Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- kb:watch_folder [2023/02/02 22:12] – dstillman
+++ kb:watch_folder [2023/12/13 00:50] (current) – dstillman
@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 People coming from other tools based around a "watch folder" sometimes look for similar functionality in Zotero and are surprised to find it doesn't exist.
-Zotero is designed around a different workflow from these other tools, and it reflects a bit of a philosophical difference. We don't believe you should have to manually download files and worry about folder paths. Zotero is deeply integrated into the browser where you do most of your research, and it has an unmatched ability to save high-quality metadata from across the web. To save to Zotero, you simply [[:adding_items_to_zotero#via_your_web_browser|click the save button]] while on an article page, and Zotero will both save bibliographic details for the item and automatically download a PDF if one is available.
+Zotero is designed around a different workflow from these other tools, and it reflects a bit of a philosophical difference. We don't believe you should have to manually download files and worry about folder paths. Zotero is deeply integrated into the browser where you do most of your research, and it has an unmatched ability to save high-quality metadata from across the web.
-If you already have a local file on disk (say, from an email), you can drag it in and Zotero will attempt to [[:retrieve_pdf_metadata|retrieve metadata]], but that's not the primary way of adding items.
+To save to Zotero, you simply [[:adding_items_to_zotero#via_your_web_browser|click the save button]] while on an article page, and Zotero will both save bibliographic details for the item and automatically download a PDF if one is available.
+If only a PDF is available, you can still save it directly with the save button, and Zotero will attempt to [[:retrieve_pdf_metadata|retrieve metadata]]. Make sure your browser is set to preview PDFs in the browser (at a %%''http://''%% or %%''https://''%% URL) rather than download them and show them at a %%''file://''%% URL, which the Zotero Connector can't access.
+If you already have a local file on disk (say, from an email), you can drag it to the Zotero app, but that's not the primary way of adding items.
 Once you've saved an item, Zotero manages your files for you, including renaming them based on the author, year, and title of the parent item and, if you use file syncing, making sure they stay linked across devices. There are plugins that can help you [[:attaching_files#stored_files_and_linked_files|organize your files differently]] if you prefer, but file management is still done automatically for you based on your settings, not something you have to manage manually.