Accidentally replaced online library – urgent restore request

aciurea
edited January 12, 2026
Hello,

I accidentally used “Replace online library” from an empty local library.
My Zotero web library was complete just before that.

The web trash is empty.
Could you please restore my library from the most recent server backup
(before Jan 12, 2026)?

Account username: aciurea
Email: [removed — D.S.]

Thank you very much.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    No, sorry, there's no way to restore unless you have another synced computer or a backup of the Zotero data directory.

    I'd be curious to know what led you to do this by mistake. Assuming you're on a current version of Zotero, Replace Online Library would've warned how many items it would delete, and if it was a large number, it would've made you type out "delete online library" before proceeding:

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u6/r5mnmym32b0rrlpgsghr.png
  • aciurea
    Thanks for getting back to me.

    To answer your question: the mistake happened in a context where my local Zotero library was opening completely empty due to a corrupted profile, while my online library was still intact. I was troubleshooting performance and sync issues and following guidance to reset the local data so it could be re-downloaded from the server.
    When I opened the reset dialog, I misunderstood the direction of the action. Under stress, I interpreted “Replace online library” as meaning the online library would replace the empty local one, rather than the reverse. I now understand that this was incorrect.
    I misread the implication of the option despite the confirmation step.

    Unfortunately, I do not have another synced computer, and the Zotero data directory was deleted during the troubleshooting process, which I now realize eliminated my last local backup.

    I really hope for a deep restoration, I still have the storage file with the pdf, but I don't know what to do with it?

    Thank you for your time.
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