Answered By: Dave
Last Updated: Oct 31, 2025     Views: 7

Yes, you can absolutely move your records from EndNote to Zotero!

The process involves exporting your library from EndNote into a compatible file format and then importing that file into Zotero.

📝 Recommended Migration Steps

The most common and effective formats for this transfer are EndNote XML or RIS (RefMan). The key difference often lies in how well attachments (like PDFs) transfer.

1. Export from EndNote

  • Open your EndNote library.
  • Select the references you want to move (or select all).
  • Go to File -- Export.
  • In the export dialog:
    • Save as type: Choose XML or Text File (.txt). XML is generally better for preserving all metadata, and is often the preferred choice by Zotero's support.
    • Output style:
      • If exporting as XML, choose EndNote Export (or leave it as XML if that's an option).
      • If exporting as Text File (.txt), choose the RefMan (RIS) Export style.
    • Crucial for PDFs/Attachments: You generally need to save the exported file inside your EndNote library's .Data folder for Zotero to be able to find and link the PDF attachments during import.

2. Import into Zotero

  • Open Zotero.
  • Go to File -- Import...
  • Select "A file (BibTeX, RIS, Zotero RDF, etc.)" and click Continue.
  • Navigate to the location where you saved the exported file (e.g., inside your EndNote .Data folder) and select the .xml or .txt (RIS) file.
  • Click Open.

Zotero will then import the references. If you saved the export file in the correct location (next to the PDF folder), Zotero should automatically link your attachments.

⚠️ Important Considerations

  • PDF Attachments: This is the trickiest part. While the reference metadata usually transfers fine, getting the PDFs to link automatically requires careful file placement during the export process (as mentioned above). You may need to manually re-link some PDFs or use an external Zotero plugin for bulk attachment importing.
  • Notes: Data from EndNote fields that Zotero doesn't support (like certain custom fields) is often added to a Note attached to the imported item. These notes are usually tagged for easy identification (e.g., _EndnoteXML import).
  • Word Documents: Moving the references within a Word document (the in-text citations) from EndNote field codes to Zotero field codes is a separate, more complex process and is not automatically done by importing the library.
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