How to Automatically Replace Numeric Citations with Citation Keys in LaTeX Using PowerShell

A practical guide for researchers and students to automate the conversion of numeric citations to proper citation keys in LaTeX documents using PowerShell scripting.

Posted Jan 1, 2026

By ScholarsNote

16 min read

Have you ever found yourself manually replacing hundreds of \cite{1} with \cite{authorYEARkeyword} in your LaTeX document?

If you’re working on a research paper or thesis in LaTeX, you’ve probably encountered this frustrating situation: you have a BibTeX file with proper citation keys (like martinez2023neural), but your LaTeX document uses numeric references like \cite{1}, \cite{2}, etc.

Manually replacing dozens (or hundreds!) of these citations is tedious and error-prone. But there’s a better way! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use a simple PowerShell script to automatically convert all your numeric citations to proper citation keys in seconds.

The Problem: Managing Numeric Citations in LaTeX

Example of the problem:

Your .tex file looks like this:

  
Recent advances in neural networks have revolutionized climate modeling \cite{1}\cite{2}. 
These computational breakthroughs enable unprecedented accuracy in predictions \cite{3}.

But your .bib file has entries like:

  
@article{martinez2023neural,
  title={Neural network approaches to climate modeling},
  author={Martinez, Elena and Chen, Wei and O'Brien, Patrick},
  journal={Nature Climate Change},
  year={2023}
}

The disconnect between numeric citations and proper citation keys creates maintenance headaches and makes your document harder to manage.

The Solution: PowerShell Automation

What You’ll Learn

How to create a mapping between numbers and citation keys
How to use regex patterns to find and replace citations
How to automate the entire process with PowerShell

Prerequisites

Windows PC (PowerShell comes pre-installed)
A LaTeX file with numeric citations
A BibTeX file with citation keys
5-10 minutes of your time

Step 1: Create Your Citation Mapping

First, we need to create a mapping between the numbers you’re using and the actual citation keys. Let’s say you have this small bibliography:

  
%1
@article{martinez2023neural,
  title={Neural network approaches to climate modeling: A comprehensive review},
  author={Martinez, Elena and Chen, Wei and O'Brien, Patrick},
  journal={Nature Climate Change},
  year={2023}
}

%2
@inproceedings{johnson2024quantum,
  title={Quantum computing applications in cryptography},
  author={Johnson, Michael A and Lee, Sarah K},
  booktitle={Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Security},
  pages={145--159},
  year={2024}
}

%3
@article{patel2022sustainable,
  title={Sustainable urban development through green infrastructure},
  author={Patel, Rajesh and Williams, Jennifer and Schmidt, Hans},
  journal={Urban Studies},
  volume={59},
  number={8},
  pages={1623--1641},
  year={2022}
}

%4
@book{anderson2021machine,
  title={Machine Learning: Theory and Practice},
  author={Anderson, Robert J},
  publisher={MIT Press},
  address={Cambridge, MA},
  year={2021}
}

%5
@article{nguyen2023biodiversity,
  title={Biodiversity conservation in tropical rainforests: Challenges and opportunities},
  author={Nguyen, Linh T and Silva, Carlos and Brown, Amanda},
  journal={Conservation Biology},
  volume={37},
  number={2},
  pages={412--428},
  year={2023}
}

Step 2: The PowerShell Script

Here’s the complete script that does all the work for you:

  
# LaTeX Citation Replacement Script
# Replaces \cite{number} with \cite{citationkey}

# Create the citation mapping
$citationMap = @{
    '1' = 'martinez2023neural'
    '2' = 'johnson2024quantum'
    '3' = 'patel2022sustainable'
    '4' = 'anderson2021machine'
    '5' = 'nguyen2023biodiversity'
}

# Interactive file selection
Write-Host "Please select your LaTeX file..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms

$openFileDialog = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
$openFileDialog.Filter = "LaTeX files (*.tex)|*.tex|All files (*.*)|*.*"
$openFileDialog.Title = "Select your LaTeX file"

if ($openFileDialog.ShowDialog() -eq 'OK') {
    $inputFile = $openFileDialog.FileName
    $outputFile = $inputFile -replace '\.tex$', '_updated.tex'
    
    Write-Host "Selected: $inputFile" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Host "No file selected. Exiting." -ForegroundColor Red
    exit
}

