Zotero Citation Manager

If you’d like your Zotero-attached PDFs to be stored in Google Drive—so they’re accessible from any device—this page will walk you through the process using the ZotMoov plugin.

Why use this setup?

• Access your PDFs from multiple devices (desktop, laptop, phone, or public computer)

• Keep a backup of your files in the cloud

• Free up storage space on your local computer

To begin, download and install Google Drive for Desktop:

1. We are assuming you are using your EMU Google Drive for this optional feature. If you use a different Google Drive account, you may need to modify the instructions.
2. Log in to your EMU Google account and open Google Drive.
3. Click the gear icon in the upper right corner, and select Get Drive for desktop.

   

4. Follow Google’s on-screen instructions to download and install Google Drive for Desktop.
5. Once installed, Google Drive will appear as a local folder: On Windows, something like G:\My Drive. On a Mac, it appears as a mounted drive in Finder, similar to an external hard drive or USB.
6. Create a dedicated folder inside Google Drive to hold your PDFs — for example: Zotero_Library or Zotero_PDFs.

ZotMoov is a third-party plugin that moves your downloaded PDFs from Zotero to a folder you specify — such as Google Drive.

Important: ZotFile is no longer compatible with Zotero 7. ZotMoov is the recommended current alternative.

1. Go to the ZotMoov Releases page on GitHub.
2. Download the .xpi file for the latest version (for example, zotmoov-1.2.11-fx.xpi).

   

3. Open Zotero and go to Tools ▸ Plugins.
4. The Zotero Plugins Manager window will open.
5. Click the gear icon ⚙️ and select Install Plugin From File.

   

6. Select the .xpi file you downloaded.
7. Restart Zotero. ZotMoov should now appear in your Zotero Settings under the ZotMoov tab.

Once ZotMoov is installed:

1. In Zotero, go to Tools ▸ Settings ▸ ZotMoov.
2. Under Directory to Move Files To, choose your Google Drive folder (e.g., G:\My Drive\Zotero_Library).
3. Set File Behavior to Move.
4. Under Other Settings, check:
   • Automatically Move/Copy Files When Added
     Now, any PDF you attach in Zotero will be moved automatically to your selected Google Drive folder.
      

When you annotate a PDF using Zotero’s built-in reader, the changes are stored inside Zotero, not in the copy synced to Google Drive (or another cloud service). To update the cloud version with your edits:

1. Open the annotated PDF in Zotero’s reader.
2. Go to File ▸ Save As.
3. Navigate to your Google Drive Zotero folder.
4. Overwrite the original file when prompted.

This ensures your highlights, comments, and notes are included in the cloud-stored version of the file.