To use Zotero with Microsoft Word, install Zotero on your computer, open Word, and use the new Zotero tab to insert citations and a bibliography. For most people the Word plugin installs automatically. This guide shows you how to set it up, cite sources, change citation styles, finish your document safely, and fix the most common problems, such as a missing Zotero tab.
New to the tool? Read our overview first: what Zotero software is and how it works.
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| The Zotero tab appears in the Word ribbon after the plugin is installed. |
Quick answer:
- The Zotero Word plugin is bundled with Zotero and installs automatically for most users.
- The Zotero tab has five buttons: Add/Edit Citation, Add/Edit Bibliography, Document Preferences, Refresh and Unlink Citations.
- Keep the Zotero desktop app open while you cite. The browser Connector alone is not enough.
Does Zotero Work With Microsoft Word?
Yes. Zotero has an official Word plugin for the desktop versions of Word on Windows and Mac. According to Zotero's system requirements, these versions are supported:
| Platform | Supported Word versions |
|---|---|
| Windows | Word 2010–2024 or Office 365 (not Word 2010 Starter Edition) |
| Mac | Word 2016–2024 or Office 365 |
Zotero does not support the Word for Windows plugin under Linux compatibility layers such as WINE. On Linux, Zotero advises using LibreOffice instead. Browser-based Word (Word Online) is not supported either. If you need to write in a browser, Zotero offers a separate Google Docs plugin.
How to Install the Zotero Word Plugin
The Word plugin is bundled with Zotero and should install into Word automatically when you first start Zotero. If you have not installed Zotero yet, download it from the official download page. You can also follow our general guide on how to install software on a laptop.
To check that it worked, close Word, start Zotero, and then open Word. You should see a Zotero tab in the ribbon.
If the Zotero tab does not appear
- Close Word completely.
- Open Zotero's settings (called Preferences in older versions) and click the Cite tab.
- Scroll to Word Processors and click Install Microsoft Word Add-in.
- Restart Word and look for the Zotero tab.
If the tab is still missing, see the troubleshooting section below.
The Zotero Tab in Word: What Each Button Does
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Add/Edit Citation | Adds a new citation at your cursor, or edits an existing one |
| Add/Edit Bibliography | Inserts a bibliography at your cursor, or edits the existing one |
| Document Preferences | Sets the citation style and other document settings |
| Refresh | Updates all citations and the bibliography with any changed item data from your library |
| Unlink Citations | Converts citations and bibliography to plain text (irreversible) |
How to Insert a Citation in Word With Zotero
- Start Zotero first. Make sure the Zotero desktop app is running, not just the browser Connector.
- Place your cursor where the citation should go.
- Click Add/Edit Citation. The first time, Zotero asks you to choose a citation style.
- Search for your source. Type part of a title, an author's last name, a year, or a combination. Matching items appear instantly. Items already cited in the document appear at the top, under "Cited."
- Select the item by clicking it or pressing Enter. It appears as a shaded bubble.
- Press Enter again to insert the citation and close the box.
Faster ways to cite
- Several sources in one citation: after selecting the first item, do not press Enter. Type the next author, title or year, and select it too.
- Page numbers: before pressing Enter, type something like "p.34" or just "34", and Zotero adds the page to the citation. For a range, type "p.45-48".
- Cite the last work again: type "ibid" to select the most recently cited work.
- Keyboard shortcuts: you can set shortcuts for every button in the Zotero tab.
How to Add a Bibliography
Put your cursor where the bibliography should appear (usually the end of the document) and click Add/Edit Bibliography. From then on, Zotero updates the bibliography automatically as you add or remove citations.
If you want to add a source you never cited in the text, or remove one that is cited but should not be listed (for example, a personal communication), click Add/Edit Bibliography again to open the bibliography editor and use the arrows to add or remove items.
Do not type changes directly into the bibliography in Word. Manual edits are overwritten the next time Zotero refreshes the document.
How to Change the Citation Style
Click Document Preferences and pick a different style. Your existing citations and bibliography are reformatted, so you do not retype anything. This is useful when a professor or journal asks for another style.
The most popular styles are already loaded. If you need another one, you can download more from the Zotero Style Repository.
The Document Preferences window also lets you set:
- the language used to format citations and the bibliography;
- footnotes or endnotes, for note-based styles such as Chicago (Note). Word, not Zotero, controls how notes look;
- whether citations are stored as Fields or Bookmarks. Unless you collaborate with LibreOffice users, choose Fields;
- whether to abbreviate journal titles with the MEDLINE list, for styles that abbreviate them.
