Instead, you download Zotero itself , and then you install the (officially called the Zotero Word for Windows/Mac integration ).

Here is the crucial thing you need to understand:

If that button is grayed out, don’t panic. It means the plugin is already installed, but Word can’t find it. Read the troubleshooting section below. Launch Microsoft Word. Look at your top ribbon (the bar with "Home," "Insert," "Design," etc.).

Instead, think of it as

If everything worked, you will see a new tab labeled (or sometimes "Add-Ins").

You’ve installed Zotero. You’ve installed Microsoft Word. But somehow, the little Zotero toolbar isn’t showing up in your document. You can’t insert citations. You can’t magically generate a bibliography.