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How to Automatically Change Citation Color in Word (e.g., Blue) Using Zotero + Macro

 


Hi everyone 👋

I’ll be honest upfront: I’m not a huge fan of Microsoft Word — I usually work in LaTeX, where formatting and citations behave exactly the way I want without any hacks 😄
That said, we all occasionally find ourselves back in Word, whether for collaborations, journal templates, or institutional requirements.

And when that happens, a few quirky tricks can go a long way.

If you’re using Zotero with Microsoft Word and want to improve the visual style of your document, this small trick can be surprisingly useful.

In many scientific papers and technical documents, in-text citations appear in blue, similar to hyperlinks. Unfortunately, Zotero does not provide a built-in option to automatically change citation colors in Word.

The good news?


You can achieve this easily using a simple Word VBA macro no need to abandon Zotero or manually format citations one by one. i originally found this in zotero forms this > Post <

Below is a simple, safe method to automatically turn all Zotero in-text citations blue—while keeping them fully editable.

Why use this approach?

  • ✅ Keeps Zotero citations active (not unlinked)

  • ✅ Works on the entire document at once

  • ✅ Fully customizable color (RGB)

  • ✅ No external plugins required

Step-by-step: Make Zotero citations appear in blue

1. Open the VBA Editor in Word

In Microsoft Word, press:

Alt + F11

This opens the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor.

2. Insert a new module

In the VBA editor menu:

Insert > Module

A new blank module window will appear.

3. Paste the macro code 

Copy and paste the following code into the module:

Sub HighlightZoteroReferences()
    Dim f As Field
    Dim blueColor As Long
    
    ' Define citation color
    blueColor = RGB(0, 102, 204)
    
    For Each f In ActiveDocument.Fields
        ' Identify Zotero citation fields
        If f.Type = wdFieldAddin Then
            If InStr(1, f.Code.Text, "ZOTERO_ITEM", vbTextCompare) <> 0 Then
                f.Result.Font.Color = blueColor
            End If
        End If
    Next f
    
    MsgBox "Zotero citations have been updated successfully.", vbInformation

End Sub

This macro scans all Word fields and detects Zotero citations using the ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM identifier.

4. Close the VBA editor

Press:

Alt + Q

You’ll return to Word.

5. Run the macro

In Word, go to:

View > Macros > View Macros

  • Select ColorZoteroCitationsBlue

  • Click Run

🎉 All Zotero in-text citations in your document will instantly turn blue.

Optional: Add the macro to the Word ribbon

For frequent use, you can assign this macro to:

  • A custom ribbon button, or

  • The Quick Access Toolbar

This allows you to recolor citations with one click after refreshing Zotero fields.

Notes & Tips

  • 🎨 Customize the color
    You can change the RGB values to any color you like.
    Example:

    RGB(102, 178, 255) ' Light blue

  • 📚 Bibliography is not affected
    This macro only changes in-text citations, not the reference list.

  • 🔄 Re-run after Zotero refresh
    When you click Refresh in Zotero, Word may reset formatting.
    Simply run the macro again.

  • ⚠️ Do NOT unlink citations
    Keep Zotero fields active until you are completely done editing.

Final thoughts

This small macro can significantly improve the readability and professional appearance of your documents, especially for theses, journal papers, and technical reports.

If you work regularly with Zotero and Word, it’s a great addition to your workflow.

Hope this helps others looking to polish their documents 🚀

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