How to Customize a Citation
To change one citation, click it in your document and press Add/Edit Citation. Then click the citation bubble to open the options:
- Locator: cite a page, page range, volume or other part of the source.
- Prefix and Suffix: add text before or after the generated citation, such as "see" or "for a critique".
- Omit Author: useful when you name the author in your sentence, for example "According to Smith (2020)…".
Example (hypothetical): you write "According to Smith" in your sentence, tick Omit Author, and add a page locator. In an author-date style, Zotero would then show only the year and page in the parentheses. The exact format depends on the style you selected.
Using these fields is always better than typing into the citation itself in Word.
How to Fix or Update Citations
If a citation is wrong or missing data, fix the item in your Zotero library first, then click Refresh in Word. The change flows into your document. Correcting a title in Zotero and refreshing updates it everywhere it appears.
You can edit a citation's text directly in Word, but Zotero then asks you to confirm, and that citation will no longer update automatically. Zotero suggests leaving notes in the text and making those changes in a copy after you unlink.
How to Finish Your Document: Unlink Citations
When your paper is final and you need plain-text adjustments (for example, bolding an author name in the bibliography or adding section headings), use Unlink Citations. It removes the field codes and turns everything into regular text.
- Save a backup copy of the document.
- Click Unlink Citations in the copy.
- Make your final text edits.
Unlinking is irreversible, so only do it on a final copy. After that, Zotero can no longer update or restyle your citations.
Zotero Word Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| No Zotero tab in Word | Reinstall from Zotero's Cite settings (steps above). Then follow Zotero's manual installation guide if needed. On Windows, open File → Options → Add-ins and check that Zotero.dotm is enabled. On Mac, open Tools → Templates and Add-ins and make sure Zotero.dotm is listed and ticked. |
| "Word could not communicate with Zotero" | Make sure the Zotero program is open. Close Word, restart Zotero, then start Word. If needed, restart the computer and start Zotero before Word. Do not run Zotero or Word as administrator. |
| Tab missing on a work or school PC | Your IT department may block Word add-ins or templates. Ask them. Also check Word's Trust Center: "Disable all Application Add-ins" and "Require Application Add-ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher" should be unchecked. |
| "No document is open" error (Windows) | Zotero's add-on may not work for documents stored in OneDrive. Move the file to another folder. |
| Citation font differs from your text | Change the default style in Word's Styles manager. The bibliography uses a separate "Bibliography" style you can modify. |
| Citations turned into plain text | Avoid opening or editing the document in Google Drive's word processor, which breaks Zotero citations. |
| No response on Mac | Restart Word and try again. Software that interacts with the clipboard (such as clipboard history tools) can interfere, so temporarily disable it. |
Zotero's full word processor plugin troubleshooting page covers more cases and is updated regularly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to open Zotero first. The plugin needs the desktop app running.
- Choosing the style late. Set it in Document Preferences before you start, though you can change it later.
- Fixing data in Word instead of Zotero. Correct the item in your library and click Refresh.
- Unlinking too early. Do it only in a final copy, after saving a backup.
- Sharing a document without sharing the library. If a collaborator inserted citations from a library you cannot access, those items become "orphaned" and cannot be opened in your library. A shared group library avoids this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Zotero need to be open when I use the Word plugin?
Yes. The plugin communicates with the Zotero desktop app, so start Zotero before Word.
Can I add a source to the bibliography without citing it?
Yes. Click Add/Edit Bibliography again to open the bibliography editor, then use the arrows to add the item.
Can I edit my Zotero Word document in Google Docs?
It is not recommended. Opening or editing a Zotero Word document in Google Drive's word processor can break the citations.
Is there a keyboard-only way to use the plugin?
Yes. You can assign keyboard shortcuts to all the buttons in the Zotero tab, and the citation dialog can be navigated with the arrow keys and Enter.
Conclusion
Using Zotero with Word comes down to a short routine: open Zotero, choose a style in Document Preferences, insert citations with Add/Edit Citation, add the bibliography once, and click Refresh whenever your library data changes. Keep Unlink Citations for the very end, on a backed-up copy. If something breaks, the usual fixes are reinstalling the add-in from Zotero's Cite settings or restarting Zotero before Word.
For more step-by-step tutorials, browse our software guides and how-tos.
Sources used: Using the Zotero Word Plugin, Word Processor Plugins, Word Processor Plugin Troubleshooting, Manually Installing the Zotero Word Processor Plugin, Zotero System Requirements.
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