How to use Zotero with Microsoft Word is something every thesis writer should learn as early as possible. Once the Word plugin is set up, you can drop in citations, switch styles, and build a full bibliography in a few clicks instead of wrestling with references by hand at the end.
Below is a clear, step-by-step guide to get you from “What is this Zotero thing?” to “I can’t believe I ever did citations manually.”
How to use Zotero with Microsoft Word: quick overview
Here’s the whole process in one quick list:
- Install Zotero on your computer
- Install the Zotero Word plugin (usually automatic)
- Check that the Zotero tab appears in Microsoft Word
- Insert your first citation into a document
- Add a bibliography at the end
- Change citation style (APA, Chicago, etc.)
- Edit or refresh citations as you write
Now let’s walk through each step in more detail.
1. Install Zotero on your computer
Before you can learn how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word, you need Zotero itself installed.
What to do
- Go to the Zotero website
- Download the installer for your operating system (Windows or macOS)
- Run the installer and follow the on-screen steps
- Open Zotero and make sure it runs correctly
If you want to sync your library across devices, create a free Zotero account and sign in. Sync isn’t required to use Zotero with Word on one computer, but it’s really handy for backups and working between a laptop and desktop.
2. Install (or check) the
Most of the time, when you install Zotero, the Microsoft Word plugin is added automatically. This small add-in is what connects your Zotero library to your Word documents.
How to check in Zotero
- Open Zotero
- Go to Edit → Preferences (or Zotero → Preferences on Mac)
- Click the Cite tab
- Open the Word Processors section
You should see something like:
“Microsoft Word add-in is installed”
If it is not installed, you’ll see a button such as:
“Install Microsoft Word Add-in”
Click that, let it run, and then restart Word afterwards.
3. Find the Zotero tab in Microsoft Word
Once the plugin is installed, you should see Zotero options inside Word.
Where to look
- Open Microsoft Word
- Create a new blank document or open an existing one
- Look at the top ribbon (Home, Insert, Layout, etc.)
You should see a Zotero tab with buttons like:
- Add/Edit Citation
- Add/Edit Bibliography
- Document Preferences
- Refresh
- Remove Field Codes
If you don’t see it:
- Close Word
- Confirm the plugin is installed in Zotero preferences
- Re-open Word
- If it still doesn’t appear, go to File → Options → Add-ins in Word and check if the Zotero add-in is disabled. Enable it if needed and restart Word again.
4. Insert your first citation
Now for the fun part: actually using Zotero with Microsoft Word to insert citations into your text.
Step-by-step
- Open Word and place your cursor where you want the citation to appear
- Click the Zotero tab
- Click Add/Edit Citation
- The first time you do this in the document, Zotero may ask you to choose a citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.) – pick one (you can change it later)
- A red citation box or small Zotero search bar appears
- Start typing the author name, title, or keyword from a source in your Zotero library
- Click the correct item when it appears
- Press Enter to insert the citation
You should now see something like:
- (Smith, 2020) for author–date styles, or
- A superscript number [¹] for numeric styles
That’s your first Zotero-powered citation done.
5. Add a bibliography
Once you’ve added a few citations, you can insert a full reference list or bibliography at the end of your document with a couple of clicks.
How to do it
- Place your cursor where you want the bibliography (usually at the end, under a “References” or “Bibliography” heading)
- Go to the Zotero tab in Word
- Click Add/Edit Bibliography
Zotero will automatically:
- Scan your document for all Zotero citations
- Create a formatted bibliography in the current style
- Update it as you add or remove citations later
No more manual alphabetising, spacing, or punctuation obsessing. As long as your items are correct in Zotero, the bibliography will handle itself.
6. Change citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
One of the biggest wins when you learn how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word is how easy it is to switch citation styles. Journals and universities love changing their minds about what style they want, and Zotero makes that painless.
Changing the style for the whole document
- In Word, go to the Zotero tab
- Click Document Preferences
- Choose a different citation style from the list
- Click OK
Zotero will:
- Reformat all in-text citations
- Rebuild the bibliography using the new style
If you start in APA but later need Chicago, you do not have to touch each citation. Zotero does the heavy lifting.
