Format guide
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 a CSL-JSON file
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.
Primary use
Cross-tool bibliography exchange between reference managers.
Convert other formats to CSL-JSON
Convert CSL-JSON to other formats
- CSL-JSON → RIS
- CSL-JSON → CSV
- CSL-JSON → NBIB
- CSL-JSON → EndNote XML
- CSL-JSON → XLSX
- CSL-JSON → Markdown
- CSL-JSON → HTML
- CSL-JSON → YAML (CSL)
- CSL-JSON → EndNote ENW
- CSL-JSON → RefWorks
- CSL-JSON → MODS
- CSL-JSON → APA
- CSL-JSON → MLA
- CSL-JSON → Chicago
- CSL-JSON → Harvard
- CSL-JSON → IEEE
- CSL-JSON → AMA
- CSL-JSON → Nature
- CSL-JSON → ACS
- CSL-JSON → ASA
- CSL-JSON → Vancouver
- CSL-JSON → APA In-Text Citations
- CSL-JSON → MLA In-Text Citations
- CSL-JSON → Chicago In-Text Citations
- CSL-JSON → Harvard In-Text Citations
- CSL-JSON -> APA (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> MLA (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> Chicago (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> Harvard (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> IEEE (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> Vancouver (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> AMA (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> Nature (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> ACS (HTML)
- CSL-JSON -> ASA (HTML)
- CSL-JSON to CFF
- CSL-JSON → BibTeX
Looking for something else? Browse the full list of 192 converters.