twineconvert

free · in-browser · no upload

CSL-JSON to RIS
Converter

Drop your CSL-JSON file. We'll convert it to RIS right here in your browser, your file never leaves your device.

or drop your file

Select your file here to get started

or drop your file here.

Accepts .json

nothing uploaded no file size cap no signup

How it works

Three steps. No upload, no signup.

  1. 1

    Drop your file

    Click the dropzone above or drag a CSL-JSON from your desktop. Files of any size, there's no upload, so there's no upload limit.

  2. 2

    Convert in your browser

    The conversion runs entirely in this tab using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file never touches our servers, we don't have any.

  3. 3

    Download

    Get your RIS the moment the conversion finishes. Convert another, or close the tab.

Files stay on your device

Your file is never uploaded. The entire conversion runs in your browser using WebAssembly. We can't see what you convert because we have no server to see it.

No file size limit

Server converters cap free users at 1-2 GB and gate larger files behind a paid plan. Since nothing uploads, our limit is whatever your browser can handle.

Free, no signup, no ads on conversions

No account required. No watermark on the output. No queue. Drop a file, get a converted file.

Why convert CSL-JSON → RIS

What this conversion is actually for

CSL-JSON is the Citation Style Language JSON that Zotero, pandoc, and citeproc speak; RIS is the tagged format EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks, and most journal databases import. This converts one to the other through a shared bibliographic model, so every field that round-trips (title, authors, year, journal, volume, pages, DOI) carries across without re-keying. Runs entirely in your browser, no upload.

A real example

You have a Zotero or pandoc CSL-JSON file and your next tool wants RIS. Drop the file here and get a clean RIS file back in one step.

Troubleshooting

Some references are missing fields after conversion.

Fields only carry across if the source CSL-JSON actually contained them. Open the source and confirm the field is populated; RIS cannot add data that was not there.

Formats involved

About CSL-JSON and RIS

CSL-JSON, Citation Style Language JSON

CSL-JSON is the modern interop format for citation metadata. Zotero exports it natively (right-click a collection → Export → CSL JSON). Pandoc consumes it as `--bibliography file.json` for reference rendering. Every major reference manager (Zotero, Mendeley, Citavi, Papers, Bookends) reads or writes it. Defined by the Citation Style Language project; covers ~100 fields across journals, books, chapters, theses, software, datasets, and more. The de-facto replacement for BibTeX in modern academic toolchains.

How to open

Any JSON viewer or text editor. Zotero imports via File → Import → CSL JSON. Pandoc references it as bibliography input. JabRef, Citavi, and Bookends all accept CSL-JSON drop-ins.

Full CSL-JSON format guide →
RIS, Research Information Systems

RIS is a tagged citation format from Research Information Systems (the Reference Manager company), now an industry-standard interchange. Two-letter tags (TY=type, AU=author, TI=title, JO=journal, etc.), one per line, records terminated by ER. Most academic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, JSTOR, Scopus) export to RIS. Reference managers all import and export it.

How to open

Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, Papers, RefWorks, Citavi, every modern reference manager. Plain text in any editor.

Full RIS format guide →

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FAQ

Common questions

Is this CSL-JSON → RIS converter really free?

Yes. No signup, no watermark, no daily file count limit. Every conversion runs in your browser, your file never touches our servers because there are no servers.

Where does my file go when I convert it?

Nowhere. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file is never uploaded to our servers. We don't have any servers handling files, there's nothing for us to log, store, or accidentally leak.

What's the maximum file size?

Whatever your browser can hold in memory. Practically, this means a few hundred MB on most computers, significantly larger than the 1-2 GB caps that server-upload converters charge for. Very large files (multi-GB) may require closing other browser tabs first.

Why convert CSL-JSON to RIS?

Cross-tool bibliography exchange between reference managers. Citation interchange between databases and reference managers. The most common reason to convert is compatibility, RIS works in places where CSL-JSON doesn't, or vice versa.

How do I open a CSL-JSON file in the first place?

Any JSON viewer or text editor. Zotero imports via File → Import → CSL JSON. Pandoc references it as bibliography input. JabRef, Citavi, and Bookends all accept CSL-JSON drop-ins.

Does this work offline?

Once the page is loaded, the conversion itself runs entirely offline. The first time you use a tool, your browser downloads the conversion library (a one-time cache). If you reload while offline, the page won't load, but you can install the site as a Progressive Web App for full offline use.

Can I convert multiple files at once?

Single file at a time for now. Batch conversion is on the roadmap, for now, drop one file, download the result, then convert the next.