Get a free PDF

Many papers have a free, open-access copy, for example in a university repository or on the publisher's site. When a paper has one, Papero can fetch it into your library for you, so you do not have to download it and upload it yourself. The PDF then works like one you uploaded: you can read it in the app, and Papero's AI can use its passages.

Get free PDF works on Free and Plus, and it needs a confirmed email address.

Save a search result with its PDF

When OpenAlex lists a free PDF for a paper, its result card in Cite or on the Find papers page has Save with PDF.

1. Search for papers. See Find papers.
2. Press Save with PDF on the paper.

Papero saves the paper to your library, then fetches the PDF. The card shows Getting the free PDF, then the upload steps, and Papero says PDF added. when it is done. If you saved the paper earlier, the button says Get free PDF instead.

The card's Open PDF link opens the free copy in a new tab, without saving anything.

Get the PDF of a saved source

For a source already in your library that has no PDF:

1. In a document, open the Library panel. See Your library.
2. Press Get free PDF on the source.

When the PDF is in, it opens in the reader. The PDF section of the Edit source drawer has the same button.

Papero offers Get free PDF for sources it can look up: a paper with a DOI, or one you found through search or by its identifier. A source without a DOI that you added by hand or imported from a file does not get the button. Papero cannot tell in advance whether a free copy exists, so it only finds out when you press it.

Where the PDF comes from

Papero never takes a web address from you. It asks OpenAlex, an open catalogue of scholarly works, where the open-access copies of this paper are. It tries the best one first, then a few others, and downloads the first that is really a PDF. Papero only connects to public web addresses, and gives up if the download takes too long.

Then the PDF goes through the same steps as an upload. Your browser reads its text, it counts toward your plan's PDF limits, and the first time Papero shows How Papero’s AI handles your text. See Upload PDFs.

Papero does not get around paywalls. If a paper has no open-access copy, Get free PDF cannot fetch it.

When it does not work

Papero says what happened. To add a copy you have, press Upload PDF on a search card, or Add PDF on a saved source.

• No free copy found. If you have the PDF, upload it. OpenAlex knows of no free copy.
• The publisher blocked the download. The site refused Papero's server, or sent a web page, such as a sign-in or a robot check, instead of the PDF. Your browser may still get it: on a search card, press Open PDF, save the file, then upload it. For a saved source, save the PDF from the publisher's site, then upload it.
• This free PDF is too big for Papero to download. Download it yourself, then upload it. If the file is also over your plan's size limit, Papero says so instead, and an upload would be refused too.
• The free copy did not load. Try again later, or upload the PDF yourself. The site did not answer in time.
• Papero could not look this paper up right now. OpenAlex did not answer. Try again later.

Papero fetches one free PDF at a time for you, and there is a limit on how many you can ask for in a short time. If you go over it, Papero says You have asked for a lot of free PDFs in a short time. Wait a little, then try again.

Free and Plus

Both plans can fetch free PDFs. Each one counts toward your plan's PDF limits like an upload, so on Free you may need to remove a PDF before you add another. The limits are on the pricing page.

To see how Papero finds sources, read Find sources on papero.ai.