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How to Export Your Bibliography to Word or Google Docs

Your reference list is finished — now it needs to land in your paper with the formatting intact. This guide covers every way to get your bibliography out of CitationEasy: into Microsoft Word, Google Docs, a plain-text paste, or a reference manager like Zotero.

Your Export Options at a Glance

  • Word document (.doc) — a download that opens in Microsoft Word with hanging indents already applied.
  • Copy as text — numbered or bulleted list, or all citations at once, ready to paste anywhere.
  • BibTeX — copy for LaTeX/Overleaf projects.
  • RIS (.ris) — the interchange file Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote import.
  • CSL-JSON (.json) — for Pandoc, Quarto, and other CSL-based pipelines.

All of these live in the Export menu of the bibliography panel in the citation generator.

Export to Microsoft Word

  1. Open your bibliography panel and choose Export.
  2. Pick Word document — a .doc file downloads, named after your bibliography.
  3. Open it in Word: the entries appear alphabetized with a hanging indent, matching APA/MLA/Chicago layout.
  4. Copy the list into your paper, or keep it as a standalone reference page.

Export to Google Docs

The fastest route is copy-and-paste:

  1. In the bibliography panel, choose Copy all (or the numbered/bulleted text export).
  2. Paste at the end of your Google Doc.
  3. Select the pasted list and apply a hanging indent: Format → Align & indent → Indentation options → Special indent → Hanging (0.5 in).

Prefer a file? Use the Word export instead:

  1. Download the Word (.doc) export.
  2. Upload the file to Google Drive.
  3. Open it with Google Docs — the hanging indents and formatting come along, and you can copy the list into your working document.

Formatting tip

Need the hanging indent on a list you already pasted somewhere else? The free Hanging Indent Formatter explains the exact keystrokes for Word and Google Docs.

Export to Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote

  1. Export your bibliography as RIS (or copy BibTeX).
  2. In Zotero: File → Import… and select the .ris file. In Mendeley: Add new → Import library. In EndNote: File → Import with the RIS filter.
  3. Your sources arrive as structured data — editable, searchable, and re-stylable in the new tool.

Going the other direction instead? See How to Import Citations from BibTeX, RIS, Zotero & Mendeley.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which export options does CitationEasy offer?
Copy your list as numbered or bulleted plain text, copy BibTeX, or download a file: a Word document (.doc), a RIS file (.ris) for Zotero/Mendeley/EndNote, or a CSL-JSON file (.json) for Pandoc and Quarto. You can also copy all citations at once for pasting anywhere.
How do I get my bibliography into Google Docs?
Two easy routes. Fastest: copy the formatted list in CitationEasy and paste it into your Google Doc, then apply a hanging indent (Format → Align & indent → Indentation options → Special indent → Hanging). Alternative: download the Word (.doc) export, upload it to Google Drive, and open it with Google Docs — the formatting comes along.
Does the Word export keep the hanging indent?
Yes. The downloaded Word document is styled with the standard bibliography layout, including hanging indents, so APA, MLA, and Chicago reference lists open in Microsoft Word ready to hand in — no manual re-formatting.
Can I move my references to Zotero or Mendeley later?
Yes. Export your bibliography as RIS (or BibTeX) and import that file into Zotero (File → Import), Mendeley, or EndNote. Because these formats carry the raw source data rather than formatted text, your references stay editable and re-stylable in the new tool — you are never locked in.