Thank you for Installing ZetaMarker

We're thrilled to welcome you to the ZetaMarker community! We're dedicated to enhancing your experience with continuous updates.

If you haven't already, consider installing ZetaMarker Lite on your smartphone and touchscreen devices. This allows you to conveniently annotate web pages from anywhere, with all your annotations syncing across devices.

This article will help you get started with ZetaMarker.

Pin ZetaMarker

To quickly access ZetaMarker, it's recommended to pin ZetaMarker to your browser. Click the puzzle icon on the top right of your browser. This will open a drop-down of all your Chrome Extensions. From here simply click the little pin icon next to ZetaMarker to pin to your browser.

Activate ZetaMarker on a page

We prioritize your privacy, making ZetaMarker the privacy-friendly tool for highlighting online pages and PDF files. ZetaMarker only works when you grant it access, ensuring it's never active by default. We don't track your activities, so your data and privacy are fully respected.

To activate ZetaMarker on a page, simply click the ZetaMarker icon located in your browser toolbar or use a shortcut. You can customize the shortcut key by accessing the settings within ZetaMarker sidebar.

When you refresh a page, you need to reactivate ZetaMarker to see the highlights and annotations you previously made on that page.

Some users have mentioned that when they visit a page, they don't immediately know if it has already been annotated with ZetaMarker. To address this, we offer ZetaMarker Notifier, a complementary, lightweight extension that notifies you if a page you visit has been highlighted before.

Grant ZetaMarker access to file URLs

To enable the highlighting and annotation of local PDF files, it's essential to grant ZetaMarker access to file URLs. Here's a quick guide on how to do it:

1️⃣ Open your browser's Extensions page.

2️⃣ Find ZetaMarker and click 'Details.'

3️⃣ Toggle on 'Allow access to file URLs.'

To annotate your PDF file, open it with the browser extension where ZetaMarker is installed (right-click on the file and select "Open with" your browser, e.g., your Chrome). Next, click the ZetaMarker icon in the browser to activate it for your PDF file, similar to how you would for web pages.

Toolbars

ZetaMarker provides two toolbar options: the Floating Toolbar and the Sidebar.

• Floating Toolbar: This is the default toolbar and includes essential action buttons, such as Open App, Pages, Quick Highlighter, Export, and Synchronization.
• Sidebar: For a more comprehensive set of features, you can switch to the fully-featured sidebar by clicking the Sidebar icon in the floating toolbar. The sidebar allows you to view the list of highlights on the page and access additional features such as Settings, Feedback, and Login/Logout.

You can easily toggle between the two toolbars: close the sidebar to return to the floating toolbar, or open it again by clicking the sidebar icon. Additionally, you can customize your experience by setting your preferred default toolbar in the Settings.

Login

While having an account is not required to use ZetaMarker, advanced features such as synchronization and access to our web app necessitate signing in. The login option is accessible via the sidebar. You can either use your ZetaMarker email address and password or conveniently sign in with your Google account using the 'Continue with Google' option.

You only need to log in once per browser. Your session will remain active until you choose to log out. When logging out, it's important to note that you'll need to use the same account to log in again for continued access to your data and settings.This is important for data security, ensuring that your synced pages are protected from unauthorized access.

How to Highlight

Select a section of text to trigger the annotation tool. To highlight, hover over the higlighter icon and choose a color. To add a comment, click on the comment icon. A comment box will appear where you can enter your comment.

For quicker highlighting, try the quick highlighter feature. When activated, your cursor turns into a highlighter icon. Drag it over text to highlight with a pre-selected color.

How to Delete or Update Highlights

To edit an annotation directly on the page, click on the highlighted text. You can change the highlight color by hovering over the color icon and selecting a new color. To delete the annotation, click the delete icon. To add or edit a comment, use the comment icon in the annotation tool.

Alternatively, you can manage your annotations through the Sidebar. All highlighted or annotated text appears instantly in the Sidebar, offering a convenient way to view and update them. Hover over an annotation in the list to reveal tools for changing the color, updating comments, or deleting it. Clicking on an annotation in the Sidebar will focus on it within the page, making it easier to navigate long articles.

How to Sort and Export

In the sidebar or floating toolbar, you can export annotations from the current tab in formats such as HTML, Markdown, PDF, or TXT. To begin, click "Export" and choose your desired format.

Before exporting, you can sort your highlights in the sidebar. Sorting options include Earliest to Latest, Latest to Earliest, or by their position on the page (top to bottom). The exported file will reflect the selected sorting order.

Pages & Search

Access a complete list of pages you've worked on by selecting the "Pages" option in the toolbar. When selected, a new tab opens, displaying the list of pages for easy viewing and management. Use the search functionality to quickly find specific pages based on comments, highlights, page titles, or URLs.

Each page in the list includes two action buttons: Edit URL and Delete. Click Edit URL to change the URL of the page—useful if the page owner updates its URL. Click Delete to remove the page from your local device.

To fetch pages from the cloud, click the "Retrieve Pages from Cloud" button. After retrieving pages, remember to retrieve annotations for each fetched page separately to access the full content from the cloud database.

Synchronization

When you're logged in, your data on any visited page automatically synchronizes with the cloud whenever you activate ZetaMarker. Additionally, any changes made to the page are automatically saved to the cloud.

If you prefer not to synchronize your data automatically, you can log out of your account.

Other Features: Color Theme, Settings, and More

ZetaMarker's default theme is the light theme, but you can personalize your experience by switching between light and dark themes. This can be done easily using the theme options in the sidebar.

To customize ZetaMarker's default settings, click the settings icon in the sidebar. From there, you can choose your preferred default toolbar—either the floating toolbar or the sidebar. You can also customize shortcuts, tailoring ZetaMarker's functionality to better suit your workflow.

Additionally, you can edit the page title and add a Page Comment directly from the sidebar. Unlike comments on individual highlights, a Page Comment allows you to add notes or annotations about the entire page. This is useful for summarizing key points, adding context, or leaving reminders for future reference.

Access to the Web App

With the current version of the ZetaMarker Web App (app.zetamarker.com), you can access and manage your synced pages without needing the ZetaMarker extensions (ZetaMarker PC or ZetaMarker Lite). The web app allows you to review annotations, export them, update or delete them, and search through them—anywhere, anytime.

Future updates to the web app will introduce even more features to enhance your research productivity.

To access the web app via the ZetaMarker PC extension, simply click the App icon in the toolbar. If you are already signed in through the extension, you can start using the web app immediately. Otherwise, you will need to sign in through the web app to access your synced pages.

Found a Bug or Have Feedback?

If you experience a bug on a specific page—whether it's a highlighting issue, missing annotations, or sync problems—click the ⚠️ Bug Report button on the right side of the page to send us details quickly.

For general issues or feedback not tied to a specific page, you can either email us at support@zetamarker.com or use the Feedback Form (found under the 👤 User Icon in the ZetaMarker sidebar)

❤️ Support ZetaMarker & Keep It Free!

ZetaMarker is built with privacy and simplicity at its core—no ads, no tracking, and no unnecessary permissions. We believe in keeping it independent and accessible to everyone.

Your support helps us:

🔵 Fix bugs faster and improve performance

🔵 Develop new features that enhance your experience

🔵 Keep ZetaMarker free and privacy-focused

If you find ZetaMarker useful, consider supporting us. Every contribution, big or small, helps us keep improving the tool. You can donate anytime via the "Support Us" link in the sidebar or visit our Donation Page for more details.