Source processing and limits

Reference for upload states, failed documents, reading statuses, source limits, metadata reports, and exports.

Use this page to interpret the states and limits around the source library. For the import procedure, see Import your sources.

Upload queue states

The tray at the bottom of the screen tracks uploaded documents through four states:

State	Meaning	What to do
Pending	The document is queued and has not started.	Wait for an available processing slot.
Processing	Quester is extracting text and metadata and preparing the content for the Advisor and Map.	Leave the upload in the queue.
Completed	Processing finished and the source is fully usable.	Open the source and verify its details.
Failed	Processing stopped with an error shown in the tray.	Follow the recovery steps below.

A BibTeX or RIS record is usable immediately because it has no uploaded document to process. An uploaded document joins the library after processing finishes.

Recover a failed document

The common causes are a scanned PDF without a text layer, an unusual internal document structure, or a file whose contents do not match its extension.

1. Confirm that the file opens normally on your computer.
2. If it is scanned, create a searchable PDF with optical character recognition and upload that copy.
3. Try the upload again.
4. If it still fails, add the bibliographic record manually and attach the document later from the source page.

For a persistent failure, contact support with the file type, approximate size, visible error, and processing time. Do not send confidential research files by email.

Report incorrect extraction

If processing completes but produces a wrong title, mangled authors, or another extraction error, correct the record and select the red flag on the source. Those reports are reviewed and used to improve extraction.

Existing titles, keywords, and design selections and descriptions on sources carried over from the earlier version of Quester are protected from automatic replacement. Reprocessing is not a substitute for correcting those fields yourself on the source record.

Reading statuses

Reading status is set by you and is separate from upload processing:

Status	Intended use
Not started	Saved, but not yet read.
Reading	Actively in your reading queue.
Note taking	Read far enough to capture and connect your interpretation.
Completed	Finished for the present stage of the project.
Archived	Retained but removed from the active queue.

You can change the status from the source list or the source’s own page.

Source limits

The free Explorer plan holds thirty sources. The meter above the library shows current usage, and an import that would exceed the limit tells you before saving and offers to import the first number that fit. Paid plans have no source cap.

See Workspace settings for the other plan and seat differences.

Export behaviour

Export references downloads the library in standard reference formats. A library imported from Zotero can therefore return to Zotero, and exporting remains available if a paid subscription lapses.

Next: Build your source library or read one source.