verify-translator

name	verify-translator
description	Verify a Zotero translator after every addition or modification, and before submitting a PR. Runs linting, tests, and metadata updates.

Fetch documentation

Fetch and read:

• https://www.zotero.org/support/_export/raw/dev/translators
• https://www.zotero.org/support/_export/raw/dev/translators/coding

Update lastUpdated

This must be done every time translator code is modified. Zotero uses lastUpdated to determine when to push updates to users.

node .bin/update-metadata.mjs "<translator filename>"

Lint

npm run lint -- "<translator filename>"

Use --fix for auto-fixable errors. Fix any remaining errors manually.

Run tests

node .bin/run-tests.mjs "<translator filename>"

This launches Chrome with the Zotero Connector extension and runs the translator's test cases against live sites.

Add --headed for any site behind Cloudflare or a similar anti-bot wall — headless Chrome identifies itself as HeadlessChrome and those sites refuse it outright, so every test fails with "Detection failed" for reasons that have nothing to do with the translator. That symptom — all tests failing detection at once, including ones that used to pass — almost always means the wall, not your code. Headed usually loads the same pages with no challenge at all.

All tests must pass. If a test fails:

1. Read the failure output carefully.
2. Check whether the target site has changed.
3. Fix the translator code or update the test case (using create-test skill).
4. Re-run tests until all pass.

Retire IDs of deleted translators

If this change deletes a translator, or stops using its ID because it was merged into or replaced by another translator, add the ID and a short reason to deleted.txt and increment the number on the file's first line. Both edits are required — clients don't pick up the change without the increment.

Ensure user is working in a Git branch

git branch --show-current

If on master, create a new branch.

Create a PR

Guide the user through creating a PR on https://github.com/zotero/translators. Keep the description concise. Encourage the user to write/review the description.