# Read the file
Write-Host "`nProcessing file..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
$content = Get-Content $inputFile -Raw

# Count citations
$beforeCount = ([regex]::Matches($content, '\\cite\{\d+\}')).Count
Write-Host "Found $beforeCount numeric citations" -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Replace citations using regex
$pattern = '\\cite\{(\d+)\}'
$result = [regex]::Replace($content, $pattern, {
    param($match)
    $number = $match.Groups[1].Value
    $key = $citationMap[$number]
    
    if ($key) {
        return "\cite{$key}"
    } else {
        Write-Host "Warning: No mapping for citation $number" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        return $match.Value
    }
})

# Save the result
$result | Set-Content $outputFile -NoNewline

# Show results
Write-Host "`n✓ Replacement complete!" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "Output: $outputFile" -ForegroundColor Green

Write-Host "`nPreview of replacements:" -ForegroundColor Magenta
$matches = [regex]::Matches($result, '\\cite\{[a-z]+\d{4}[a-z]+\}') | Select-Object -First 3
foreach ($m in $matches) {
    Write-Host "  $($m.Value)" -ForegroundColor White
}

Step 3: How to Use the Script

First-Time Setup (One Time Only)

Enable PowerShell scripts:
- Press Windows + X
- Click “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”
- Run: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
- Type Y and press Enter

Running the Script

Save the script:
- Copy the script above
- Save it as replace-citations.ps1 (anywhere on your computer)
Run it:
- Right-click on replace-citations.ps1
- Click “Run with PowerShell”
- OR open PowerShell and run: .\replace-citations.ps1
Select your file:
- A file browser will open
- Select your .tex file
- Click “Open”
Done!
- The script creates a new file: yourfile_updated.tex
- Your original file remains unchanged

Example: Before and After

Before (input.tex):

  
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

The intersection of quantum computing and cryptographic systems presents
fascinating challenges and opportunities for modern cybersecurity \cite{1}\cite{2}. 

Machine learning algorithms have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in
pattern recognition and predictive analytics \cite{4}, particularly when
applied to environmental monitoring and climate analysis \cite{1}.

Urban planners increasingly recognize the importance of integrating
green infrastructure into city designs \cite{3}, while conservation
biologists emphasize the critical role of biodiversity preservation
in maintaining ecosystem stability \cite{5}.

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}

After (input_updated.tex):

  
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

The intersection of quantum computing and cryptographic systems presents
fascinating challenges and opportunities for modern cybersecurity \cite{martinez2023neural}\cite{johnson2024quantum}. 

Machine learning algorithms have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in
pattern recognition and predictive analytics \cite{anderson2021machine}, particularly when
applied to environmental monitoring and climate analysis \cite{martinez2023neural}.

Urban planners increasingly recognize the importance of integrating
green infrastructure into city designs \cite{patel2022sustainable}, while conservation
biologists emphasize the critical role of biodiversity preservation
in maintaining ecosystem stability \cite{nguyen2023biodiversity}.

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}

How It Works: The Technical Details

1. The Hashtable (Dictionary)

  
$citationMap = @{
    '1' = 'martinez2023neural'
    '2' = 'johnson2024quantum'
}

This creates a lookup table. When the script finds \cite{1}, it knows to replace it with martinez2023neural.

2. The Regex Pattern

  
$pattern = '\\cite\{(\d+)\}'

This pattern matches:

\\cite - The literal text “\cite”
\{ - Opening brace “{“
(\d+) - One or more digits (captured)
\} - Closing brace “}”

3. The Replacement Logic

  
[regex]::Replace($content, $pattern, {
    param($match)
    $number = $match.Groups[1].Value  # Extract the number
    $key = $citationMap[$number]       # Look up the key
    return "\cite{$key}"                # Replace with key
})

For each match, it:

Extracts the number from \cite{1} → 1
Looks up 1 in the map → martinez2023neural
Replaces with \cite{martinez2023neural}

Scaling Up: Working with Larger Bibliographies

For the example, we used 5 references. But what if you have 50, 100, or more?

Simply extend the $citationMap:

  
$citationMap = @{
    '1' = 'martinez2023neural'
    '2' = 'johnson2024quantum'
    '3' = 'patel2022sustainable'
    # ... add as many as you need
    '50' = 'thompson2024algorithms'
    '100' = 'williams2023framework'
}

The script handles them all just as easily!

