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Sync Zotero with Litmaps
Sync Zotero with Litmaps

Automatically sync your Zotero collections with your Tags in Litmaps.

Digl Dixon avatar
Written by Digl Dixon
Updated over a week ago

What is Zotero Sync?

Zotero is a popular reference manager. Zotero Collections can now be synced with Litmaps Tags: this means that whenever the articles of your Zotero Collection are edited, the changes are will be reflected in your Litmaps Tag. The same applies in reverse, meaning the Zotero Collection and Litmaps Tag will display the same group of articles.

Zotero Sync is a Litmaps Pro feature.

How to Sync with Zotero

1. Connect your Zotero Account to Litmaps

To get started, you'll need to authenticate your Zotero account to be used with Litmaps.

  1. Click on the Zotero "Z" logo button in the sidebar

  2. Click on "Authenticate a new Zotero Account"

  3. You'll be redirected to a Zotero login screen – log in if prompted

  4. Zotero will ask your permission for Litmaps to connect to your Zotero account

  5. Click "Accept Defaults"

  6. You'll be redirected back to Litmaps, where the connection is finalised.

  7. If all goes well, you'll see a confirmation dialogue. Click "Return to Litmaps".

  8. Your Zotero account is now connected to Litmaps!

You're welcome to review which Zotero Permissions Litmaps requires by clicking the "Change Permissions" button at step 5. However, modifying any of these permissions will stop the Zotero Sync from working.

2. Create a Zotero-Synced Tags

Now that your account is connected to Litmaps, you're able to create Zotero-Synced Tags. These are Tags which will automatically reflect the articles in one of your Zotero Collections.

  1. Click on the Zotero "Z" logo button in the sidebar

  2. Choose a collections from your connected Zotero account

  3. Click "Create Tag"

  4. The new Tag will open, and be populated articles for your Zotero collection after after a few seconds.

Managing your account's Zotero Connection

  1. Click on your profile in the bottom-left corner

  2. Click on "Integrations"

  3. Click on "Zotero"

From this screen you can disconnect one of your Zotero accounts, or add additional connected Zotero accounts by going through the steps above from step 2.

Zotero-Synced Collections – FAQ

Why are some of my Zotero Collection's contents not showing?

Litmaps won't show all types of documents that can be added to a Zotero Collection. Examples of unsupported formats include notes and PDF files.

Which actions are synced?

  • Adding and removing articles

  • Editing article metadata

Which actions are not synced?

  • Edits to the name of the Tag and/or Collection

What happens if I delete a synced Litmaps Tag or Zotero Collection?

  • Deleting the Litmaps Tag will have no effect on the Zotero Collection

  • Deleting the Zotero Collection will remove all articles from the Litmaps Tag

Can I sync with someone else's Zotero Library that I'm part of?

Yes – all of the Zotero Libraries associated with your Zotero account will be visible from the Create Zotero-Synced Tag menu.

Why does an article look slightly different in Litmaps?

Where possible, Litmaps will associate an article in your Zotero Collection with an article we have within our database.

Can I connect multiple Zotero accounts to Litmaps?

Yes! Open your account's Zotero settings as described above, and click "Authenticate a new Zotero Library". You're able to browse all connected Zotero accounts from the Create Zotero-Synced Tag menu using the account dropdown:

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