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How to Import Citations from BibTeX, RIS, Zotero & Mendeley

Already have references in Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, or a .bib file from Google Scholar or Overleaf? You don’t need to retype anything. This guide shows how to export from each tool and import the whole list into CitationEasy in one step.

The Three Interchange Formats

Every serious reference tool speaks at least one of these formats, and CitationEasy imports all three — pasted as text or uploaded as a file:

  • BibTeX (.bib) — the LaTeX-world standard, exported by Google Scholar, Overleaf, and every reference manager. Entries start with @article{…}.
  • RIS (.ris) — the universal interchange format used by Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, and most library databases. Records start with TY  -.
  • CSL-JSON (.json) — the native format of the Citation Style Language ecosystem (Pandoc, Quarto, Zotero exports).

These formats store the raw source data — authors, title, year, container — rather than a formatted string. That means once imported, your references can be formatted in any of 10,832 citation styles and re-styled at any time.

Step 1: Export from Your Current Tool

Zotero

  1. Select the items or a collection in your library.
  2. Right-click → Export Items…
  3. Choose BibTeX or RIS and save the file.

Mendeley

  1. Select the references in Mendeley Reference Manager.
  2. File → Export (or right-click → Export) and pick BibTeX (.bib) or RIS (.ris).

EndNote

  1. Select the references.
  2. File → Export, set the output style to RefMan (RIS) Export, and save as .ris (choose .txt and rename if needed).

Google Scholar

  1. Click the Cite (quote) icon under a search result.
  2. Choose BibTeX at the bottom of the popup and copy the entry — or save results to your Scholar library and export the whole list at once.

Step 2: Import into CitationEasy

  1. Open the citation generator and open your bibliography panel.
  2. Choose Import, then either paste the BibTeX/RIS/CSL-JSON text or upload the file (.bib, .ris, or .json).
  3. Every entry in the file is added to your current bibliography — a multi-entry file imports all of its references at once.
  4. Pick your output style (APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other), and copy or export the formatted result.

Shortcut: no export file needed

If you just have a list of DOIs, ISBNs, PMIDs, arXiv IDs, or URLs, paste them straight into the generator’s input box — one per line (up to 25 at a time) — and each line is looked up and cited automatically. No BibTeX required.

Troubleshooting

  • “Nothing imported” — check the file really is BibTeX/RIS/CSL-JSON, not a formatted bibliography saved as text. A BibTeX file starts with @; a RIS file starts with TY  -.
  • Weird characters — LaTeX escapes like {\'e} in old .bib files are converted where possible; if something slips through, edit the entry after importing.
  • Duplicates— importing the same file twice adds duplicate entries; use the bibliography’s remove-duplicates action to clean up.

Going the Other Way

CitationEasy also exports BibTeX, RIS, and CSL-JSON (plus Word and plain text), so your references are never locked in. See How to Export Your Bibliography to Word or Google Docs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which import formats does CitationEasy support?
Three interchange formats: BibTeX (.bib), RIS (.ris), and CSL-JSON (.json). You can paste the text or upload the file — both work, and multi-entry files import every reference at once. You can also bulk-paste a plain list of DOIs, ISBNs, PMIDs, arXiv IDs, or URLs (one per line) into the generator and each line is auto-cited.
How do I export my Zotero library so CitationEasy can read it?
In Zotero, select the items (or a collection), right-click and choose Export Items, then pick BibTeX or RIS as the format and save the file. Upload that file in CitationEasy's bibliography Import dialog and every entry is added to your current bibliography.
Will my citation style carry over when I import?
Yes — better than that. BibTeX, RIS, and CSL-JSON store the raw source data (authors, title, year, journal), not a formatted string, so after importing you can format the same references in any of CitationEasy's 10,832 styles and switch styles at any time.
Is there a limit on how many references I can import?
File and paste imports handle full multi-entry libraries. Bulk identifier pastes (lists of DOIs/ISBNs) are capped at 25 lines per paste to be polite to the upstream lookup services — split a longer list into batches, or use BibTeX/RIS export from your reference manager for big libraries.