The molecule of (E)-3-(3-MeOC 6 H 4 CH=CHCO)-benzotriazole 1-oxide, 2, has a very near planar structure, while the 2-nitrophenyl ring is rotated out of the plane of the remaining atoms in (E)-3-(2-O 2 NC 6 H 4 CH=CHCO)-benzotriazole 1-oxide, 1. The nitrogen oxide bond lengths in 1 and 2 are 1.258 (6) and 1.2683 (15) Å , respectively, and are in the region found for related compounds. There are no strong intermolecular hydrogen-bonds in either compound, instead there are weak C-HÁÁÁO intermolecular hydrogen-bonds and pÁÁÁp stacking interactions in 1, and C-HÁÁÁO, C-HÁÁÁp, and pÁÁÁp stacking interactions in 2. Different three-dimensional arrays are generated in each case. Compound 1 crystallises in the orthorhombic space group Pna2 1 , with a = 25.061 (2) Å , b = 3.6997 (2) Å , c = 14.2623 (12) Å and Z = 4. Compound 2 crystallises in the triclinic space group P-1, with a = 5.7297 (3) Å , b = 10.8440 (6) Å , c = 11.4965 (6) Å , a = 89.689 (3)°, b = 76.019 (3)°, c = 75.047 (3)°, Z = 2.