Managing Scrible Writer: Install, Use, and Troubleshoot

The Scrible Writer Add-on allows you to seamlessly insert citations, annotations, and bibliographies from your Scrible Library into Google Docs. This guide walks you through how to install the add-on, connect your account, switch libraries, and resolve common issues.

Installing the Scrible Writer Add-on and Connecting Your Account

Install the Scrible Writer add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace.  

Open a Google Doc and select  Extensions, Scrible Writer, and Start to open the sidebar.  

The first time you do this, you will need to connect your Scrible account. 

• Click the blue Connect to Scrible account button. A window will open to sign in.  After you sign in (or if you are already signed in) a page opens confirming you have successfully signed in. You can close that tab.  

• If the add-on is still showing the sign-in screen, close it and reopen the Scrible Writer add-on and you should be signed in.

• If during the connection step, you see a message saying that a token expired, return to the Google Doc, close the Scrible Writer add-on sidebar, then reopen it and try again.

Switching Libraries in Scrible Writer

Scrible Writer defaults to the last library you accessed. To change it:

1. Open the Scrible Writer panel.

2. Click the person icon in the top-right corner of the sidebar.

3. Select Change Library from the dropdown menu.

⚠️ WARNING: This option is meant to be used before inserting any citations.
If you’ve already added citations from one library and then switch to a different one:

• Those existing citations will no longer be updated.

• The bibliography page will be overwritten to reflect only the sources in the newly chosen library.

Troubleshooting Common Scrible Writer Issues

⚠️ Common Error Messages and How to Fix Them

If you receive an error while using Scrible Writer, it could be due to:

• Not being signed in – Make sure you’re logged into Scrible within the add-on.

• Library mismatch – Confirm you're using the correct library for your document.

• Permission issues – Ensure the add-on has the necessary permissions.

• Session timeout – Refresh the Google Doc and restart the add-on.

• Multiple account conflicts – Sign out of additional Google or Scrible accounts.

Error Message

Using the Scrible Writer extension in Google Docs while logged in to multiple Google accounts can cause issues on Google's end. The message, "There was a failure while registering this document with the bibliography. Please try again in a minute," appears at the bottom of the Scrible Writer box. 

To resolve this, navigate to drive.google.com and click on the Avatar (picture/initial) in the upper right corner. A dropdown will appear:

If one or more accounts appear in the section by the arrow, select the sign out of all accounts button.

Sign back into the Google account associated with your Scrible account. 

Why You Might See a Duplicate Works Cited Page

You may notice two bibliography sections in your document. This usually happens if:

• You inserted a bibliography twice without deleting the original.

• A document was copied or edited in a way that preserved a previous bibliography.

To resolve:

• Scroll to the end of the document.

• Delete one of the works cited sections.

• If needed, re-insert the bibliography using the Scrible Writer add-on.

Still having trouble? Reach out via the HelpSite for support.