Download Zotero 7 Beta

[johnko...@gmail.com]

Hi,

I want to download Zotero 7 Beta, but can't find the file.

In this page https://www.zotero.org/support/beta_builds, I click "Old Revision" and when I select any of the beta builds except the latest one (2025/11/07), I get an message saying I do not have permissions.

How can I get the beta installer?

Thanks

[Dan Stillman]

On 1/12/26 11:30 AM, johnko...@gmail.com wrote:

I want to download Zotero 7 Beta, but can't find the file.

Zotero 7 is the current release version of Zotero, available from the main download page. The current beta is for Zotero 8, available from the beta page.

[johnko...@gmail.com]

Hi Dan,

Yes, I know.

The dev docs recommend the use of beta versions to develop plugins. 

So, how can I get beta 7, if I want to develop a plugin for v.7?

[Dan Stillman]

On 1/12/26 1:04 PM, johnko...@gmail.com wrote:
> The dev docs recommend the use of beta versions to develop plugins.
>
> So, how can I get beta 7, if I want to develop a plugin for v.7?

I don't know what docs you're referring to, but there's no such thing as
a Zotero 7 beta at this point. All new development is happening for
Zotero 8, so you should be developing with the Zotero 8 beta. To make
sure your plugin still works with Zotero 7, you just need to run the
release version of Zotero 7.

[johnko...@gmail.com]

Hi,

On this page https://windingwind.github.io/doc-for-zotero-plugin-dev/main/prerequisites.html, it says to use the beta version. I suppose this is not accurate.

Ok, now you say I should use v.8 beta. 

[Dan Stillman]

On 1/12/26 1:29 PM, johnko...@gmail.com wrote:
> On this
> page https://windingwind.github.io/doc-for-zotero-plugin-dev/main/prerequisites.html,
> it says to use the beta version. I suppose this is not accurate.
>
> Ok, now you say I should use v.8 beta.

I'm not sure why you think it's inaccurate? You should use the beta
version, as it says. The current beta, linked from that documentation
page, is for Zotero 8.

[johnko...@gmail.com]

So, when you release an official version, are the betas still available? From your replies so far, I would assume no. So, when v.7 came out, the beta was not available.

But it took a while to release the v8 beta. 

So, in the meantime, when there was the v.7 official release and no v.8 beta, what version should we use to develop plugins? That's why I think the docs is not accurate.

Anyway, it doesn't matter now. I downloaded v.8 beta.

Thanks   

[Dan Stillman]

On 1/12/26 8:22 PM, johnko...@gmail.com wrote:
> So, when you release an official version, are the betas still
> available? From your replies so far, I would assume no. So, when v.7
> came out, the beta was not available.
>
> But it took a while to release the v8 beta.
>
> So, in the meantime, when there was the v.7 official release and no
> v.8 beta, what version should we use to develop plugins? That's why I
> think the docs is not accurate.

I'm not sure why you keep coming to these conclusions that we haven't
said or implied in any way. Instead of repeatedly insisting that our
documentation is wrong, you should assume that what we say and put in
our documentation is generally correct, and if your understanding
doesn't align with it, it's probably a misunderstanding.

There's always an active beta, built from the main development branch.
When Z7 came out, there were still Z7 betas, and they came from the main
branch. At some point, after months of 7.0 point releases, a 7.0
maintenance branch was created, at which point the beta became the
Zotero 7.1/8 beta, and 7.0 received only backported bug fixes. But there
was always a beta, and that's what plugin developers should develop
against, in addition to testing against the current release version.
That's it.