> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://overleaf-pro.ayaka.space/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://overleaf-pro.ayaka.space/latex/questions-and-answers/03-bibtex-isn-t-working-my-cite-are-showing-up-as-question-marks.md).

# BibTeX isn't working; my \cite are showing up as question marks (?)

This can happen for a number of reasons:

* Have you used any `\cite` commands in your document? Only bib entries that have been `\cite` in the main text will appear in the bibliography list.
* Did you specify the correct `.bib` file name (without extensions) for `\bibliography{...}`? It's case sensitive, so watch out for typos.
* Have you specified the bibliography style with a `\bibliographystyle{...}`? If the style isn't [a standard one that comes with TeX Live](/latex/questions-and-answers/84-which-bibtex-styles-are-available-on-overleaf.md), you will need to upload the `.bst` file to your project.
* You may have a syntax error in your `.bib` file that's preventing bibtex from parsing it correctly. If so, there should be some information about this in the warning messages; fix them accordingly and bibtex should be able to read them again.
* Is your `.bib` file or main `.tex` file in a folder that has spaces or unusual characters in its name? The main `.tex` file should always be at the top level, and files in folders with spaces or unusual characters can sometimes not be found by the compile process.
* If you have done all of the above and the citations still are't working: This may also happen in some edge cases, due to how lines are formatted in the .log file and how the build tool reads the file. Adding `\typeout{}` just before your `\bibliography{...}` may help.

For more information about BibTeX, take our [free online interactive tutorial](/latex/more-topics/13-free-online-introduction-to-latex-part-1.md), or take a look at this [video tutorial](/latex/questions-and-answers/49-how-to-include-a-bibliography-using-bibtex.md) and [Wikibook articles](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Bibliography_Management).


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