# Capture template for org-roam-bibtex to keep notes in single file

**URL:** <https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/capture-template-for-org-roam-bibtex-to-keep-notes-in-single-file/2196>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [November 8, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/capture-template-for-org-roam-bibtex-to-keep-notes-in-single-file/2196 "2021-11-08T15:03:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nonreligious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c68b51/32.png) [@nonreligious](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/nonreligious)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/capture-template-for-org-roam-bibtex-to-keep-notes-in-single-file/2196/1 "2021-11-08T15:03:15Z")

</div>

As the title says, I want to setup `org-roam-bibtex` so that I can capture notes for different papers/articles in a single file.

This is what is in my `init.el`:

```auto
(use-package org-roam-bibtex
  :after org-roam 
  :hook (org-roam-mode . org-roam-bibtex-mode)
  :config
  (setq orb-preformat-keywords
	'("citekey" "title" "url" "author-or-editor" "keywords" "file")
	orb-process-file-keyword t
	orb-file-field-extensions '("pdf"))
  (add-to-list 'org-roam-capture-templates
	       '("r" "bibliography reference" plain
		 (file "~/org-roam/org-notes/template")
		 :if-new
		 (file+head "~/org-roam/org-notes/${citekey}.org" "#+title: ${title}\n")))
  (add-to-list 'org-roam-capture-templates
	       '("w" "work bib reference" plain
		 (file "~/org-roam/org-notes/template")
		 :if-new
		 (node "Work notes")
		 )) )

```

(I also have some related `org-ref` and `org-noter` settings but this post is already pretty long.)

**The template file looks like this:**

```auto
* %^{title}
:PROPERTIES:
:Custom_ID: %^{citekey}
:URL: %^{url}
:AUTHOR: %^{author-or-editor}
:NOTER_DOCUMENT: %^{file}  
:NOTER_PAGE:               
:END:

- tags ::
- keywords :: %^{keywords}

```

The file `Work-notes.org` has its own `org-id` and properties at the start of the document:

```auto
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 6afe41ce-2572-4c55-b624-f43e65d7ccc8
:ROAM_ALIASES: "Work notes"
:END:

```

On the line `cite:wisemanTwoBellTheorems2014`, doing `C-c C-o` will give me my `helm` popup, and choosing `Add notes` gives me the capture interface.

Hitting `w` gives me an error:

```auto
orb-edit-note caught an error during capture: Capture abort: Args out of range: 0, 0

```

and I am not shown the notes page.

It also adds `:ROAM_REFS: cite:wisemanTwoBellTheorems2014` to the `PROPERTIES` drawer of `Work-notes.org`.

However, if I make a new Headline in `Work-notes.org`

```auto
* Symmetry breaking patterns in superstring models
:PROPERTIES:
:Custom_ID: wittenSymmetryBreakingPatterns1985
:URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0550321385906030
:AUTHOR: Witten, E.
:ROAM_REFS: cite:wittenSymmetryBreakingPatterns1985
:NOTER_DOCUMENT: ~/Dropbox/papers/Witten_1985_Symmetry breaking patterns in superstring models.pdf  
:NOTER_PAGE:               
:ID: 8e376322-ee58-4b83-9b20-bc2d1d1d5447
:END:

```

And do `C-c C-o` on `cite:wittenSymmetryBreakingPatterns1985`, I get the option to `Open notes`, and am led to the correct headline and notes.

What can I do to make sure that I’m adding the desired behavior when I want to create notes for a citation? (If you have a simpler setup that is similar to what I want, please share!)

I think it’s related to creating an org `UUID` for the headline, but I’m not quite sure how to do this in the template.

I’m using `org-roam-version 2.1.0`, and `emacs-version 27.2`.