# How to save PDFs to different folder

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [October 5, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984 "2021-10-05T17:15:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kaniee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kaniee/32/1074_2.png) [@Kaniee](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Kaniee)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/1 "2021-10-05T17:15:58Z")

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I have two folders: “Documentation” and “Literature”. The first one contains the `.bib` file and the second one has all my PDF files.  
When I drag&drop a downloaded PDF onto an existing entry, JabRef copies that file, correctly renames it and links it to the that entry. The issue I have is that JabRef stores that PDF file in the same folder as the bib file.

How can I solve this?

Here are my library settings:

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/2X/6/6f709577c9f9fde47fb4b11151393c78f3e49041.png)

Thank you for your help.

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/2 "2021-10-05T18:11:41Z")

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Hi,

in the preferences → Linked files: Uncheck “Search and store files relative to library location”  
The naming is not ideal of this option (bothers me as well) it means they are stored next to the bib file. This option takes precedence over all other directories.

Regards

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**Author:** ![Kaniee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kaniee/32/1074_2.png) [@Kaniee](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Kaniee)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/3 "2021-10-05T22:51:28Z")

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Hi,

sounded like a good solution to me, but now JabRef is doing nothing when is drag&drop a file onto an entry. Is there anything else I need to do?

Regards

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/4 "2021-10-06T18:01:44Z")

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Hi,

You probably need to press one of the modifier keys:

> **[Entry Editor](https://docs.jabref.org/advanced/entryeditor#drag-and-drop-behavior-settings)**

Edit// Did you restart JabRef after changing the preferences?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kaniee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kaniee/32/1074_2.png) [@Kaniee](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Kaniee)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/5 "2021-10-08T15:58:23Z")

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Oh I didn’t know about the modifier keys. I didn’t work like described in the link but pressing Shift (on Ubuntu) did the Job: Moving + renaming the file in the correct folder and linking it.

A little detail, which is not perfect, is the path of the linked file. It’s relative to the `bib` file folder. I would prefer to have it relative to the selected file directory which is given in the `bib` file: `@Comment{jabref-meta: fileDirectory:/path/to/literature/;}`

But I can live with that.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/6 "2021-10-08T16:45:58Z")

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> [@Kaniee](#):
>
> A little detail, which is not perfect, is the path of the linked file. It’s relative to the `bib` file folder. I would prefer to have it relative to the selected file directory which is given in the `bib` file: `@Comment{jabref-meta: fileDirectory:/path/to/literature/;}`

Yeah 😉 Glad that it works for you in general!  
I will take a look into it. Normally, it should be relative to the specified directory.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kaniee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kaniee/32/1074_2.png) [@Kaniee](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Kaniee)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-save-pdfs-to-different-folder/2984/7 "2021-10-08T17:03:35Z")

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> I will take a look into it. Normally, it should be relative to the specified directory.

Interesting finding: It only sets the path relative to the bib file, when the file was in a totally different folder before. (e.g. `~/Downloads`). If the file is already in the literature directory the linked path has only the file name, so it’s relative the the literature directory.