Adding Items to Conversations
You can bring specific Zotero items or attachments into your conversation with Beaver using several methods:
The @ Menu
Type @ in the chat input to open a search menu. You can search for items by title, author, or other metadata and add them directly to the conversation.
Drag and Drop
Drag items or attachments from your Zotero library directly into Beaver. You can add up to 3 items at a time this way.
Automatic Context
Beaver automatically adds items to your conversation in certain situations:
| Situation | What happens | Can be disabled? |
|---|---|---|
| New thread | Currently selected items in Zotero are added (max 3) | Yes, in preferences |
| Opening Beaver | Currently selected items are added (max 3) | Yes, in preferences |
| Zotero Reader | The open PDF is automatically included | No |
When you add items, Beaver validates them and shows a popup indicating whether the attachment content is accessible. In some cases, only item metadata (title, abstract, etc.) is available.
How Beaver Handles Large Documents
For long documents or when multiple attachments are added simultaneously, Beaver uses a smart approach:
- Short documents: Full content is included directly in the conversation
- Long documents: A preview is provided, and Beaver can search within or read specific sections on demand
This approach prevents overwhelming the AI with hundreds of pages of text while still giving it full access to the content when needed. Beaver can always decide to read more of any document or search within it for specific information.