brycewang-stanford Zotero Actions & Tags Guide
Overview
Zotero Actions & Tags is a powerful Zotero plugin that enables workflow automation through event-triggered actions. Define custom rules that execute when items are added, modified, opened, or tagged — such as auto-tagging by collection, running scripts on PDF open, auto-renaming attachments, or sending notifications. Transforms Zotero from a passive reference manager into an active research workflow engine.
Installation
# Download .xpi from GitHub releases
# In Zotero 7: Tools → Add-ons → Install Add-on From File
Core Concepts
### Event → Condition → Action
**Events** (triggers):
- Item added to library
- Item added to collection
- Item modified
- Tag added/removed
- Attachment opened
- Item selected
**Conditions** (filters):
- Item type (article, book, etc.)
- Collection membership
- Tag presence/absence
- Field value match (regex)
- Date range
**Actions** (responses):
- Add/remove tags
- Set field values
- Run JavaScript
- Open URLs
- Copy to clipboard
- Show notifications
Action Examples
Auto-Tag by Collection
{
"name": "Auto-tag ML papers",
"event": "add_to_collection",
"condition": {
"collection": "Machine Learning"
},
"actions": [
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#ml"},
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#to-read"}
]
}
Mark as Read on Open
{
"name": "Track reading",
"event": "open_attachment",
"condition": {
"attachment_type": "application/pdf"
},
"actions": [
{"type": "remove_tag", "tag": "#to-read"},
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#reading"},
{"type": "set_field", "field": "extra",
"value": "LastOpened: ${date}"}
]
}
Auto-Prioritize Highly Cited
{
"name": "Flag high-impact",
"event": "item_modified",
"condition": {
"field": "extra",
"regex": "Citations:\\s*(\\d{3,})"
},
"actions": [
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#high-impact"},
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#priority"}
]
}
Custom Script Action
// Run custom JavaScript on trigger
// Example: Auto-format author names
{
"name": "Format authors",
"event": "item_added",
"action": {
"type": "script",
"code": `
const creators = item.getCreators();
// Log to Zotero debug console
Zotero.debug('New item by: ' +
creators.map(c => c.lastName).join(', '));
`
}
}
Workflow Recipes
Reading Pipeline
[
{
"name": "New → To-Read",
"event": "item_added",
"actions": [{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#to-read"}]
},
{
"name": "To-Read → Reading",
"event": "open_attachment",
"condition": {"has_tag": "#to-read"},
"actions": [
{"type": "remove_tag", "tag": "#to-read"},
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#reading"}
]
},
{
"name": "Reading → Done",
"event": "tag_added",
"condition": {"tag": "#done"},
"actions": [
{"type": "remove_tag", "tag": "#reading"}
]
}
]
Auto-Organization
[
{
"name": "Tag by journal",
"event": "item_added",
"condition": {
"field": "publicationTitle",
"regex": "Nature|Science|Cell"
},
"actions": [
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#top-journal"}
]
},
{
"name": "Flag recent papers",
"event": "item_added",
"condition": {
"field": "date",
"after": "2024-01-01"
},
"actions": [
{"type": "add_tag", "tag": "#recent"}
]
}
]
Configuration
### Settings (Edit → Preferences → Actions & Tags)
- **Enable/disable** individual actions
- **Action priority** — execution order when multiple match
- **Logging** — debug action execution
- **Import/Export** — share action sets with collaborators
- **Keyboard shortcuts** — trigger actions manually
Use Cases
- Reading workflow: Auto-track reading status via tags
- Auto-organization: Tag by collection, journal, or date
- Priority flagging: Highlight high-impact or recent papers
- Team workflows: Shared tag-based review pipelines
- Custom scripts: Extend Zotero with JavaScript actions