How to Connect Zotero and Obsidian for the ULTIMATE PhD Workflow

A how-to for duplicating my PhD workflow using Zotero, Obsidian, and Word. My work (and brain!) has been so much more organized since I adopted Obsidian, so here's how you can get started as well. The blog post where you can copy/paste the template code and hex codes: https://girlinbluemusic.com/how-to-co... Troubleshooting Video here:    • Troubleshoot Common Obsidian Zotero Integr...   Update August 12, 2026 The Highlightr plugin doesn't like the new settings window in Obsidian, so it probably won't let you set up colors by default. To get around this, go to Settings → Interface, scroll down to "Open settings in new window," and toggle that off. Once you've set up your colors, you can toggle that back on if you'd like, and it shouldn't cause any issues with normal functionality; you'll just have to turn it back off for now whenever you want to edit colors. Update August, 2025 I did figure out how to add the images in the correct spot in the annotations. It's in the template in the above blog post, but all you have to add to what's in the video is: {%- if annotation.imageRelativePath %} ![[{{annotation.imageRelativePath}}]] {%- endif %} within the larger {%for annotation in annotations-%} loop. You'll still have a folder of the images because they need to be stored somewhere in your vault, but this embeds them into the source-note as well! 3 Youtubers whose videos helped me get set up: Morganeua:    / @morganeua   Bryan Jenks:    • 📜️ Zotero Research Paper Workflow | Full C...   Danny Talks Tech:    • Writing with Zotero and Obsidian   Anki (free flashcard software): https://apps.ankiweb.net/ Zotero plugin repository: https://zotero.org/support/plugins Zotero Word Processor setup: https://zotero.org/support/word_proce... I think these were all the links, but if I forgot any, let me know! Happy writing! --- MY FREE TOOLS 🎸 Chord Progression and Prompt Generator → https://girlinbluemusic.com/chord-pro... 🐈 Bongo Cat Metronome → https://girlinbluemusic.com/bongo-cat... 🕰️ Simple Metronome → https://girlinbluemusic.com/simple-on... MY COURSES 🎹 Chord Progressions and Harmony → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/c... 🎵 How to build chords (free) → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/h... 🎼 Start reading sheet music (free) → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/h... ၊၊||၊ Beginner Music Theory: Your Quick-Start Guide (free) → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/q... 👂🏻 Play Music by Ear → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/p... MY EBOOKS 🎸 Chromatic Harmony: Advanced Chord Progressions → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/c... 🎭 5 Popular Chord Progressions and How to Use Them to Express Any Emotion You Want (free) → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/5... 🎹 Piano Patterns: Fingerings for Scales, Chords, and Arpeggios → https://girlinbluemusic.com/product/p... CONNECT WITH ME Instagram:   / girlinbluemusic   TikTok:   / girlinbluemusic   Website: https://girlinbluemusic.com --- Chapters: 00:32 Zotero Workflow 01:03 Highlighting Scheme 03:07 Anki Flashcards 03:34 Obsidian Workflow 03:44 Obsidian Final Setup Preview 05:40 Obsidian Plugins Required for Zotero Integration 06:20 Obsidian Youtube Setups 07:01 Obsidian Highlightr Setup 08:06 Obsidian Zotero Integration Setup 09:51 Obsidian Zotero Import Template Setup 13:25 Importing Source Notes into Obsidian 14:00 Obsidian Functionality 14:08 Linking Ideas in Obsidian 15:19 Creating Atomic Notes in Obsidian 17:32 Obsidian Graph Views 17:44 Obsidian Local Graph View 18:14 Obsidian Large Graph View 18:43 Obsidian Canvas 20:08 Zotero Word Processor Integration 20:49 Please Keep Track of Your Sources Rant! 21:37 That's All!