Using ZotFile plug-in to manage your PDFs
Without a paid account, you may soon exceed the storage quota imposed by Zotero if you plan to store the PDFs for each citation on Zotero. You can choose to upgrade your Zotero account or follow the steps listed below to move your PDFs or other attachments to another cloud-based storage system. Please note that if you choose not to place the PDFs on the Zotero server, you will not be able to search across the full text of the PDFs.
Manage your PDFs on Zotero
Option 1: Upgrade your Zotero account.
Option 2: Move pdfs and other attachments to another cloud storage such as Rutgers Box. Download the Zotfile plugin and use the ZotFile plugin to rename the files and place them in a designated folder as you capture the citations and import the PDFs.
1. Download Rutgers Box Drive:
Go to https://it.rutgers.edu/box/
Scroll down until you see "Download and install Box"
On the web page that lists all the Box apps, select "Box Drive". Then pick your operating system for Windows or Mac to download the Box Drive app.
2. Download and install ZotFile:
Go to ZotFile website, and download the app.
Open Zotero. Select Tools and then Add-ons to open that Add-ons Manager. Sometimes this Add-ons Manager may be open in the background. Be sure to switch windows to look for the Add-ons Manager.
Click the gear icon on the top right. Click Install Add-on From File. Look for the ZotFile app file that you have downloaded earlier and run the file.
3. Configure Zotero to stop syncing PDFs to Zotero
Open Zotero. Select Edit and then Preferences.
Click Sync from the top menu. Uncheck the box next to "Sync attachment files in My Library using Zotero"
Select Advanced from the top menu.
Click Files and Folders underneath the top menu.
Click Choose button to look for your Box folder where you keep your PDFs. Then click OK.
4. Configure ZotFile to manage your PDFs
Open Zotero. Select Tools. Click ZotFile Preferences. Under Source Folder, click the Choose button to specify the folder. Then under the Location of files, also click the Choose button to specify the folder.
5. Attach PDF to your citation
When you are viewing your citation, click the paperclip icon in Zotero to attach a PDF.