7. Edit and refresh citations as you write
You’ll almost never get every detail perfect on the first try, and that’s fine. You can adjust citations as your draft evolves.
Editing an existing citation
- Click once inside the citation in your Word document
- Go to the Zotero tab
- Click Add/Edit Citation
- The citation box reopens
- Add or remove sources, change page numbers, or adjust prefixes/suffixes
- Press Enter to update the citation in your document
Refreshing the whole document
If you edit items in Zotero (for example, fixing author names or titles):
- Go to the Zotero tab in Word
- Click Refresh
Zotero will pull the latest info from your library and update citations and bibliography accordingly.
Common problems and quick fixes
Even when you understand how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word, little glitches can still happen. Here are some of the most common and how to fix them.
Zotero tab not showing in Word
Confirm the Word plugin is installed in Zotero preferences
Restart both Zotero and Word
In Word, check File → Options → Add-ins
If Zotero appears under Disabled Add-ins, enable it and restart Word
Citations look like plain text and don’t update
If field codes were removed (for example, using “Remove Field Codes” or saving in a format that strips them), Zotero can no longer control those citations.
- Always keep a backup of the field-code version of your document
- For collaborative work, keep one “master” Zotero-connected file that you control
- Only remove field codes as a final step after submission or exporting
The style you need is not in the list
- In Zotero, go to Preferences → Cite → Styles
- Click Get additional styles to open the Zotero style repository in your browser
- Search for your journal or style name
- Install it, then go back to Word and use Document Preferences to apply it
Tips to make your Zotero + Word workflow smooth
Once you have the basics of how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word, a few habits will make your writing life much easier.
Keep your Zotero library clean
- Correct titles, authors, and years when you import an item
- Add tags or collections for each project or chapter
- Attach PDFs and notes to the right items
A tidy library means fewer weird surprises in your reference list.
Use notes inside Zotero
- Store short summaries or key quotes as notes attached to each item
- Add page numbers for important quotes
- Write a one- or two-sentence “why this matters” note for each source
When you’re writing in Word, this makes it much quicker to remember why you saved that paper in the first place.
Don’t manually edit citations in Word
- Avoid directly changing the text inside a Zotero citation
- Always use Add/Edit Citation from the Zotero tab
- Manual edits can be overwritten or break the connection
Using Zotero with long documents and theses
Knowing how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word becomes even more important when you’re working on long documents such as theses, dissertations, or book-length projects.
A few strategies for big documents
Work in chapters
Keep each chapter in its own Word file during drafting
Use Zotero citations normally in each chapter
Create a final combined document later
When you’re closer to submission, combine chapters into one big file
Use Zotero’s Refresh function to rebuild the bibliography across the whole document
Speed tips for large Word files
- Turn off automatic spelling/grammar checks if Word gets slow
- Save regularly and keep backup versions (e.g.
Thesis_chapter3_v3.docx) - If Word becomes sluggish, close other heavy programmes while you format and refresh citations
A well-managed combination of Zotero and Word can handle very large documents; just keep backups and avoid doing huge structural edits at the same time as you refresh citations.
Collaboration is a big part of academic writing, and you can still use Zotero with Microsoft Word even when several people are involved.
When collaborators also use Zotero
- Share your Zotero library or a specific group library
- Make sure everyone has the same citation style installed
- Send them the field-code version of the Word file so they can add citations too
When collaborators do not use Zotero
- You can still send them a normal Word document with citations
- Ask them not to manually edit existing Zotero citations
- They can leave comments or highlight where new references are needed
- You then add the actual citations yourself using Zotero
Using Track Changes with Zotero
- Track Changes in Word works fine with Zotero, but be careful
- If tracked changes cause strange behaviour, accept or reject changes around the citation, then try Add/Edit Citation again
- Always keep a backup copy before doing big rounds of tracked edits
Using Zotero with different operating systems
One nice thing about learning how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word is that the basic workflow is similar on Windows and macOS.
