Once your browser connector is installed, you'll see an icon directly to the right of the address bar. It may look like a page, folder or a book depending on what content Zotero has detected on the page.
Typically you'll see something like this below:
Zotero automatically saves PDFs along with citations when possible (you can change this in the preferences menu if you wish.) Attachments take up space in your Zotero account -- you get 300 MB free and can buy more space if needed.
You can attach files manually by dragging a PDF (or other file) into your Zotero pane. Dropping a file onto a collection, or in between library items, will copy it into your library as a standalone item. Dropping it onto an existing item will attach it to that item. This is the easiest way to attach a copy of an article to its entry in your library.
Each item also has an Attachments tab in the right column. You can attach files by clicking the Attachments tab and then the Add button.
If Zotero detects that you're looking at a book or article on a library catalog or database, or a site like Amazon.com or the New York Times, you'll see a book or page icon appear in the address bar of your browser. Just click the icon and Zotero will automatically save the citation.
If you're on a page of search results with many items, you'll see a folder icon instead. Click this to get a list of all the items on the page, and check off the ones you want to save.
Other Web Sites
Zotero can't automatically capture citation info from some web pages, but you can still add them to your Zotero library.
Right-click in your browser and choose "Save to Zotero" from the menu. This will save a new "web page" item to your library. You can add information about the author, etc., if you wish.
This will also attach a snapshot of the page to the citation. Taking a snapshot saves a copy of the page to your computer. It includes the page's text and images, so if the page is removed later, or if you're offline, you'll still be able to view your copy.
Zotero automatically saves PDFs along with citations when possible (you can change this in the preferences menu if you wish.) Attachments take up space in your Zotero account -- you get 300 MB free and can buy more space if needed.
You can attach files manually by dragging a PDF (or other file) into your Zotero pane. Dropping a file onto a collection, or in between library items, will copy it into your library as a standalone item. Dropping it onto an existing item will attach it to that item. This is the easiest way to attach a copy of an article to its entry in your library.
Each item also has an Attachments tab in the right column. You can attach files by clicking the Attachments tab and then the Add button.
Zotero App
There may be times when you need to add an item to your library by hand. If so, use the green "plus" icon and choose the type of item from the dropdown list. A window will open with the appropriate fields to complete for that item type.
Click "More" for other sources like Instant Messages, Videos, Artwork, etc.
Click on to highlight My Library or an individual named folder/collection to add to a specific area.
Zotero Web Library
The web library version of Zotero looks almost the same except there is an extra choice that allows you to upload a file (such as an .ris file from a database or another citation management tool like Mendeley).
This can be useful if you are using a public computer and want to get items transferred into your Zotero web library to sync up with the Zotero app on your device later.
The wand shaped icon allows you to manually add resources using their ISBN, DOI, or other Id number. Click on the green "plus" icon and type or paste in the number you are using from the source document.
This functionality is also in the Zotero web version.
.RIS is a generic file format you can use to export and import citations into and out of your Zotero (and other citation management) accounts. If your Zotero web connector doesn't work with a library database, most times you can use the export function to manually download and upload a .ris file into your Zotero account.
Start in the Zotero app with File>Import to begin.
e
Next, choose A File and click on "Next". You'll be prompted to locate and upload the .ris file you saved on your computer.
You'll be prompted to either place the imported items into a new folder or collection and will be prompted to either copy or link included files in Zotero storage. Then click "Next" to continue.
If you chose to have Zotero create a new folder or collection you'll see that in your Library pane and Zotero will display how many items were imported when the import is complete. Click "Finish" to complete the process.
