Zotero Connector and linked pdf files

manouchk
Hi,

I noticed that Zotero Connector import pdf files of article in zotero storage. I did not found an option for Zotero Connector to create linked file instead of storing them in zotero storage folder. I had problems related to this. I have now 995 items (directories) in zotero storage, I'd like to revert this and only have linked files by transfering them to the linked and doing this manually does not seem a very attractive strategy. I don't even know how I would do it. I have too many articles, zotero storage would to expensive).

1) Is there a way to configure zotero and zotero connector in order to get article as linked file?

2) Is there a automatic way to transfer all article in zotero storage directory as a linked file? I use the Linked Attachment Base Directory.
  • adamsmith
    You can use the zotmoov plugin for this. There's no way to do it without a plugin (and there are good reasons not to use linked files, FWIW).
  • tim820
    edited March 14, 2025
    @manouchk re your mention of the Linked Attachment Base Directory (LABD), that is irrelevant to the issues of *saving* linked files (via the Connector) or *converting* files already in local Zotero storage to linked files.

    The LABD only affects where Zotero *looks* for attachments that are already linked files. It allows linked files to be opened by Zotero even if they have a different parent directory on different computers where you have Zotero desktop installed. If you only work on one computer, or your linked files have the same path on each computer, you don't need a LABD setting (however once you have set a LABD on one computer it should be set on all computers, even if the linked file paths are the same).
    https://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/advanced#files_and_folders
  • MarinMlinarevic
    Hi,

    I would like to save PDFs as linked files when adding items to Zotero from the web using the Zotero Connector, and I would like to be prompted each time for the save location and file name. Is there a way to set this up? If not, could the Zotero team please consider adding it?
  • adamsmith
    You can generate linked files automatically using plugins like ZotMoov, but they don't prompt for the location and I'm pretty sure no one is going to implement that (Zotero itself definitely won't).
    If you want full control, you can disable file download entirely and manually save and add the PDFs -- I don't understand why you'd want that, but it gives you the closest to what you're describing.
  • tim820
    edited 7 days ago
    @MarinMlinarevic the only way I can think of to do that would be in a roundabout way. Use Zotmoov with its setting 'Automatically Move/Copy Files When Added' turned OFF. As such, PDFs downloaded by the web connector would go into Zotero storage (under Zotero\storage) as usual (or you could leave that setting ON, and have a default linked files folder set as the 'Move To' folder, to which PDFs would initially be moved/linked). Then you could use the right-click option Zotmoov: Move Selected to Custom Directory - that will allow you choose where the PDF is moved to, as a linked file. You can then change the file name in the right pane to any name you wish.
  • MarinMlinarevic
    @adamsmith @tim820 thanks for the suggestions. I want to do it this way because I don't want to access my files only through Zotero. I want to save them on OneDrive and be able to easily access them via the File Explorer and other programs too. It's clear from this and other discussion threads that I'm not the only one.
  • adamsmith
    Right, but ZotMoov will let you do that automatically. It's the individual prompt that no one wants.
  • MarinMlinarevic
    It's so I can organize the files in a way that makes sense to me and use file names that make sense to me, even when I'm not using Zotero. No program will do that for me automatically.
  • adamsmith
    I think most people disagree with that for their purposes (e.g. ZotMoov, like Zotero, let's you specify file naming rules), but if that's what you want, the answers from tim and my initial posts stand as the best options.
  • tim820
    edited 6 days ago
    For me, the advantage of standardized filenames for linked files - using Zotero's customized renaming (which Zotmoov uses) - is that when I go to the file manager in my OS, the files have consistent names that I am likely to already remember enough of, for me to find the file I want (author, year, title). Because I specified that renaming scheme. But if I can't find the file that I want in my OS that way, I can fire up Zotero ... which offers many other ways to find specific files - tags, collections, advanced searches. I do use Zotero's right pane to change file names sometimes - eg to *append* GOOGLE TRANSLATION, SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL, etc., after author/year/title.

    Zotmoov can also make the Zotero file title in the Zotero main library pane match the file name, so that you can see a file's name more easily. Also, right-click Show File will take you directly to that file in your OS.

    Note also that Zotmoov can automate saving linked files to subfolders in your OS based on various criteria if you wish (as its predecessor Zotfile did); for example a folder named the same as the collection you asked the Zotero web connector to put the item/file in. A downside to that is that you may change collection organization in Zotero later, which will not be automatically mirrored to your OS (or vice-versa). Also, Zotero items can exist in more than one collection (more like playlists - see link below), which is also difficult to mirror/maintain in your OS. So I feel that linked files are best placed in a single folder for easy access.
    https://www.zotero.org/support/collections_and_tags#the_zotero_collections_model
Sign In or Register to comment.