PDF Handling Preferences

PDF Handling preferences allow you to define the automatic renaming process of PDF documents that you want to import to an EndNote library. These settings only apply to the renaming of PDF documents that have relative attachment links.

To access these settings, go to the EndNote X7Edit menu, select Preferences, and then select PDF Handling from the list of preferences.

The renaming process works in the background when you open an EndNote library and while you are working in a library. The product imports all PDFs in your Auto Import Folder and stores them in a group called Imported References in the Groups panel.

We recommend that you move the references to a custom group within your EndNote library. If you do not move the references, EndNote will create an Unfiled group to store the references the next time you open an EndNote session.

Auto Renaming Options

Select an auto-renaming option.

Don't Rename: This is the default option. EndNote does not rename PDF documents when they are imported into a library.

Author + Year + Title: EndNote uses these fields as the first, second, and third fields in the PDF filename. A filename is created from the available data in the selected fields.

Author + Title: EndNote uses these fields as the first and second fields in the PDF filename. A filename is created from the available data in the selected fields.

Author + Year: EndNote uses these fields as the first and second fields in the PDF filename. A filename is created from the available data in the selected fields.

Title: EndNote uses only the Title field in the PDF filename. A filename is created from the available data in the selected field.

Custom Option

The Custom option allows you to create a personalized method of renaming PDF documents.

A Rename Options dialog opens when you select this radio button. The dialog lets you choose up to three fields (or None) in the PDF filename. For example, you can select:

Author, Year, Title (default setting)

or

Title, Author, Year

or

Title, Year

or

You can select any combination of fields from the menu. However, you cannot select the following fields.

Note: Look at the text box below the Custom radio button after you have made your selections from the dialog to ensure that you selected the needed fields.

PDF Auto Import Folder

Select the "Enable automatic importing" check box to enable automatic importing of your PDFs.

Select the folder from where you want EndNote to import your PDFs into your library. Download or copy your PDF files to this folder for automatic importing and renaming.

After EndNote runs the import operation, EndNote creates a subfolder called Import within the Auto Import Folder. EndNote also imports a copy of each PDF to this folder.

Keep in mind that EndNote does not import PDFs from subfolders within the Auto Import Folder.

File Renaming Conventions

EndNote replaces the following characters with an underscore (_) during the renaming process.

File Naming Rules

Import File and Import Folder Options

EndNote renames all PDF documents that you import via the Import File and Import Folders commands based on your current renaming preferences.

For example, if you define renaming as Author+Title, then EndNote renames the PDF by author name and title and ignores the date of the published work.

This rule also applies to Custom preference settings.

Related Topics

Importing PDF Files to Create New References

Importing PDF Folder to Create New References

Selecting a Relative Path or an Absolute Path for File Attachments