How to Switch from natbib to biblatex (Step-by-Step)

Switching from natbib to biblatex is one of the most common LaTeX migrations. It's not hard, but there are several command changes that trip people up. Here's the complete checklist.

Step 1: Replace the package

% REMOVE:
\\usepackage[square,numbers]{natbib}
\\bibliographystyle{plainnat}

% ADD:
\\usepackage[backend=biber, style=numeric]{biblatex}
\\addbibresource{references.bib}  % note: .bib extension IS required

Step 2: Replace bibliography command

% REMOVE (at end of document):
\\bibliography{references}

% ADD:
\\printbibliography

Step 3: Update citation commands

natbib	biblatex	Output
\\cite{key}	\\cite{key}	Same (works in both)
\\citep{key}	\\parencite{key}	(Author 2024)
\\citet{key}	\\textcite{key}	Author (2024)
\\citep*{key}	\\parencite*{key}	Full author list
\\citeauthor{key}	\\citeauthor{key}	Same
\\citeyear{key}	\\citeyear{key}	Same

Step 4: Change your compile command

# Old (natbib): pdflatex → bibtex → pdflatex → pdflatex
# New (biblatex): pdflatex → biber → pdflatex → pdflatex

pdflatex main.tex
biber main          # NOT bibtex!
pdflatex main.tex
pdflatex main.tex

Step 5: Compatibility shim (optional)

If you have hundreds of \\citep/\\citet calls and don't want to rename them all:

\\usepackage[backend=biber, style=authoryear, natbib=true]{biblatex}
% natbib=true makes \\citep and \\citet work in biblatex!

Common pitfalls

• Running bibtex instead of biber — biblatex defaults to Biber
• Missing .bib extension — \\addbibresource requires it; \\bibliography didn't
• Forgetting \\printbibliography — without it, no references appear

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