Auto-Cite

Auto-Cite automatically fetches complete citation data from academic databases using identifiers like DOI, PubMed ID, or ISBN. This saves you from manually entering author names, publication dates, journal titles, and other metadata.

Why Use Auto-Cite?

Save Time Enter one identifier and get all citation fields populated automatically.

Reduce Errors Data comes directly from authoritative sources like CrossRef, PubMed, and OpenLibrary.

Get Complete Data Auto-Cite fetches fields you might miss: volume, issue, page numbers, abstracts, and more.

Supported Identifiers

Auto-Cite recognizes these identifier types:

Identifier	What It Is	Example
DOI	Digital Object Identifier	10.1038/nature12373
PubMed ID	PubMed article number	23831764
ISBN	Book identifier	978-0-13-468599-1
arXiv ID	Preprint identifier	2103.00020
ORCID	Author identifier	0000-0002-1825-0097
URL	Any web page	https://example.com/article
bioRxiv ID	Biology preprint	2021.01.01.123456

How to Use Auto-Cite

Step 1: Create a New Reference

Navigate to References > Add New in your WordPress admin.

Step 2: Find the Auto-Cite Panel

Look for the Auto-Cite meta box in the sidebar or below the editor.

The Auto-Cite panel accepts various identifier types

Step 3: Enter Your Identifier

Paste or type your identifier. Auto-Cite automatically detects the type.

Entering a DOI identifier for automatic lookup

Examples:

• 10.1038/nature12373 (DOI)
• PMID: 23831764 or just 23831764 (PubMed)
• 978-0-13-468599-1 (ISBN)
• arXiv:2103.00020 or just 2103.00020 (arXiv)

Step 4: Click Fetch

Click the Fetch button. The plugin queries the appropriate database and populates all available fields.

Fields automatically populated from a DOI lookup

Step 5: Review and Save

Check the fetched data for accuracy, make any needed corrections, and click Publish or Update.

Identifier-Specific Tips

DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

DOIs are the most reliable identifiers for published articles. Find them:

• On the article’s webpage (usually near the title or in the footer)
• In the PDF (often on the first page)
• In Google Scholar (click “Cite” then look for the DOI)

Format: 10.xxxx/xxxxx (always starts with 10.)

PubMed ID

PubMed IDs are numbers assigned to biomedical literature. Find them:

• In the URL on PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23831764
• Listed as “PMID” on the article page

Format: Numeric only (e.g., 23831764)

ISBN (Books)

ISBNs uniquely identify books. Find them:

• On the copyright page of the book
• On online bookstores
• ISBN-10 (older): 0-13-468599-1
• ISBN-13 (current): 978-0-13-468599-1

Note: ISBN lookup works best for widely published books. Academic monographs may have limited data.

arXiv ID

arXiv hosts preprints in physics, mathematics, computer science, and more.

Format: YYMM.NNNNN (e.g., 2103.00020)

Tip: arXiv papers often get published later with a DOI. Use the DOI for the published version when available.

ORCID (Author Lookup)

ORCID is an author identifier. Entering an ORCID fetches that author’s publications.

Format: 0000-0002-1825-0097

Use case: Quickly import all publications by a specific author.

URL (Webpage)

For web pages without DOIs, Auto-Cite extracts metadata from the page itself.

Best for:

• News articles
• Blog posts
• Organization reports

Limitation: Quality depends on the site’s metadata. You may need to fill in missing fields manually.

Editing Fetched Data

Auto-Cite populates fields but doesn’t lock them. You can edit any field:

1. Fix author names – Sometimes names come through incorrectly
2. Add missing page numbers – Not all sources include these
3. Correct the reference type – If a preprint became a published article
4. Add your own notes – For personal reference

Troubleshooting

“No results found”

• Check the identifier for typos
• Some older articles may not be in online databases
• Try a different identifier (e.g., PubMed ID instead of DOI)

“Rate limit exceeded”

• Wait a moment and try again
• The plugin respects database rate limits to avoid being blocked

Incomplete data

• Some databases have limited metadata
• Fill in missing fields manually
• ISBNs for obscure books often return minimal data

Wrong data fetched

• Identifiers can occasionally be misassigned
• Always review the fetched data before saving
• Edit any incorrect fields

Best Practices

1. Prefer DOIs when available – they’re the most reliable
2. Check author names – database formatting varies
3. Verify the title – occasionally truncated or incorrectly capitalized
4. Add abstracts if useful – they help readers decide whether to read the source
5. Note the access date for web pages – online content can change

Next Steps

• Manual Entry – When Auto-Cite doesn’t have your source
• Finding Identifiers – Tips for locating DOIs and other IDs
• Citation Block – Use your references in posts