Tips and Best Practices

✅ Do’s

Keep backups: The script creates a new file, but always keep your original
Test first: Try with a small sample file before running on your full document
Verify mappings: Double-check that your citation numbers match your keys
Use descriptive keys: Keys like martinez2023neural are better than ref1

❌ Don’ts

Don’t use the same citation key twice in your mapping
Don’t forget the quotes around numbers in the hashtable: '1' not 1
Don’t panic if you see warnings - the script keeps original citations if no mapping is found

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: “Scripts are disabled”

Solution: Run PowerShell as Administrator and execute:

  
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Issue: “No citations were replaced”

Possible causes:

Your citations don’t use the format \cite{number}
Numbers in citations don’t match numbers in your map
Check for spaces: \cite{ 1 } won’t match (remove spaces)

Issue: “Warning: No mapping for citation X”

Solution: You’re using citation number X but haven’t added it to $citationMap. Either:

Add the mapping
Or ignore it (the script leaves it unchanged)

Advanced: Combining Multiple Citations

The script also handles this automatically:

Before:

  
Multiple studies \cite{1}\cite{2}\cite{3} have shown...

After:

  
Multiple studies \cite{martinez2023neural}\cite{johnson2024quantum}\cite{patel2022sustainable} have shown...

Pro tip: You can combine these manually afterward:

  
Multiple studies \cite{martinez2023neural,johnson2024quantum,patel2022sustainable} have shown...

This renders as [1,2,3] instead of [1][2][3].

Conclusion

Converting numeric citations to proper citation keys doesn’t have to be a manual, time-consuming task. With this simple PowerShell script, you can:

✅ Process hundreds of citations in seconds
✅ Eliminate human error from manual find-replace
✅ Maintain consistency across your document
✅ Focus on your research instead of formatting

The best part? Once you set up the citation map, you can reuse the script for any document using the same bibliography.

Download the Script

You can save the complete script above, or modify it for your specific needs. The basic structure remains the same regardless of how many citations you have.

Next steps:

Copy the script to a .ps1 file
Update the $citationMap with your citations
Run it on your LaTeX file
Enjoy your properly formatted citations!

Tip: Don’t rush your journal selection. Take a few minutes to create your citation mapping correctly. It will save you hours of manual work later!

Warning: Always keep a backup of your original file before running the script, especially when working with your final thesis or dissertation!

Have questions or suggestions? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below!

Happy LaTeXing! 📝✨

Tags: LaTeX, PowerShell, Automation, Academic Writing, Bibliography Management, Research Tools, Citation Management

First, we need to create a mapping between the numbers you’re using and the actual citation keys. Let’s say you have this small bibliography:

  
%1
@article{martinez2023neural,
  title={Neural network approaches to climate modeling: A comprehensive review},
  author={Martinez, Elena and Chen, Wei and O'Brien, Patrick},
  journal={Nature Climate Change},
  year={2023}
}

%2
@inproceedings{johnson2024quantum,
  title={Quantum computing applications in cryptography},
  author={Johnson, Michael A and Lee, Sarah K},
  booktitle={Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Security},
  pages={145--159},
  year={2024}
}

%3
@article{patel2022sustainable,
  title={Sustainable urban development through green infrastructure},
  author={Patel, Rajesh and Williams, Jennifer and Schmidt, Hans},
  journal={Urban Studies},
  volume={59},
  number={8},
  pages={1623--1641},
  year={2022}
}

%4
@book{anderson2021machine,
  title={Machine Learning: Theory and Practice},
  author={Anderson, Robert J},
  publisher={MIT Press},
  address={Cambridge, MA},
  year={2021}
}

%5
@article{nguyen2023biodiversity,
  title={Biodiversity conservation in tropical rainforests: Challenges and opportunities},
  author={Nguyen, Linh T and Silva, Carlos and Brown, Amanda},
  journal={Conservation Biology},
  volume={37},
  number={2},
  pages={412--428},
  year={2023}
}

Step 2: The PowerShell Script

Here’s the complete script that does all the work for you:

  
# LaTeX Citation Replacement Script
# Replaces \cite{number} with \cite{citationkey}

# Create the citation mapping
$citationMap = @{
    '1' = 'martinez2023neural'
    '2' = 'johnson2024quantum'
    '3' = 'patel2022sustainable'
    '4' = 'anderson2021machine'
    '5' = 'nguyen2023biodiversity'
}

