How to Add Mendeley to Word (Mendeley Cite Add-in): 2 Easy Methods

To add Mendeley Cite in Word, open Home → Add-ins, search for Mendeley Cite and select Add. The add-in then appears on the References tab. If Add-ins is missing from your ribbon, the Microsoft Marketplace route installs it instead.

In this guide, you’ll learn 2 easy methods to add Mendeley Cite in Word, how to confirm the install worked, and what to do when a work or university account blocks add-ins entirely. If you are setting up a long academic document, pair it with how to create a table of contents in Word.

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What Is Mendeley Cite?

Mendeley Cite is a free citation add-in from Elsevier. Once installed, it sits on the References tab and inserts citations from your Mendeley library into the document, then builds the bibliography to match. It runs as an Office add-in rather than a desktop plugin, so it works without Mendeley Desktop open.

Three things to check before you start:

• You are signed in to Word with a Microsoft account.
• Your Microsoft 365 licence permits add-ins. Word 2016 and later support them; the free web version has limits.
• Your organisation has not disabled add-ins centrally — the most common reason installation silently fails.

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How to Add Mendeley Cite in Word: Step-by-Step

Method 1 installs from inside Word and takes about a minute. Method 2 installs from the browser and exists for one reason: your ribbon has no Add-ins button. Try Method 1 first.

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Method 1: How to Add Mendeley Cite in Word Using Add-ins

This installs the add-in without leaving Word. On current versions the button sits on the Home tab; on Word 2019 look under Insert → Get Add-ins instead, and on Word 2016 under Insert → Store (or My Add-ins).

Open Add-ins

1. Open Word and select the Home tab.
2. Select Add-ins towards the right of the ribbon.
3. Select More Add-ins if the panel shows only recently used items.

👉 The Office Add-ins store opens inside Word.

Search for Mendeley Cite

4. Type Mendeley Cite in the search box.
5. Find Mendeley Cite in the results — the publisher shown should be Elsevier.
6. Select Add.

👉 Installation takes a few seconds. A Mendeley Cite sidebar opens on the right when it finishes.

Check the References Tab

7. Wait for the sidebar to appear.
8. Select References on the ribbon.
9. Look at the far right for the Mendeley Cite button.

👉 The button on the References tab means the install worked. Sign in with your Mendeley account in the sidebar to reach your library.

Mendeley Cite now sits alongside Word’s own citation tools on that tab — and if you work with source-heavy documents, the reference shortcuts in Word cover the keyboard commands for the rest of the References tab.

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Method 2: How to Add Mendeley Cite in Word from the Marketplace

Use this when your ribbon has no Add-ins button. You install from the browser and Word picks it up.

Open the Marketplace Listing

1. Search the Microsoft Marketplace for the Mendeley Cite listing.
2. Select Get it now.
3. Sign in with the same Microsoft account you use in Word.

👉 Use the account that matches your Word licence. Signing in with a personal account when Word runs on a university licence is what causes the install to complete but never appear.

Open the Add-in in Word

4. Select Open in Word.
5. Select Open Word if the browser asks for confirmation.
6. Wait for Word to load the add-in.
7. Select Accept and continue in the sidebar.
8. Select Got it on the introduction panel.

Confirm Mendeley Cite Is Installed

9. Select References on the ribbon.
10. Look at the far right for Mendeley Cite.
11. Sign in with your Mendeley account when the sidebar prompts you.

👉 Same destination as Method 1. Once the button is on the References tab, the install is permanent for that Microsoft account.

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Common Problems When Adding Mendeley Cite

There Is No Add-ins Button

Check three things in order: you are signed in to Word, your version is 2016 or later, and your licence is a full Microsoft 365 or perpetual licence rather than the free web tier. On Word 2019 the button lives under Insert → Get Add-ins, and on Word 2016 under Insert → Store or My Add-ins, not Home.

The Install Finished but Nothing Appeared

Close Word completely and reopen it, then check the References tab. If the button is still absent, the add-in probably installed against a different Microsoft account than the one Word is signed in with.

Your Organisation Has Disabled Add-ins

Universities and employers frequently block the Office add-in store by policy. If you are signed in, licensed and still cannot install, this is almost certainly the cause. Ask your IT administrator to allow Mendeley Cite specifically — many will approve a single named add-in even when the store stays locked.

The Sidebar Will Not Sign In

Your Mendeley account is separate from your Microsoft account. Installing the add-in does not sign you into Mendeley — you need your Mendeley credentials in the sidebar before your library appears.

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Pro Tips for Adding Mendeley Cite

• Install it once per Microsoft account, not per device — it follows the account to any machine you sign in on.
• Build your Mendeley library before you start writing. An empty library makes the add-in look broken.
• Pin the sidebar open while drafting. Reopening it from the References tab for every citation wastes more time than it saves.
• Set your citation style once in the sidebar rather than reformatting the bibliography by hand afterwards.
• Learn the surrounding keyboard commands too — the Microsoft Word Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet covers the ones you will use alongside citation work.

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FAQs

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Next Step: Insert Citations and a Bibliography

Once Mendeley Cite is on your References tab, you are ready to use it. Follow how to add Mendeley citations in Word to sync your library, set APA 7, insert single and multiple citations, add page numbers, and build a bibliography that stays up to date.

Conclusion

To add Mendeley Cite in Word, open Home → Add-ins, search, and select Add. The Marketplace route is there for the one case that breaks it — a ribbon with no Add-ins button. Either way you finish in the same place: a Mendeley Cite button on the References tab.

If neither method works and you are signed in with a valid licence, stop troubleshooting and email your IT administrator. A blocked add-in store is not something you can fix from your own machine.

With citations handled, the next piece of a long document is its structure — see how to create automatic chapters in Word.

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