- On Windows, Zotero usually installs the Word plugin automatically
- On Mac, the process is similar, but the Preferences menu is under the Zotero name, not Edit
- If you switch between a Windows desktop and a Mac laptop, Zotero sync plus OneDrive/Dropbox/Google Drive for your Word files can keep everything connected
Just make sure:
- Both machines have Zotero installed
- Both have the Word plugin installed
- You give Zotero a moment to sync before opening documents that rely on recently added references
Backing up your Zotero and Word projects safely
Once you know how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word, the next thing to think about is keeping everything safe. A corrupted file or lost laptop right before submission can be a nightmare, so it’s worth setting up a simple backup routine.
Back up your Zotero library
Zotero itself stores all your references, notes, and attachments. To protect it:
- Enable Zotero sync with a free account so your library is stored online
- Consider using linked attachments with a cloud folder (like Dropbox or OneDrive) if you have lots of big PDFs
- Occasionally make a manual backup by copying your Zotero data directory (you can find its location in Zotero → Preferences → Advanced → Files and Folders)
If something goes wrong with your computer, you can reinstall Zotero, log in, and pull your library back from the cloud.
Back up your Word documents
Even when you know how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word properly, your thesis or article is still just a file that can get damaged or deleted. A few simple habits help:
- Save your work in a cloud-synced folder (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox)
- Use versioned filenames for big milestones, like
Chapter3_v4_Zotero.docx - Occasionally save a copy as PDF so you have a fixed snapshot of how everything looked at a certain point
Keep a “safe copy” with field codes intact
Before doing anything drastic (sending to a journal, removing field codes, or heavy formatting):
- Save a copy like
Thesis_final_with_Zotero_fields.docx - Work on a duplicate for final tweaks if you really need to break the Zotero links
That way, if you need to regenerate or reformat your citations later, you still have a fully connected version of the document.
Combining Zotero with other tools (Notion, Obsidian, etc.)
You can easily use Zotero alongside note-taking tools like Notion, Obsidian, or OneNote.
A simple workflow
- Use Zotero for: references, PDFs, citations, and bibliographies
- Use Notion / Obsidian / OneNote for: reading notes, ideas, outlines, and thesis planning
- In your notes tool, include simple references like “(Smith, 2020)” that match your Zotero library
- When you write in Word, pull the proper citation from Zotero at the right spot
This way, you don’t overload Zotero with long notes, and you still have a clear bridge between your thinking and your formal referencing.
Frequently asked questions about how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word
Do I have to keep Zotero open while using Word?
Yes, in most setups you need Zotero running in the background for the Word plugin to talk to your library. If citations aren’t working, check that Zotero itself is open.
Can I switch from another reference manager to Zotero and still use my old Word documents?
You can usually export your old references from the other manager (as RIS or similar) and import them into Zotero. However, citations that were inserted using a different plugin may not be editable by Zotero in existing documents. For new documents, you’ll be fine.
Can I use Zotero with both Word and Google Docs?
Yes. Zotero has great integration with Word and also works with Google Docs using a browser connector. The workflows are slightly different, but the same library powers both.
What if I accidentally delete the bibliography?
No disaster: just click Add/Edit Bibliography again in the Zotero tab, and Zotero will rebuild it from the citations in the document.
Can I use custom citation styles for my university?
Often, yes. Many universities provide a style file, or you can find similar ones in the Zotero style repository. Once installed in Zotero, they appear in the Document Preferences list in Word.
Common mistakes to avoid
When you’re still learning how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word, these are the pitfalls that catch people out:
Manually typing references instead of using Zotero
Then wondering why they don’t appear in the bibliography
Editing citation text directly in Word
Changes get overwritten when you refresh
Deleting the Zotero field codes too early
After that, you can’t update or reformat citations automatically
Letting the Zotero library get messy
You end up with inconsistent, ugly references in your final document
If you avoid those four, you’re already ahead of the game. You can also check the Zotero forums for more information.
Conclusion
Learning how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word is one of those small skills that completely changes how you write long documents. Once the plugin is installed and you’ve added a few citations, it quickly becomes second nature: click, search, insert, done.
Start with a short test document and experiment:
- Add a few citations
- Insert a bibliography
- Change the citation style
- Edit a citation and use Refresh
After a little practice, you’ll never want to build a reference list by hand again – and future you, finishing a thesis or article at 2am, will be very, very grateful.
To compare Zotero with one of the other big reference managers and decide which suits your workflow best, take a look at my breakdown in Mendeley vs Zotero.
