZotFile will have an update soon and I can switch back.

Until then, I'm not impressed with ZotMoov requiring me to select the special directory to move a file to. I certainly don't want to be doing that every single time I add a reference to Zotero. Sometimes I'm adding 10's or 100's of articles at a time to my library. ZotMoov also uses a different file naming convention than what I prefer, and that would be nice to change.

I find GitHub hard to navigate so I don't know how to leave feedback or ask questions of the developers there, and hoping someone knows whether and how we can manage these settings for ZotMoov.

adamsmith · 2025-09-11T01:12:23+00:00

I don't use ZotMoov, so others would have to say, but my understanding is that the file move functionality is equivalent to ZotFile. Zotero has much more advanced renaming options now, so those should allow you to do what you want

tim820 · 2025-09-11T01:14:30+00:00

@hoppek in Zotmoov you specify a permanent 'move to' folder, the same as Zotfile's Custom Location folder. There is no need to specify a folder every time the Zotero connector downloads a PDF.
https://github.com/wileyyugioh/zotmoov

Questions and feedback are posted on the Issues page ...
https://github.com/wileyyugioh/zotmoov/issues

Zotero enhanced its file renaming for v7. As a result, the plugins that replace Zotfile - Zotmoov or Attanger - both leave file renaming to Zotero. You can get close to Zotfile's renaming with Zotero v7, although it is more difficult to configure than Zotfile's check boxes (although also potentially more powerful). And there are some things it can't do AFAIK, like removing diacritics from file names.
https://www.zotero.org/support/file_renaming

There has been no indication that Zotfile is coming back. Its replacements - Zotmoov or Attanger - have been used by many people for about 2 years now. Zotfile has not been updated since 2022.

(With Zotero now showing the update prompt dialog box to users still on Zotero version 6, it seems that we're seeing more people updating to v7 at the moment but not realizing that some of their old plugins no longer work in v7.)