Skip to Main Content

#1 Zotero Guide

Add Articles, Books, Websites and More

1. To begin adding items to your Zotero library, start by creating a folder or "collection" for your items using the “new collection” icon in the upper left corner of the Zotero library window, then give your collection a name.  (Note:  you can organize folders by topics, names of classes, a project, etc... - choose something that works for you.)

Creating a new collection screenshot

2. Do a search in a database (for example, Google Scholar or a library database), catalog (for example, WorldCat) or website (for example, Amazon or Epicurious), and click the Zotero folder icon near the URL address bar to download items to your Zotero library (in Chrome and Firefox, the "add to Zotero" icon is on the right; in Safari, the icon is on the left).

Note - if you don't see the browser connector icon, troubleshoot using Step 9 of the installation steps. Alternatively, you can right click on any page to access the Zotero browser connector.

3.  A list of all of the items on the page allows you to select the items you are interested in.

4. If you are looking at the information for just one article, book, website, video, etc...you will see different download icons.  Click the icon to download the item to your Zotero library.

5.  The items you have selected will now be listed in your Zotero library along with all of their citation information.

6. Note - You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+Shift+s (on Windows) or Cmd+Shift+s (on Macs) to add items to your Zotero library.