Upgrade StorageWANNA HELP WORD ONLINE HAPPEN?
@dstillman confirmed on the forums that the only thing blocking a real Zotero plugin for Word Online is Microsoft's Word JavaScript API — specifically the lack of a working fields API (the same mechanism the desktop plugin already relies on). Zotero can't ship a plugin based on Content Controls instead, because that would break compatibility with every document written using the desktop plugin over the last 15+ years (see Mendeley's plugin for a preview of how that goes).
Microsoft has been sitting on this for YEARS. The original request from a Zotero developer is still open in their backlog. If you want Zotero on Word Online, here's where public pressure can actually help — Microsoft does weigh votes/comments on these:
1. Upvote + comment on the official Microsoft idea thread:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/idea/microsoft365developerplatform/adding-field-codes-for-word-using-word-javascript-api/2361481/comments/2376739#M93
2. Comment on the underlying GitHub issue (filed directly by a Zotero dev in 2021, still marked "in backlog"):
https://github.com/OfficeDev/office-js/issues/1751
When commenting, it helps to be specific and civil rather than just "+1" — mention:
- You use Zotero (or another fields-based reference manager) and need Word Online support
- Why it matters to you specifically (institution locked into Word 365 online, collaboration needs, etc.)
- That backwards compatibility with existing field-based documents is the actual blocker, not a nice-to-have
This isn't a Zotero problem — it's Microsoft's API gap. The more visible, specific, real-world comments pile up, the harder it is for Microsoft to keep deprioritizing it.
Microsoft has been sitting on this for YEARS. The original request from a Zotero developer is still open in their backlog. If you want Zotero on Word Online, here's where public pressure can actually help — Microsoft does weigh votes/comments on these:
1. Upvote + comment on the official Microsoft idea thread:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/idea/microsoft365developerplatform/adding-field-codes-for-word-using-word-javascript-api/2361481/comments/2376739#M93
2. Comment on the underlying GitHub issue (filed directly by a Zotero dev in 2021, still marked "in backlog"):
https://github.com/OfficeDev/office-js/issues/1751
When commenting, it helps to be specific and civil rather than just "+1" — mention:
- You use Zotero (or another fields-based reference manager) and need Word Online support
- Why it matters to you specifically (institution locked into Word 365 online, collaboration needs, etc.)
- That backwards compatibility with existing field-based documents is the actual blocker, not a nice-to-have
This isn't a Zotero problem — it's Microsoft's API gap. The more visible, specific, real-world comments pile up, the harder it is for Microsoft to keep deprioritizing it.
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adomasven Zotero TeamPlease do not do this. Microsoft has been working constructively with us since I've created issue 1751 on their office-js repo (linked above), and a meaningful portion of the Field API has been implemented. We're unfortunately stuck in getting Microsoft developers to fix some bugs in the JS API, which prevents us from deploying the Word JS plugin for Zotero users, but they are not ignoring this either to the extent that they have a team available to work on improving Word Online.