Managing citations and bibliographies in Overleaf just got easier

We’re excited to share a range of recently-released updates and new features that will streamline how you search for, import, and cite your references in an Overleaf project if you have access to premium features.

A brief summary of what’s changed:

1. We’ve added an integration with Papers, meaning that if you use Papers as your reference manager, you can now connect it directly to Overleaf, just as you can with Zotero or Mendeley
2. We’ve introduced a more streamlined version of advanced reference search (a premium feature), making it quicker and easier to retrieve the references you need
3. We’ve simplified how Overleaf integrates with external reference managers such as Papers, Zotero and Mendeley, giving you a more flexible, dynamic workflow when managing your references and .bib file

Now let’s look at all these changes a little more closely…

Integrating Overleaf and Papers

We’ve added a new integration for Papers, an external reference manager, in addition to Overleaf’s existing integrations with Zotero and Mendeley. The ability to connect Overleaf to an external reference manager is a premium feature that can save you a lot of time when adding references and managing your .bib file.

Papers is a powerful tool that makes managing your references easier with seamless searching, unlimited storage, and an advanced AI Assistant designed to help you work smarter and faster. Overleaf and Papers are both part of Digital Science, a tech company that makes open, collaborative and inclusive research possible.

If you already have a Papers account, you can connect it to Overleaf via your account settings. Curious to learn more about Papers? Check out their website and start a free 30-day trial of Papers before setting up the integration.

Introducing a more streamlined version of advanced reference search

We’ve enhanced the advanced reference search tool available as an Overleaf premium feature. It now lets you search for references directly inline as you type, based on citation key, author, or title: no more workspaces full of search windows.

In addition, premium users can now search and pull individual references directly from linked external reference managers (such as Zotero, Mendeley, and now Papers too). Any matching results from your reference manager and your selected .bib file will be displayed together inline, as you type your LaTeX citation commands.

Offering a new, more dynamic referencing workflow for adding to your .bib file

If you’re a premium user and you add individual references from a linked external reference manager, they’ll now be added automatically into your project .bib file, and any project editor can modify them directly within your project. There’s no need to import your whole external reference library, or refresh it to keep it up-to-date.

While this new workflow offers greater flexibility and improved collaboration, you can stick with the classic full-library import and synchronization option if you prefer to more tightly control your reference list.

Which approach is right for you?

In most cases, the new workflow provides an improvement over the classic workflow by providing more flexible access to reference manager data, along with the ability to edit, contribute, and correct references directly in your Overleaf .bib file.

	Classic workflow	New workflow
Connections with external reference managers	The full external reference library (either Group or Personal) is imported as a read-only .bib file. This .bib file is synchronized with the external reference manager of the collaborator who added the file.	The new workflow pulls only the required references from a connected external reference manager, and creates a .bib file specific to the project.
Who can edit the .bib file?	Only the user who imported the .bib file.	All collaborators on a project.
What adjustments can you make to references?	Changes to references must be made in your external reference manager.	You can easily adjust citation keys, fix LaTeX errors, and adjust any .bib file formatting issue directly within your project. Additional references can be directly added to the project .bib file.
Potential benefits of each approach	A straightforward way to bring in an entire library from a reference manager. Allows you to keep imported reference data in sync with data in your reference manager (the reference manager is a single source of truth). Can provide a simple approach when working on a personal project, or when multiple collaborators do not need to be updating the bib file.	Allows for the flexible building of project-specific .bib files from multiple sources. Allows for imported reference manager data to be adjusted, corrected, and optimized for project and LaTeX requirements. Can better accommodate contributions and updates from multiple collaborators within a project.

How do I use these features?

Follow the links below for detailed instructions on setting up and using these new citation and bibliography features:

• Linking Papers, Zotero and Mendeley to your Overleaf account
• Using advanced reference search
• Changing your advanced reference search settings/preferences

Tell us what you think!

As always, we want your feedback on these new features and how we can keep making your Overleaf experience even better. Get in touch with support@overleaf.com to let us know your thoughts.