Which formats can it produce?

Four: BibTeX (.bib) for LaTeX, RIS (.ris) for EndNote and most reference managers, CSL JSON (.json) for Zotero, Pandoc, and citeproc, and EndNote XML (.xml) for direct import into EndNote desktop.

How good is the plain-text parser?

It reads common shapes well: it finds DOIs, URLs, a four-digit year, volume(issue), and page ranges, and splits authors on semicolons, ampersands, and the word and. It is heuristic, so always check the parsed fields and fix anything it misreads before exporting.

What is a cite key and can I rely on it?

BibTeX and CSL JSON need a unique key per entry. The tool builds one from the first author's surname and the year, for example Smith2021, and disambiguates clashes with a letter suffix. Rename keys in your reference manager if you have a naming convention.

Should I parse or use the form?

Parse when you already have written-out citations to convert in bulk. Use the form when you are entering sources from scratch or when the parser struggles with an unusual citation, since the form gives you full control over every field.

Does it convert between citation styles like APA to MLA?

No. It converts between data formats, not display styles. To restyle a reference for a document, format it from its fields in the citation generator or bibliography builder; the converter prepares files for other software to read.

FREE | BIBTEX | RIS | CSL JSON | ENDNOTE XML

Bibliography converter

Paste citations or build them by hand, then export a clean bibliography as BibTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, or EndNote XML for Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, JabRef, Pandoc, and LaTeX workflows.

Paste citations

One citation per line or blank-line-separated paragraph works best.

Parsed results

Citation 1

Source type

Year

Title

Author(s) - separate with semicolons

Container / journal / site

Volume

Issue

Pages

DOI

URL

Add the Bibliography converter to your blog or library guide

Free, no signup. Drop the iframe into any Squarespace, WordPress, Notion, or Springshare LibGuide page in seconds. Your readers count text without leaving your site.

<iframe
  src="https://phrasit.com/embed/bibliography-converter"
  width="100%"
  height="520"
  style="border:0;border-radius:12px"
  title="Bibliography converter by Phrasit"
  loading="lazy">
</iframe>

Need a different size? Adjust height to 360 (compact) or 720 (full).

About the Bibliography converter

The bibliography converter turns references into machine-readable formats that reference managers and typesetting tools understand. It exports to four formats, BibTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, and EndNote XML, and offers two ways in: paste plain-text citations and let it parse the fields, or build each entry on a form. The output updates live as you edit.

It is for moving references between tools: out of a document and into Zotero or LaTeX, or from a loose list into a structured file you can import. The parser reads common citation shapes to pull out authors, year, title, container, volume, issue, pages, DOI, and URL, so you rarely start from scratch. Because the parser is heuristic, the form view lets you correct anything it gets wrong before exporting.

How to use it

Choose how to enter sources: Parse from plain text, or Build from form.
To parse, paste citations one per line or separated by blank lines, then press Parse citations to extract the fields.
Review each parsed entry in the form below, correcting the source type, authors, title, container, and other fields as needed.
Pick the output format, BibTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, or EndNote XML, and read its short description to confirm it suits your target tool.
Watch the live preview build the converted output as you edit.
Copy the output or download it with the correct file extension for your chosen format.

Examples

Parsing an APA reference into BibTeX

Paste "Smith, J., & Lee, A. (2021). Useful research title. Journal of Examples, 12(3), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1234/example" and Parse. It detects the year in parentheses, the DOI, the volume(issue), and the page range, then BibTeX export wraps it in an @article block with a generated cite key like Smith2021.

A book to CSL JSON

Build a book entry with a title, author, publisher, and year, then switch the format to CSL JSON. The output is a JSON array with type "book", an author array of family and given names, and an issued date-parts field, ready for Pandoc, citeproc, or Zotero.

Several references at once

Paste a block of five citations separated by blank lines and Parse. Each becomes its own collapsible entry, and the chosen format exports all five together: five @ entries in BibTeX, five records in EndNote XML, or a five-item array in CSL JSON.

Frequently asked questions

Which formats can it produce?: Four: BibTeX (.bib) for LaTeX, RIS (.ris) for EndNote and most reference managers, CSL JSON (.json) for Zotero, Pandoc, and citeproc, and EndNote XML (.xml) for direct import into EndNote desktop.
How good is the plain-text parser?: It reads common shapes well: it finds DOIs, URLs, a four-digit year, volume(issue), and page ranges, and splits authors on semicolons, ampersands, and the word and. It is heuristic, so always check the parsed fields and fix anything it misreads before exporting.
What is a cite key and can I rely on it?: BibTeX and CSL JSON need a unique key per entry. The tool builds one from the first author's surname and the year, for example Smith2021, and disambiguates clashes with a letter suffix. Rename keys in your reference manager if you have a naming convention.
Should I parse or use the form?: Parse when you already have written-out citations to convert in bulk. Use the form when you are entering sources from scratch or when the parser struggles with an unusual citation, since the form gives you full control over every field.
Does it convert between citation styles like APA to MLA?: No. It converts between data formats, not display styles. To restyle a reference for a document, format it from its fields in the citation generator or bibliography builder; the converter prepares files for other software to read.

Good to know

Data formats and citation styles are different things, and this tool handles the former. BibTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, and EndNote XML are containers that store the parts of a reference so other software can render it; they are not how the citation looks in your essay. Once a reference is in one of these formats, your reference manager or LaTeX bibliography style decides the final appearance, which is why the same file can produce APA in one document and Chicago in another.

The plain-text parser is convenient but not infallible, especially with citations that omit a year, bury the title, or use heavy abbreviation. Treat parsing as a fast first pass and verify the structured fields, particularly author splitting and which sentence became the title, before you trust the export. When you control the source data, entering it on the form avoids parser guesswork entirely and gives the cleanest output.