# Interactive file selection
Write-Host "Please select your LaTeX file..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms

$openFileDialog = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
$openFileDialog.Filter = "LaTeX files (*.tex)|*.tex|All files (*.*)|*.*"
$openFileDialog.Title = "Select your LaTeX file"

if ($openFileDialog.ShowDialog() -eq 'OK') {
    $inputFile = $openFileDialog.FileName
    $outputFile = $inputFile -replace '\.tex$', '_updated.tex'
    
    Write-Host "Selected: $inputFile" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Host "No file selected. Exiting." -ForegroundColor Red
    exit
}

# Read the file
Write-Host "`nProcessing file..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
$content = Get-Content $inputFile -Raw

# Count citations
$beforeCount = ([regex]::Matches($content, '\\cite\{\d+\}')).Count
Write-Host "Found $beforeCount numeric citations" -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Replace citations using regex
$pattern = '\\cite\{(\d+)\}'
$result = [regex]::Replace($content, $pattern, {
    param($match)
    $number = $match.Groups[1].Value
    $key = $citationMap[$number]
    
    if ($key) {
        return "\cite{$key}"
    } else {
        Write-Host "Warning: No mapping for citation $number" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        return $match.Value
    }
})

# Save the result
$result | Set-Content $outputFile -NoNewline

# Show results
Write-Host "`n✓ Replacement complete!" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "Output: $outputFile" -ForegroundColor Green

Write-Host "`nPreview of replacements:" -ForegroundColor Magenta
$matches = [regex]::Matches($result, '\\cite\{[a-z]+\d{4}[a-z]+\}') | Select-Object -First 3
foreach ($m in $matches) {
    Write-Host "  $($m.Value)" -ForegroundColor White
}

Step 3: How to Use the Script

First-Time Setup (One Time Only)

Enable PowerShell scripts:
- Press Windows + X
- Click “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”
- Run: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
- Type Y and press Enter

Running the Script

Save the script:
- Copy the script above
- Save it as replace-citations.ps1 (anywhere on your computer)
Run it:
- Right-click on replace-citations.ps1
- Click “Run with PowerShell”
- OR open PowerShell and run: .\replace-citations.ps1
Select your file:
- A file browser will open
- Select your .tex file
- Click “Open”
Done!
- The script creates a new file: yourfile_updated.tex
- Your original file remains unchanged

Example: Before and After

Before (input.tex):

  
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

The intersection of quantum computing and cryptographic systems presents
fascinating challenges and opportunities for modern cybersecurity \cite{1}\cite{2}. 

Machine learning algorithms have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in
pattern recognition and predictive analytics \cite{4}, particularly when
applied to environmental monitoring and climate analysis \cite{1}.

Urban planners increasingly recognize the importance of integrating
green infrastructure into city designs \cite{3}, while conservation
biologists emphasize the critical role of biodiversity preservation
in maintaining ecosystem stability \cite{5}.

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}

After (input_updated.tex):

  
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

The intersection of quantum computing and cryptographic systems presents
fascinating challenges and opportunities for modern cybersecurity \cite{martinez2023neural}\cite{johnson2024quantum}. 

Machine learning algorithms have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in
pattern recognition and predictive analytics \cite{anderson2021machine}, particularly when
applied to environmental monitoring and climate analysis \cite{martinez2023neural}.

Urban planners increasingly recognize the importance of integrating
green infrastructure into city designs \cite{patel2022sustainable}, while conservation
biologists emphasize the critical role of biodiversity preservation
in maintaining ecosystem stability \cite{nguyen2023biodiversity}.

\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}

How It Works: The Technical Details

1. The Hashtable (Dictionary)

  
$citationMap = @{
    '1' = 'martinez2023neural'
    '2' = 'johnson2024quantum'
}

This creates a lookup table. When the script finds \cite{1}, it knows to replace it with martinez2023neural.

