Hongdou ConnectorHelp & Support

Hongdou Connector Guide

Save references from the web to Hongdou in one click

Hongdou Connector is the browser companion for the Hongdou desktop application. It recognizes bibliographic information on articles, books, web pages, and PDFs, then saves the reference and available attachments to your Hongdou library on the same computer.

Get started Download Hongdou desktop
Chrome 109 or later English · 简体中文 · 繁體中文 Saves only through the local Hongdou app
Start Hongdou firstThe Connector saves through the local Hongdou desktop application, which must remain running.
You initiate every saveUse the toolbar or context menu, then confirm the collection, tags, and notes.
Local-only workflowIf Hongdou cannot be reached, saving stops. The Connector does not switch to an online library.
01

Quick start

Complete these steps to save references from Chrome to Hongdou.

Before you beginInstall the latest Hongdou desktop application and run it on the same computer as the Connector. Chrome 109 or later is supported.
  1. Install and open HongdouStart the Hongdou desktop application and leave it running. The Connector itself does not require a separate sign-in.
  2. Pin the ConnectorSelect the Extensions icon in the Chrome toolbar, then pin Hongdou Connector for easy access.
  3. Open a source pageVisit an article, book, database record, web page, or PDF and let the page finish loading.
  4. Review and saveSelect the Hongdou icon, choose a destination collection, optionally add tags or a note, and select Save.
02

Save references and web pages

The Connector presents save options appropriate for the current page. Recognition depends on the information exposed by the website and support for that source.

Use the toolbar

Select the Hongdou Connector icon. When a reference is recognized, the save panel shows the item, attachments, collection, tags, and note controls.

Use the context menu

Right-click a page, link, or selected text, open “Save to Hongdou,” and choose an available reference, snapshot, PDF, or note action.

Content you can save

Journal articlesBooks & chaptersWeb pagesPDFsSnapshotsSelected text & notesAvailable attachments
Saving sign-in or subscription-protected filesFirst confirm that you can open the attachment in the current browser. The Connector may transiently use the source site's signed-in session to retrieve a file you chose to save.
03

Recognition and save status

Reference recognized

The toolbar icon reflects the content type. Open it to review the title, authors, and attachments before saving.

Generic web page shown

The site may not have a dedicated recognizer, or the page may still be loading. You can usually still save the page and a snapshot.

Save completed

After the panel reports success, open the selected collection in Hongdou desktop to view the item and downloaded attachments.

Hongdou disconnected

If the local desktop app cannot be reached, the Connector stops the save. Start Hongdou and follow the checks below.

04

Troubleshooting

First update Chrome, the Hongdou desktop application, and Hongdou Connector. Then start with the issue closest to what you see.

“Hongdou is not running or cannot be reached”
  1. Confirm that Hongdou desktop has fully started, rather than merely being installed.
  2. Quit and reopen Hongdou, refresh the source page, and try again.
  3. Confirm that the Connector and desktop application are both current.
  4. Check whether security software, a proxy, or an enterprise policy blocks the local loopback address 127.0.0.1:18500.
The toolbar button does nothing or the page is never recognized
  1. Refresh the page after installing or updating the extension.
  2. Open chrome://extensions, select Details for Hongdou Connector, and allow site access where you need it.
  3. Confirm that the page is a regular HTTP or HTTPS page. Extensions cannot run on protected pages such as Chrome settings and the Chrome Web Store.
  4. Wait for the page to finish loading and retry.
Only a generic web page is offered; title or authors are not recognized
  1. Refresh the page and confirm that you opened the record or article page rather than search results or a sign-in redirect.
  2. Update and restart Hongdou to load the currently available site recognizers.
  3. Open chrome://extensions → Hongdou Connector Details → Extension options → Advanced, reset translators, and retry.
  4. If recognition still fails, save the web page and report the URL and expected result to support.
A PDF or attachment fails to download
  1. Open the PDF or attachment directly in the current Chrome tab to confirm that your access and sign-in are valid.
  2. Keep the source page open while the attachment is loading.
  3. Check whether the site limits bulk downloads or requests another verification step.
  4. Retry only the failed save. Do not post copyrighted or private files in a public support message.
The interface language is unexpected

Hongdou Connector supports English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese and follows Chrome's interface language. After changing the Chrome language order, restart the browser. If the language does not update, reload or update the Connector from the Extensions page.

How to collect a local diagnostic log
  1. Open chrome://extensions, select Details for Hongdou Connector, and open Extension options.
  2. Under Advanced, temporarily enable logging and reproduce the issue once.
  3. Select View Output and copy only the relevant section.
  4. Logs may contain source-page URLs and other diagnostic details. Review them before sharing, submit them only with a support request, and then disable and clear logging.
05

Privacy and security

The Connector requests page access so it can recognize and save content on publisher, library, and research websites. This access is not used for advertising or browsing profiles.

Local save

After you initiate a save, relevant data goes to the Hongdou desktop application on the same computer.

Task-limited processing

Page content, URLs, and source-site sign-in state are used only to recognize content and complete the save you selected.

No advertising profiles

The Connector does not sell user data or use it for advertising, credit decisions, or profiling unrelated to saving references.

For full details, read the Hongdou Connector Privacy Policy.

06

Frequently asked questions

Can I save without opening Hongdou desktop?

No. The Connector saves only through the Hongdou desktop application on the same computer. If Hongdou is unavailable, the save stops and does not switch to an online library.

Does the Connector require its own account?

The Connector has no separate account or sign-in screen. Whether the desktop application requires an account depends on the Hongdou version and features you use.

Why does the Connector need access to all websites?

References may appear on any publisher, database, library, or regular website. Page access is used to detect bibliographic information, update the save icon, and retrieve a page or attachment after you choose to save it.

Can every website be recognized automatically?

The Connector supports many common research sites, but results depend on the site's structure, access restrictions, and available recognizers. Unsupported sources can usually still be saved as a web page or snapshot.

Where can I find the Connector version?

Open chrome://extensions in Chrome and find Hongdou Connector. The version is shown there, along with a link to its detailed settings.

07

Get support

If these steps do not resolve the issue, contact us through the Aegean Lezhi product support center. To help us diagnose the problem, include:

  • Hongdou Connector version
  • Chrome and operating-system versions
  • Hongdou desktop version
  • URL where the problem occurs
  • Steps that reproduce the issue
  • Expected and actual results
  • A screenshot, when helpful
  • Relevant log lines after review and redaction
Aegean Lezhi Product Support CenterDo not include passwords, cookies, paywalled full-text files, or other sensitive information in a public issue description.
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