Overleaf

Understand the exchange

Citation exchanges bibliography data with Overleaf through a BibTeX file. Your LaTeX project continues to control its document structure and bibliography style. Citation does not connect to your Overleaf account, compile LaTeX or synchronize project changes.

Export references to Overleaf

1. Add the references you need to a Citation document. Review authors, titles, dates, publication details and identifiers in Cite.
2. Open Overleaf under Integrations in Citation settings. Select the document under Citation document and choose Download BibTeX.
3. Open the downloaded .bib file and inspect the entries and their citation keys. Keep a copy of your existing Overleaf bibliography before replacing a file.
4. Upload the .bib file to your Overleaf project. Point the project's existing bibliography configuration to that filename.
5. Use the keys from the uploaded file in your LaTeX citation commands, then recompile in Overleaf and review the PDF and any warnings.

The citation style selected in Citation does not configure an Overleaf bibliography style. Follow the template's existing BibTeX or biblatex setup, especially for a journal or university submission.

Check citation keys

A BibTeX citation key is the identifier between the opening brace and the first comma of an entry. LaTeX citation commands must use that exact key.

@book{example2026,
  title = {Example Research Notes},
  author = {Example, Alex},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Example Press}
}

\cite{example2026}

This example describes an illustrative book, not a real source. Citation generates new keys when exporting, with names beginning source1_, source2_ and so on. It does not preserve the keys from a bibliography you previously imported. Use the actual exported keys in your project, and compare them again after exporting a changed source list.

Use your project's bibliography setup

For a project already using classic BibTeX, a file named references.bib can be connected with the following commands. Place them where the bibliography belongs and keep the bibliography style required by your template.

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}

If the template uses biblatex, keep its existing package options, resource declaration and bibliography printing commands. Avoid adding a second bibliography system to the same project.

• Overleaf bibliography instructions

Import an Overleaf bibliography

1. Download the .bib file you need from your Overleaf project. Select the bibliography file itself, rather than a project ZIP or compiled PDF.
2. Keep the file within 1 MB and at most 50 references. For a larger bibliography, make a smaller file containing complete entries.
3. In Citation settings, open Integrations and Overleaf. Choose Choose file for Overleaf and select the bibliography.
4. Review the import warnings and source selection, choose a Citation document and add the references.
5. Open the document in Citation, review the source details and insert citations where your writing needs them.

The import transfers supported source metadata. It does not import the manuscript, attachments or the locations of citation commands in a .tex file.

Resolve bibliography errors

• Question marks or undefined citations in Overleaf: compare each citation command with the exact key in the uploaded .bib file, check the bibliography filename and recompile.
• BibTeX macros are rejected by Citation: expand @string values and concatenated strings into complete field values before importing. If your reference manager can export RIS, import that file through a compatible entry such as Zotero.
• A title or author contains an unfamiliar TeX command: review the import preview. Unsupported commands remain visible instead of being interpreted as missing metadata.
• A record has no title: complete the title in the original bibliography before importing again.
• The bibliography is too large: split it at entry boundaries. Do not cut a file in the middle of a record.

• Export your work
• Zotero reference exchange