2. The Regex Pattern

  
$pattern = '\\cite\{(\d+)\}'

This pattern matches:

\\cite - The literal text “\cite”
\{ - Opening brace “{“
(\d+) - One or more digits (captured)
\} - Closing brace “}”

3. The Replacement Logic

  
[regex]::Replace($content, $pattern, {
    param($match)
    $number = $match.Groups[1].Value  # Extract the number
    $key = $citationMap[$number]       # Look up the key
    return "\cite{$key}"                # Replace with key
})

For each match, it:

Extracts the number from \cite{1} → 1
Looks up 1 in the map → martinez2023neural
Replaces with \cite{martinez2023neural}

Scaling Up: Working with Larger Bibliographies

For the example, we used 5 references. But what if you have 50, 100, or more?

Simply extend the $citationMap:

  
$citationMap = @{
    '1' = 'martinez2023neural'
    '2' = 'johnson2024quantum'
    '3' = 'patel2022sustainable'
    # ... add as many as you need
    '50' = 'thompson2024algorithms'
    '100' = 'williams2023framework'
}

The script handles them all just as easily!

Tips and Best Practices

✅ Do’s

Keep backups: The script creates a new file, but always keep your original
Test first: Try with a small sample file before running on your full document
Verify mappings: Double-check that your citation numbers match your keys
Use descriptive keys: Keys like martinez2023neural are better than ref1

❌ Don’ts

Don’t use the same citation key twice in your mapping
Don’t forget the quotes around numbers in the hashtable: '1' not 1
Don’t panic if you see warnings - the script keeps original citations if no mapping is found

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: “Scripts are disabled”

Solution: Run PowerShell as Administrator and execute:

  
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Issue: “No citations were replaced”

Possible causes:

Your citations don’t use the format \cite{number}
Numbers in citations don’t match numbers in your map
Check for spaces: \cite{ 1 } won’t match (remove spaces)

Issue: “Warning: No mapping for citation X”

Solution: You’re using citation number X but haven’t added it to $citationMap. Either:

Add the mapping
Or ignore it (the script leaves it unchanged)

Advanced: Combining Multiple Citations

The script also handles this automatically:

Before:

  
Multiple studies \cite{1}\cite{2}\cite{3} have shown...

After:

  
Multiple studies \cite{martinez2023neural}\cite{johnson2024quantum}\cite{patel2022sustainable} have shown...

Pro tip: You can combine these manually afterward:

  
Multiple studies \cite{martinez2023neural,johnson2024quantum,patel2022sustainable} have shown...

This renders as [1,2,3] instead of [1][2][3].

Conclusion

Converting numeric citations to proper citation keys doesn’t have to be a manual, time-consuming task. With this simple PowerShell script, you can:

✅ Process hundreds of citations in seconds
✅ Eliminate human error from manual find-replace
✅ Maintain consistency across your document
✅ Focus on your research instead of formatting

The best part? Once you set up the citation map, you can reuse the script for any document using the same bibliography.

Download the Script

You can save the complete script above, or modify it for your specific needs. The basic structure remains the same regardless of how many citations you have.

Next steps:

Copy the script to a .ps1 file
Update the $citationMap with your citations
Run it on your LaTeX file
Enjoy your properly formatted citations!

Research, LaTeX

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.

The Problem: Managing Numeric Citations in LaTeX

The Solution: PowerShell Automation

What You’ll Learn

Prerequisites

Step 1: Create Your Citation Mapping

Step 2: The PowerShell Script

Step 3: How to Use the Script

First-Time Setup (One Time Only)

Running the Script

Example: Before and After

Before (input.tex):

After (input_updated.tex):

How It Works: The Technical Details

1. The Hashtable (Dictionary)

2. The Regex Pattern

3. The Replacement Logic

Scaling Up: Working with Larger Bibliographies

Tips and Best Practices

✅ Do’s

❌ Don’ts

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: “Scripts are disabled”

Issue: “No citations were replaced”

Issue: “Warning: No mapping for citation X”

Advanced: Combining Multiple Citations

Conclusion

Download the Script

Step 2: The PowerShell Script

Step 3: How to Use the Script

First-Time Setup (One Time Only)

Running the Script

Example: Before and After

Before (input.tex):

After (input_updated.tex):

How It Works: The Technical Details

1. The Hashtable (Dictionary)

2. The Regex Pattern

3. The Replacement Logic

Scaling Up: Working with Larger Bibliographies

Tips and Best Practices

✅ Do’s

❌ Don’ts

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: “Scripts are disabled”

Issue: “No citations were replaced”

Issue: “Warning: No mapping for citation X”

Advanced: Combining Multiple Citations

Conclusion

Download the Script

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