Set up live updates
Enable optional live updates so Zotero pushes changes to Obsidian automatically.
ZotLit Companion, the Zotero add-on, can push changes to Obsidian as you read and annotate in Zotero. The annotation view's reader-following mode and automatic database refreshes both depend on this optional connection.
When you do not need this
Basic Companion actions (opening items and their PDFs, updating notes, importing notes from the Zotero context menu) work through protocol links with no server. You only need live updates for real-time push (reader-following, instant database refresh when Zotero data changes).
Enable the ZotLit server
Open the sync settings
In Obsidian, open Settings > ZotLit > Zotero and find the Sync with Zotero group. Keep Receive updates from Zotero on.
Turn on the listener
On the Local server row, select Open local server settings. This opens the Local server group on Settings > ZotLit > Advanced.
Enable Run a local server. Keep the default hostname, 127.0.0.1, to accept connections from this computer only.
The configured port defaults to 9091. Check Port in use for the port actually used: ZotLit tries a higher port if the configured one is busy.
Enable the Companion's notify preference
Open Zotero preferences
In Zotero, open Edit > Settings (Windows/Linux) or Zotero > Settings (macOS). Select the ZotLit pane.
Enable notifications
Under the Obsidian Notifications section, check Enable.
Set the Notify URL
Set the Notify URL to point at the ZotLit server. The default value is http://localhost:9091, which matches the default port.
Use the port shown by Port in use in Obsidian (for example, http://localhost:9092). Each vault can use a different port.
Verify the connection
After enabling both sides, open the annotation view in Obsidian and switch it to Zotero reader mode. The view starts in Active tab mode and keeps the mode you last chose. Then open an item in the Zotero PDF reader. The annotation view updates to show that item's annotations. If it does not update, check that both the port and hostname match between the ZotLit server settings and the Companion's Notify URL.
Source ID filtering
The ZotLit server accepts requests only from the Zotero install whose profile and data directory match the connected source. Requests from other Zotero installs are silently ignored. The source identifier is displayed read-only as Source ID under Settings > ZotLit > Zotero > Zotero location.
See also
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