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Getting from a search result to a paper opened on another device involves searching, publisher authorization, saving the item, and syncing its attachment. Success at one step does not establish that the next works. Record the exact action and request that fail, then investigate the relevant browser, campus access, or sync service instead of changing nodes while investigating the wrong problem.
Search results, full text and PDF files can fail at different services
Where the failure occurs
| Action | Service actually accessed | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Google Scholar search | scholar.google.com, Google sign-in, and verification | Whether the outbound route changes frequently and whether a human-verification challenge appears |
| DOI redirect and full text | doi.org, the publisher, and the institutional authentication portal | Final domain, account authorization, and institutional VPN |
| Zotero item sync | zotero.org sync service | Sync queue, account status, and whether the connection enters Clash |
| PDF attachment sync | Zotero Storage or your own WebDAV | Storage address, certificate, capacity, and sustained upload |
Record the first failing URL and when it failed, then find that request in the connection log. If Scholar search works but the publisher returns 403, check full-text access and the rule for that request. If Zotero items have synced but the PDF is missing, check attachment sync rather than reworking the search rules.
Use a Research policy group to send Scholar, DOI, and Zotero through the same node
Research accounts and long downloads are poor candidates for an automatic group that frequently changes outbound routes. Create a manual selection group, place stable nodes first, and route Scholar, DOI, and core Zotero services through it. Add publisher and WebDAV domains based on your own traffic, because institutions and storage providers do not share a universal list.
proxy-groups:
- name: Research
type: select
proxies:
# 替换成当前配置中真实存在的节点名
- REPLACE_WITH_STABLE_NODE
- DIRECT
rules:
- DOMAIN,scholar.google.com,Research
- DOMAIN-SUFFIX,doi.org,Research
- DOMAIN-SUFFIX,zotero.org,Research
# 把自己的出版社或 WebDAV 域名加在这里
- MATCH,DIRECTREPLACE_WITH_STABLE_NODE is a placeholder and must be replaced with a node name already on the proxies page before saving. MATCH,DIRECT sends traffic unmatched by earlier rules directly. If the original configuration already defines a default rule for that traffic, keep that rule rather than adding a duplicate.
If Scholar repeatedly asks for verification, keep the browser session and outbound route unchanged
If Scholar shows a human-verification challenge, stop repeatedly refreshing and complete verification using the same node. Many requests in a short period can trigger restrictions; use the same session to check whether Cookie state or the outbound route is involved. If an automatic testing group changes its route during verification, that also changes the comparison conditions.
If a private window can search normally on a fixed node while your regular window remains stuck in a loop, first clear site data or extensions related to Scholar and Google sign-in. If the page explicitly shows an account, region, or access-frequency restriction, follow its instructions; Clash cannot replace account permissions.
Full-text access after a DOI redirect may require institutional or publisher authentication
An institutional VPN, EZproxy, or single sign-on service often depends on internal DNS, private address ranges, or specific callbacks. First confirm that the institutional portal works with Clash TUN disabled, then enable the Clash system proxy and test the browser. If the system proxy already handles research access, there is no reason to let a second virtual adapter take over the institutional VPN.
If you must use TUN at the same time, exclude the institution's documented private address ranges and internal domains, and keep authentication callbacks on the same path. If a publisher says “not subscribed” or requests institutional sign-in, the issue is authorization; do not try to evade it by repeatedly changing regions.
403 after opening a DOI
Record the publisher's final URL, then check the account, institutional authorization, and current outbound route without rebuilding the Scholar rule.
Institutional sign-in page loops
Disable automatic node switching, then inspect callback domains and institutional VPN routing.
Campus domain does not resolve under TUN
Bypass Clash for internal DNS and private address ranges, or use only the system proxy.
What should you check if Zotero items sync but PDF files do not?
Official Zotero documentation separates library data from attached files: account sync handles items, tags, and notes, while PDF attachments use Zotero Storage or WebDAV. The 2026 documentation still states clearly that WebDAV applies only to personal libraries; group libraries cannot use WebDAV.
Create a test item containing only a title and click the toolbar sync button. If another device or zotero.org can see the item, data sync is complete. If the attachment still fails, open “Settings → Sync” to inspect the file-sync method, and use “Verify Server” for WebDAV instead of resetting the entire library.
Zotero sync result
| Result | Next step |
|---|---|
| Both items and attachments fail | Check the account, zotero.org requests, and system time |
| Items succeed, PDF fails | Check the Zotero Storage quota or the WebDAV address, certificate, and capacity |
| The browser downloads a PDF, but Zotero shows no connection record | Check whether Zotero uses the system proxy; use TUN or an application proxy if necessary |
| Desktop succeeds, mobile WebDAV fails | Confirm that the address uses HTTPS; mobile blocks plain HTTP by default |
Complete the final check with one paper
From search to another device
Search using a fixed Research node
Open one result and confirm in the connection log that scholar.google.com matched the intended group.
Follow the DOI to the final page
Record the publisher domain; when institutional access is required, use the legitimate portal provided by your institution.
Save to Zotero
Confirm that the browser Connector passes the item to the desktop app.
Sync manually
Watch the item queue and attachment queue separately; do not combine their outcomes.
Open the PDF on another device
The workflow is complete only when both the title and attachment appear, confirming that search, save, and sync all succeeded.