---
name: "bibdoiadd"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "texlive-doc"
version: "2026.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bibdoiadd"
---

# bibdoiadd(1)

add DOI numbers to papers in a given bib file

## NAME

bibdoiadd.pl - add DOI numbers to papers in a given bib file

## SYNOPSIS

bibdoiadd \[**-c** *config\_file*\] \[**-C** 1\|0\] \[**-e** 1\|0\] \[**-f**\] \[**-o** *output*\] *bib\_file*

## OPTIONS

- **-c** *config\_file*

  Configuration file.  If this file is absent, some defaults are used. See below for its format.

- **-C** 1\|0

  Whether to canonicalize names in the output (1) or not (0).  By default, 1.

- **-e**

  If 1 (default), add empty doi if a doi cannot be found.  This prevents repeated searches for the same entries if you add new entries to the file.  Calling `"-e 0"` suppresses this behavior.

- **-f**

  Force checking doi number even if one is present

- **-o** *output*

  Output file.  If this option is not used, the name for the  output file is formed by adding `"_doi"` to the input file

## DESCRIPTION

The script reads a BibTeX file.  It checks whether the entries have DOIs.  If not, it tries to contact http://www.crossref.org to get the corresponding DOI.  The result is a BibTeX file with the fields `"doi=..."` added.

The name of the output file is either set by the **-o** option or  is derived by adding the suffix `"_doi"` to the output file.

Every BibTeX record in the input is parsed, using BibTeX::Parser, but only the ones that do not have the `"doi"` field (or `"mrnumber"` or `"zblnumber"` for the sibling scripts) are processed. These entries without the requested field are written back, as described in BibTeX::Parser::Entry.

The bib records that are not processed (because they already have the requested field) are written back as-is, without any reformatting.

There are (were?) two options for making queries with Crossref: free account and paid membership. In the first case you still must register with Crossref and are limited to a small number of queries, see the agreement at `"http://www.crossref.org/01company/free_services_agreement.html"`. In the second case you have a username and password, and can use them for automatic queries. I am not sure whether the use of this script is allowed for the free account holders. At any rate, if you want to add DOIs to a large number of entries, you should register as a paid member.

## CONFIGURATION FILE

The configuration file relates to the Crossref queries, and is mostly self-explanatory: it has comments (starting with `"#"`) and assginments in the form

```
   $field = value ;
```

The important parameters are `$mode` (`'free'` or `'paid'`), `$email` (for free users) and `$username` & `$password` for paid members.

## EXAMPLES

```
   bibdoiadd -c bibdoiadd.cfg -o - citations.bib > result.bib
   bibdoiadd -c bibdoiadd.cfg -o result.bib citations.bib
```

## AUTHOR

Boris Veytsman

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2014-2024 Boris Veytsman

This is free software.  You may redistribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License \<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.