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windingwind

windingwind/zotero-better-notes

A Zotero plugin that adds a full note-taking workflow inside Zotero, with note links, templates, Markdown sync and export.

Open-source alternative to:Notion

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What is it?

Better Notes is a plugin for Zotero that extends its built-in note editor for paper reading, annotating and knowledge organization. Notes can be opened in tabs or windows, previewed through links, and connected to each other with note links that work as inbound or outbound references.

The plugin includes note templates that pull metadata and annotations from selected papers into a generated note, a Magic Key command palette in the editor, and two-way automatic sync between a note and an external Markdown file, which suits users of editors such as Obsidian. Notes can also be exported to Markdown, Word (.docx), PDF and FreeMind (.mm) formats.

Better Notes exposes an API under Zotero.BetterNotes.api for other plugin developers to read and modify note content, templates, relations and exports.

Key features

  • 01Open notes in tabs or windows with an outline and context pane.
  • 02Create note links between notes, with inbound and outbound references.
  • 03Generate notes from templates that summarize metadata and annotations.
  • 04Two-way automatic sync between Zotero notes and Markdown files.
  • 05Export notes to Markdown, Word, PDF and FreeMind formats.
  • 06Use a Magic Key command palette and link previews in the note editor.

Use cases

  • Keeping reading notes for academic papers inside Zotero.
  • Syncing Zotero notes with an Obsidian vault.
  • Auto-generating literature summaries from annotations across many papers.
  • Exporting notes to Word or PDF for sharing or submission.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the .xpi plugin file from the latest stable release page

  2. 2

    In Zotero, open Tools, then Plugins, then the gear icon, and choose Install Add-on from file

  3. 3

    Select the downloaded .xpi file to finish installing

Things to know

  • This is a Zotero plugin, so it only runs inside Zotero.
  • Some extended Markdown syntax may not survive Markdown sync.

Topics

#zotero#note-taking#markdown#obsidian#knowledge-management#reference-management#mind-map#addon#knowledge#mindmap

FAQ

What is zotero-better-notes?
A Zotero plugin that adds a full note-taking workflow inside Zotero, with note links, templates, Markdown sync and export. Better Notes is a plugin for Zotero that extends its built-in note editor for paper reading, annotating and knowledge organization. Notes can be opened in tabs or windows, previewed through links, and connected to each other with note links that work as inbound or outbound references.
Is zotero-better-notes free to use? What license does it have?
zotero-better-notes is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is zotero-better-notes still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to zotero-better-notes was on Aug 24, 2026.
What can I use zotero-better-notes for?
Keeping reading notes for academic papers inside Zotero. Syncing Zotero notes with an Obsidian vault. Auto-generating literature summaries from annotations across many papers. Exporting notes to Word or PDF for sharing or submission.
How do I install zotero-better-notes?
Download the .xpi plugin file from the latest stable release page In Zotero, open Tools, then Plugins, then the gear icon, and choose Install Add-on from file Select the downloaded .xpi file to finish installing
Where can I get zotero-better-notes?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/windingwind/zotero-better-notes

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