BibCheck — free BibTeX & citation checker
Check your .bib file for duplicates, missing keys, and orphans. Paste your bibliography, click once, and get a line-by-line problem report.
What BibCheck does
Paste your .bib file — and optionally your manuscript text (.tex or plain) — then click Check for issues.
- Flags duplicate keys and matching titles, broken cite keys, and missing references.
- Missing/orphan-citation checks against your manuscript text: entries you never cite, and citations with no .bib entry.
- Optional Verify citations — checks your entries against live scholarly databases (large bibliographies up to a per-run limit; adds up to ~1 minute).
- Free, no sign-up needed — daily limits apply for fair use.
Why this matters
A single duplicate key or an entry you cite but forgot to define can bounce a submission or silently drop a reference. BibCheck reads your .bib (and optionally your manuscript) and returns a line-by-line problem report: duplicate keys and matching titles, broken cite keys, entries you never cite, and citations with no matching entry. Optionally it verifies your entries against live scholarly databases (large bibliographies up to a per-run limit) so you catch references that don't resolve.
Examples
Duplicate detection
Two entries, smith2020 and smith20, share the DOI 10.1/x → BibCheck flags smith20 as a duplicate of smith2020 (match type: DOI, score 100).
Orphan / uncited check
Your .bib defines jones2019 but the manuscript never cites it → it's reported as an uncited entry, so you can drop it before submission.
FAQ
Do I need my manuscript, or just the .bib?
The .bib alone covers duplicates, broken keys and malformed entries. Add your .tex or plain text to also get missing-citation and orphan checks.
What does “Verify citations” do?
It checks your entries against live scholarly databases and adds up to about a minute. For a large bibliography it verifies up to a per-run limit — the result shows how many of your entries were checked. It flags entries that don't resolve; it does not rewrite them.
Is my bibliography stored?
No manuscript or bibliography text is stored after processing.
Does it fix problems automatically?
No — BibCheck reports issues so you stay in control of the edits; it does not silently change your file.
Related
Once the bibliography is clean, run PreSubmit for a full venue-readiness pass, or keep the good references in your Library. Building a bibliography from scratch? Cite exports a .bib you can bring straight back here.
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