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 are using a different Google Drive, you may need to modify the instructions.

2. Login to your EMU Google account and navigate to the Google Drive.

3. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner, and select Get Drive for desktop. 
   

4. Follow Google's instructions for downloading Google Drive for desktop.

5. Once installed, Google Drive will appear as a local folder (e.g., G:\My Drive on Windows). On a Mac, when you install Google Drive for Desktop, 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—something like:

   • Zotero_Library or Zotero_PDFs

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

🛑 Important: ZotFile is no longer compatible with Zotero 7. ZotMoov is a current alternative.

To install ZotMoov:

1. Go to the ZotMoov Releases page on GitHub

2. Download the .xpi file for the latest version (e.g., zotmoov-1.2.11-fx.xpi)
   

3. Open Zotero → go to Tools >  Plugins

4. The Zotero Plugins Manager window will open.

5. Click the gear icon ⚙️ → select Install Plugin From File
   

6. Choose 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 (see below)

2. Under Directory to Move Files To, choose your Google Drive folder (e.g., G:\My Drive\Zotero_Library)

3. Make sure to select "Move" as the desired File Behavior.

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, those changes are stored inside Zotero, not in the file synced to Google Drive. 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 that your highlights, comments, and notes are included in the cloud-stored version.