Track citations,
skip browser.
CiteBar brings Google Scholar updates directly to your menu bar. Check your h-index at a glance, jump to profiles instantly, and monitor 30-day citation growth. Open source, free, notarized by Apple, and designed specifically for macOS.
Designed for focus.
If you find yourself opening browser tabs just to check if anything changed, CiteBar moves that quick check into the menu bar.
See recent momentum
Spot short-term citation movement quickly. CiteBar tracks 30-day changes so you can see recent growth instead of relying on total counts alone.
Follow multiple profiles
Keep your own profile, collaborators, advisors, or lab pages all inside one lightweight app.
Privacy at the core
Settings and history are stored locally on your Mac and never sent as telemetry to any external servers.
Open Source
The code is fully public on GitHub and the project is released under the permissive MIT License.
Get started in seconds.
Download the notarized DMG, move CiteBar to Applications, and add your Scholar profile.
Download CiteBar
Get the latest universal, notarized DMG from GitHub Releases.
Move to Applications
Open the downloaded DMG and drag CiteBar.app into your Applications folder.
Open CiteBar
Launch CiteBar from Applications. macOS may show a standard first-launch confirmation for downloaded apps.
Add Profile
Paste a Google Scholar profile URL into Settings, choose your refresh schedule, and you're all set.
Need Help?
Version 1.5.0+ is signed and notarized. If macOS still blocks launch, delete the download and install the latest DMG again from the official release page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CiteBar open source and free to use?
Yes. CiteBar is completely open source on GitHub under the MIT License, and it is free to use forever.
How does CiteBar handle privacy and data?
Your data stays on your device. Settings and citation history are stored locally on your Mac, and the app never sends telemetry or tracking data to any CiteBar servers.
Why does macOS say "CiteBar is damaged and can't be opened"?
CiteBar 1.5.0+ is signed with Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple. If you see this warning on a current release, delete the downloaded DMG and install the latest release again from the official GitHub Releases page. Older pre-1.5.0 builds may show this warning on newer macOS versions.
What if macOS says "Cannot verify developer"?
Current releases should show a verified Developer ID prompt. If macOS cannot verify the developer, make sure you downloaded CiteBar 1.5.0+ from the official GitHub Releases page.
I am on version 1.3.x or 1.4.1 and auto-update fails. What should I do?
Manually download and install the latest DMG from GitHub this one time. After you have upgraded to a current release, the in-app automatic update feature should work normally for future releases.
What should I paste when adding a Scholar profile?
Paste the full, public Google Scholar profile URL. For example: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XXXXXXX. It can be your own profile or any other public profile you wish to track.
Where should I report bugs or request features?
Please use GitHub Issues to report any problems or suggest new ideas. Be sure to include your macOS version and CiteBar version when reporting bugs.
Ready to track your impact?
Join researchers who monitor their citations smoothly from the menu bar.
Download CiteBar