Editing Metadata

Beaver can edit bibliographic metadata on items in your Zotero library, helping you fix errors, fill in missing information, and keep your references accurate.

What You Can Edit

Ask Beaver to update standard bibliographic fields:

Review and fix metadata for all items I added today. Look up the correct information and fix any issues.

Add the citation count to the extra field for all items that don't have it.

Editable fields include:

  • Identifiers: DOI, ISBN, ISSN, URL
  • Bibliographic: title, publication title, volume, issue, pages, publisher, place
  • Content: abstract, extra field
  • Other: date, language, edition, series information

Limitations

Some fields cannot be edited through Beaver:

  • Item type: Beaver cannot change an item's type (e.g., converting a book to a book section). Change item types directly in Zotero.
  • Creators/Authors: Author names, editors, and other creator fields cannot be modified. Edit these directly in Zotero.
  • Attachments: Beaver cannot add, remove, or rename attached files.
  • Relations and links: Related items must be managed in Zotero.

Finding Items with Missing Metadata

Beaver can identify and fix items that need attention:

Find papers missing DOIs in my library and add them if possible.
Find all items with missing abstracts and create an abstract for them.

Automating Common Tasks

If you frequently perform the same metadata editing tasks, you can save time by creating actions (previously custom prompts). In Beaver's settings, you can define reusable prompts that appear in the chat interface.

For example, you might create actions for:

  • "Review item metadata for all items added this week and fix any issues. Make sure to look up the correct information before making changes."
  • "Add the citation count to the extra field for all items that don't have it"
  • "Find all items with missing abstracts and create an abstract for them."

Coming Soon

We're working on enhanced automation features that will make recurring organization tasks even easier. Stay tuned for updates!

You Stay in Control

All metadata edits require your approval by default. Beaver will show you exactly what changes it proposes, and nothing is modified until you confirm. This keeps you in full control of your bibliographic data.

You can configure this behavior in Beaver settings:

  • Always ask (default): Review every proposed edit before it's applied
  • Auto-apply: Trust Beaver to make edits automatically
  • Continue without applying: Propose edits that you can review and apply later