BibGenie DocsZotero Annotations
Retrieve, search, add, cite, and reopen saved Zotero annotations with BibGenie.
BibGenie can work directly with saved Zotero annotations, including highlights, comments, image annotations, ink annotations, and underlines. It can retrieve annotations from a known attachment or search across your library, then use their content in a conversation with a traceable link back to Zotero.
Two Annotation Tools
| Tool | Use it when | Supported scope and filters |
|---|---|---|
get_annotations | You know the PDF, EPUB, or snapshot attachment | Returns that attachment's annotations in reading order |
search_annotations | You need to find annotations across the library | Highlighted text, comment, tag, color, type, author, attachment, collection, and modification time |
Both tools return paginated results. BibGenie continues from the next offset only when more results are needed.
Use the attachment key
get_annotations works with an attachment, not its parent bibliographic item. If you start from a regular Zotero item, BibGenie first identifies its attachment and then retrieves the annotations.
Example Requests
Show me the highlights and comments in this PDF.Find my yellow highlights tagged methods in the Literature Review collection.Search my recent annotations for comments about sampling bias.Add Saved Annotations to Chat
You can add an annotation without asking BibGenie to search for it:
- In a Zotero Reader, select one or more saved annotations, right-click, and choose Add to Chat.
- In the Library view, select annotation items and choose Add to Chat.
- Use the Reader Annotations toggle in Add to Chat Settings to control the Reader context-menu entry. The Library Items toggle controls the Library entry.
The annotation context includes its highlighted text, comment, type, color, tags, attachment identity, and a stable reference when available.
Annotation comments are written by the annotation author and should not be treated as source-document content. For citation behavior, see BibGenie Citation.
Click an annotation reference in the conversation to open its parent attachment and navigate to the saved annotation. Navigation depends on the location data stored by Zotero and may be less precise for damaged or unusual documents.
Current Limits
- BibGenie can read and search existing annotations, but it does not edit or delete them.
- Image and ink annotations may contain little or no searchable text.
- Deleted annotations and annotations whose parent attachment is unavailable are not returned.
- For stronger evidence or surrounding context, ask BibGenie to read the relevant PDF page, EPUB section, or snapshot content.