If you have MS Word on your computer when you install the Zotero desktop application, a MS Word add-in will automatically be installed to connect your Zotero library to your word processor. On a PC and newer versions of Word for Mac, this add-in will create a new menu tab in Word. On some older versions of Word for Mac, the Zotero add-in will be a small toolbar with a black scroll icon.

NOTE: If MS Word is open while you install the Zotero application, you will need to quit MS Word and then go to Settings=>Cite and click <Reinstall Microsoft Word Add-in>.

There is also a LibreOffice add-in available. (Google docs integration is currently under development.)

To verify whether a word processing add-in is installed:

1. Open the Preferences menu in Zotero and select the Cite tab and scroll down to Word Processors section.  Verify that you quit out of your processor and then click on <Reinstall Microsoft Word Add-in> or <Install Libre Office Add-in).
   
   
   
   The Cite tab also contains Zotero's default styles. 
   

Learn how to install additional styles here.
 

With the Zotero add-in for MS Word, a new tab will appear in the menu ribbon:

When you are writing your paper, use the Zotero menu to insert citations instead of the default "Insert footnote" or "Insert Citation" options in MS Word.

When you are writing your paper, use the Zotero menu to insert citations instead of the default "Insert footnote" or "Insert Citation" options in MS Word.

A screencast demonstrating how to "write and cite" with Zotero in MS Word is available on YouTube.

With the Zotero add-in for MS Word, a new tab will appear in the menu ribbon:

When you are writing your paper, use the Zotero menu to insert citations instead of the default "Insert footnote" or "Insert Citation" options in MS Word.

When you are writing your paper, use the Zotero menu to insert citations instead of the default "Insert footnote" or "Insert Citation" options in MS Word.

A screencast demonstrating how to "write and cite" with Zotero in MS Word is available on YouTube.

There are a few ways to quickly generate a bibliography in the Zotero application:

1. Drag items from the Zotero application into a text area. This can be a MS Word file, a Google Doc, or a text editor. The citation style used here is based on the Export settings in Preferences.
   
   
    
2. Select multiple items in the Zotero application and right-click on them (control-click on a Mac). On the menu that appears, choose "Create Bibliography from Selected Items."
   
    
3. Choose your citation style, and choose whether you want Notes or a Bibliography. Then, select "Copy to Clipboard," click OK, and go back to your writing area to paste the citations into your document.
   
   

To create a bibliography using your online Zotero library:

1. Select the items you wish to include and click on the Cite icon on the upper right. Choose your citation style in the pop-up menu that appears, then copy/paste the text into your writing area.

 Add / Reorder  

To use Zotero with Google Docs you must have the Zotero browser connector installed. The Zotero connector adds a Zotero menu and toolbar icon to the Google Docs interface:

The first time you use Zotero in a Google Doc, you will need to authenticate the plugin. Be sure to select the Google account you used to create or edit the document.

To set the citation style for your document, click the Zotero menu and navigate to Preferences.

Read the full documentation from Zotero for more tips and tricks.