How to associate PDF files with literature citations through Zotero?

Zotero facilitates direct linkage between citation entries and corresponding PDF files within your library. This association can occur automatically through metadata matching or manually via user action. Automatic association primarily leverages extracted metadata such as DOI or ISBN during PDF storage; Zotero then matches this against online databases to create a linked citation. For unmatched files, metadata must be corrected manually via the Info pane. Necessary conditions include enabled automatic metadata retrieval in settings, active internet connection, and sufficiently accurate PDF metadata. This method typically applies to journal articles and books with identifiable identifiers, but accuracy depends on source quality. Manually associate a PDF by right-clicking the existing citation item, selecting "Add Attachment," and then choosing "Attach Stored Copy" to link the local PDF file. Alternatively, drag the PDF file onto the target citation item within Zotero. This ensures seamless access to the full text from within the citation record, crucial for efficient reference management, note-taking across projects, and correctly formatted citation generation.