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To connect Zotero with Notion, use Notero, a Zotero plugin that sends selected library records and notes to a Notion database. The documented flow is one-way: Zotero updates Notion, but edits in Notion do not sync back to Zotero. PDF files also do not transfer through this workflow; highlights can sync only after you turn them into a Zotero note.

What Notero sends to Notion

Notero watches the Zotero collections you choose. When an item in a monitored collection is added or changed, the plugin can create or update a page in the connected Notion database. Bibliographic fields such as the title and authors can appear as database properties. Notero also adds a notion tag and a link attachment to the Zotero item; that link helps associate the Zotero record with its Notion page.

You can also sync an item, a selection, or a collection manually from Zotero’s context menus. Notes can be synced to the corresponding Notion page, and automatic note syncing is configurable in Notero preferences.

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PDF highlights and annotations

Notero does not directly sync PDF annotations as attachments. In Zotero, use Add Note from Annotations to extract highlights and annotations into a Zotero note, then sync that note with Notero.

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Check compatibility before installing

Notero’s Zotero requirements depend on the release. The project repository currently says its latest release requires Zotero 10 or later, while Notero v1.2.3 supports Zotero 7, 8, and 9. Check the repository’s current release notes and compatibility statement before downloading, since these details can change.

Set up the Zotero–Notion connection

  1. Install the plugin. Download the Notero .xpi release file. In Zotero, open Tools → Plugins, then drag the file into the plugin manager or choose Install Plugin From File.
  2. Authorize Notion. Open Notero preferences and select Connect to Notion. In the browser flow, select the workspace, choose a provided template database or an existing database, and allow access. Return to Zotero to finish connecting. If the handoff does not complete, the project documents copying the connection token into Notero preferences.
  3. Share an existing database with Notero. In Notion, open the database page, select Connections, and add Notero. Notion says workspace owners manage workspace connections; contact the owner if you cannot change that setting. See Notion’s instructions for managing connections.
  4. Check the database properties. The database needs one property of type Title. Other properties are optional, but Notero expects supported property names, types, and capitalization to match its documented schema. Examples include Authors (text), Collections (multi-select), DOI (URL), Date Added (date), Tags (multi-select), Year (number), and Zotero URI (URL). See the Notero repository for the current schema.
  5. Choose what to monitor. In Notero preferences, select the Zotero collections to watch and configure automatic syncing for item and note changes. To sync existing records, use Zotero’s context menu to sync an item, a selection, or a collection.

Understand the limits before relying on the sync

It is one-way, not a shared editing workflow

Notero sends Zotero data to Notion; it does not write Notion edits back into Zotero. The project explains that sending changes in the other direction would require a separate hosted service to receive Notion webhooks and write through the Zotero API. If you use Notero, treat Zotero as the source of truth for bibliographic data.

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Local PDFs stay out of Notion

The project says there is no good way in this workflow to sync files or link directly to local files in Notion. Its explanation is that Notion’s API has file-upload limitations and Notion accepts http: and https: URLs rather than local file: URLs. A File Path property is one documented workaround, though it is a path reference rather than a file transfer. If attachments are synced to your Zotero account, the Zotero URI property can help you open the item through the Zotero web library.

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Zotero’s separate sync service can sync library data and attachments using Zotero file sync or WebDAV. That does not upload those attachments to Notion; it can make them available through the Zotero web library. Read Zotero’s sync documentation for the separate file-sync options.

Database access and schema must be correct

If Notion has not shared the database with the integration, or a property name or type does not match Notero’s supported schema, syncing can produce API errors. The project lists troubleshooting guidance for common errors, including granting Notero access and resolving stale links after a previously synced Notion page is deleted. Check its current troubleshooting notes in the project repository.

Review the data-sharing arrangement

Notero’s privacy policy, last updated January 10, 2025, says the plugin uses a Notion public integration with OAuth 2.0 and an OAuth proxy, stores the token through Zotero’s login manager, and sends user-generated item data—including notes, tags, and custom fields—to Notion for synchronization. It also says the plugin communicates with Notion and the OAuth proxy. This is the developer’s disclosure, not an independent security assessment. Review the current Notero privacy policy before connecting sensitive material.

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Choose Notero or a manual workflow

Notero is a practical fit when you want selected Zotero records and notes to appear in Notion automatically and are comfortable using a database that follows its schema. A manual or export-based workflow may suit you better if you need tighter control over each transfer, need files in Notion, or expect to edit records in Notion and have those changes return to Zotero. The documented integration does not provide that reverse sync.

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