Google Docs: 'Error updating document' loop on specific file after Zotero 9.0.3 upgrade

Hello,
I am experiencing a persistent "Zotero experienced an error updating your document" loop that triggers an immediate "word processor integration command is already running" error when attempting to generate a bibliography for a document I've been working on for a while. Zotero recently autoupdated.

A brand-new, blank Google Doc works perfectly, meaning the baseline connection is functional. The crash is entirely isolated to an existing document I have been working on.

System Specs:
• OS: macOS 14.6.1
• Zotero Desktop: 9.0.3
• Zotero Connector: 5.0.203 (Chrome)

Document Details:
• Length: 16 pages, containing approximately 10 citations.
• Layout: Citations are located entirely in the main body text (no tables, bulleted lists, footnotes, or endnotes).

Detailed Troubleshooting Attempted:
1 Unlinking & Text Stripping: I manually deleted the sections containing citations and used the "Unlink Citations" tool. When attempting to generate a bibliography on this unlinked text, Zotero throws a "You must insert a citation before performing this operation" warning.
2 The Failure Loop: If I then add just a single fresh citation to this cleaned document and click "Add/Edit Bibliography", it immediately errors out with the "Zotero experienced an error updating your document" message, locking up the integration again.
3 Round-Trip Conversions: I tried a full round-trip recovery (Google Doc -> Download as .docx -> Upload to Google Drive -> Convert back to Google Doc). The citations appeared unlinked, but attempting to rebuild the bibliography with fresh citations triggers the exact same update error and crash loop.

The baseline integration works in Word and in a blank Google Doc, but this specific 16-page file's background metadata seems permanently broken following the Zotero 9 upgrade.

Debug IDs:
I captured these by enabling logging and repeating the crash sequence twice (starting the desktop app logging first, then the connector):
• Zotero Desktop Debug ID: D2083008061
• Zotero Connector Debug ID: D876033772

Are there hidden metadata remnants or background fields in Zotero 9 causing this specific file to hang? Thank you.



  • Thanks for the quick response. Unfortunately, I've run through the troubleshooting steps and puzzlingly, even after about 60 copies/splits of the problematic document, the issue persists. 

    Strangely, I can generate the bibliography at the start of the document without deleting anything, but it fails if I try to generate the bibliography at the end of the document unless I delete much of the original document

    I've identified the offending section (emailed to supporat@zotero.org) and if I delete everything after the offending section, I can then generate the bibliography at the end of the resulting, but without half the original document. I've localized the problematic section and line after which the bibliography generation fails (either before the last sentence of second paragraph or after paragraph heading of paragraph four).  Strangely there is no citation in either place. Unfortunately, not even deleting the entire section resolves the issue to allow bibliography at the end of the full document.  

    Zotero debug: D313570802
    Connector debug: D1369379106

    I've emailed the problematic section of the document to support@zotero.org. I've found bibliography generation to fail after the last sentence in the first paragraph and after the paragraph heading of the fourth paragraph.

    Thank you again for your help.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    We didn't receive a document from you. Can you try again?
  • Sorry about that. Outlook is against me. resent.
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