Springer has six different bibliography style files (.bst). Each journal requires a specific one: spbasic, spmpsci, spphys, splncs04, and two sn-* variants for the newer Springer Nature template.
Using the wrong one doesn't throw a compilation error. Your paper compiles fine. But the production editor will flag it and send it back. It's a silent problem that costs you time.
Same story with the document class options in svjour3 , most journals require "smallextended" but the template defaults to "standard." Paper compiles, looks fine in Overleaf, wrong margins in production.
If you're spending time on this instead of your research, there's a Springer LaTeX formatting service that handles svjour3, sn-jnl, and LNCS , including verifying the correct .bst for your specific journal. Fixed price, 72 hours standard.
![arXiv doesn't run BibTeX. That's why your references show as [?].](https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=1200,height=627,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fm7ei1mggwegmcm2di86v.png)
