Mendeley Cite not working in Word? Causes and fixes

By Suzanne O’Regan · Published Sep 18, 2026 · Updated Sep 19, 2026

Mendeley Cite can fail for several reasons. Common causes include organization-level restrictions on Office add-ins, account mismatches, browser security settings, limitations in Word 2016, and compatibility problems following Word updates.

To find the right fix, start with the troubleshooting checklist below, then find the section that matches your problem for more specific guidance.

Start here: Mendeley Cite troubleshooting checklist

Before trying a specific fix, work through these steps:

1. Save and back up your document. If Word is unstable, create a separate copy before troubleshooting.
2. Close and reopen Word and/or restart your computer. This can clear a temporary problem with the add-in or its web content.
3. Test Mendeley Cite in a new document. If Mendeley Cite works there, the original document may be contributing to the problem.
4. Check your internet connection. Confirm that Word can access the internet and that a firewall, VPN, or security tool is not blocking Office add-ins.
5. Update Word. Install the latest version available.
6. Confirm which accounts you are using. Check that you are signed in to the intended Microsoft and Mendeley accounts.
7. Test Mendeley Cite in Word Online. This can help distinguish a desktop-specific problem from an account or service problem.
8. Remove and re-add Mendeley Cite. In the Home tab in Word, open the Add-ins menu, click More Add-ins, click My Add-ins in the top left, find Mendeley Cite, click its 3-dot menu and select Remove to remove it. Then restart Word, and install it again.
9. Check for conflicts with other Word add-ins. Disable other Word add-ins temporarily, one at a time, and test again.
10. Ask IT to check managed settings. If you use an institutional or work computer, your organization may control Microsoft Marketplace access, internet security settings, or add-in deployment.

Check whether your Word version is supported by Mendeley Cite

According to Elsevier’s system requirements, Mendeley Cite requires one of the following:

• Microsoft 365
• Word 2016 or later, with a minimum build of 16.0.4390.1000
• The Microsoft Word app for iPad.

If your version of Word is older than the minimum supported build, Mendeley Cite may not install or run correctly. Update Word if possible.

For older versions that cannot be updated, Elsevier recommends using the legacy citation plugin included with Mendeley Desktop.

Word can’t install or open Mendeley Cite

"Office Store has been configured to prevent individual acquisition of add-ins"

You may see one of these messages when you try to install or open Mendeley Cite:

• “Sorry, Office 365 has been configured to prevent individual acquisition of Office Store add-ins”
• “We can’t start the add-in because it isn’t set up properly”
• “Office Store not available”
• “We couldn’t load this add-in because we couldn’t connect to the catalogue”

According to Elsevier’s support guidance, these errors can occur when an administrator has restricted Office add-ins, a firewall or security policy is blocking access, or Word cannot connect to the internet.

If you use Word through a university, employer, or other organization, ask your IT administrator whether Office Store / Microsoft Marketplace add-ins are permitted. If they are blocked, your administrator can make Mendeley Cite available through Microsoft’s centralised deployment of add-ins.

As a temporary alternative, you may be able to sign in to the free version of Word Online with a personal Microsoft account and install Mendeley Cite there. If your organization does not restrict add-ins, check the email addresses associated with your Microsoft and Mendeley accounts next.

If add-ins aren’t blocked, check your account email addresses

If Word can access the Office Store but still shows a “couldn’t connect to the catalogue” error, check which email addresses you use for Microsoft and Mendeley.

In a Microsoft Q&A thread, several users reported that Mendeley Cite loaded after they used the same email address for both accounts. This is a user-reported solution rather than official troubleshooting guidance, but it is a quick step to try before making more complex changes.

1. Check the email address associated with your Microsoft account in Word.
2. Check the email address registered to your Mendeley account.
3. If they differ, sign in with matching accounts and reopen Mendeley Cite.

If the error continues, return to the previous section to check for organization-level restrictions, firewall rules, or other connection problems.

The Mendeley Cite panel is blank or white

If the Mendeley Cite panel opens in Word but remains blank, the web content used by the add-in may be blocked by your internet security settings.

Elsevier recommends checking the following settings in Word Desktop:

• Windows: Set the Internet Explorer security level for the internet zone to Medium-high. You can find this setting in Windows under Internet Options.
• Mac: Make sure JavaScript is enabled in Safari’s security settings. Mendeley Cite uses Safari’s web engine to display content inside Word.

Restart Word after changing the relevant setting, then open Mendeley Cite again. If your computer is managed by a university or employer, ask your IT team before changing security settings.

Mendeley Cite disappears from the References tab

If Mendeley Cite disappears after you close and reopen Word 2016, you may be encountering a known limitation of that version of Word.

According to Elsevier’s support guidance, add-ins downloaded from Microsoft AppSource do not remain on the Word 2016 ribbon after Word is closed. Microsoft does not plan to change this behavior.

To reopen Mendeley Cite in Word 2016:

1. Click the Insert tab in Word.
2. Select My Add-ins.
3. Choose Mendeley Cite from the menu.

You may need to repeat these steps each time you reopen Word. If you use Mendeley Cite regularly, upgrading to a newer supported version of Word is a more convenient long-term solution.

Mendeley Cite works in Word Online but not in the desktop app

If Mendeley Cite works in Word Online but fails in the desktop app, the problem is likely specific to your local Word installation, version, or security settings.

In a Microsoft Q&A thread, users reported problems with Mendeley Cite in Microsoft 365 for Windows while the add-in continued to work in Word Online. In this situation, Word Online can provide a temporary way to continue working while you troubleshoot the desktop app.

Try the following:

1. Update Word to the latest version available for your update channel.
2. Close Word completely, restart your computer, and reopen the document.
3. Remove Mendeley Cite from your Office add-ins, then add it again.
4. Test the add-in in a new document to determine whether the problem is limited to one file.
5. Disable other Word add-ins temporarily, one at a time, to check for a conflict.
6. If the computer is managed by your university or employer, ask IT to check the Office add-in and security policies applied to your account.

Word Online is not guaranteed to resolve every problem. Users in another Microsoft Q&A thread reported that Mendeley Cite also became unresponsive in the browser. If the add-in fails in both versions of Word, continue with the general troubleshooting checklist below or contact Elsevier support.

Word becomes slow or crashes when you insert a Mendeley citation

If Word becomes progressively slower or crashes after you insert or edit a citation, first check whether the problem began after a recent Office update.

Users in a Microsoft Q&A thread reported this behavior in 2025 after installing Word version 2506, build 18925.20184. Some affected users said that returning to version 2505 resolved the problem. This is a user-reported workaround rather than an official fix from Microsoft or Elsevier.

Before considering a rollback:

1. Save a backup copy of your document.
2. Install the latest available updates for Word and Mendeley Cite, as a later release may have resolved the compatibility problem.
3. Restart Word and test Mendeley Cite in a new document.
4. If possible, use Word Online temporarily to confirm whether the problem is limited to the desktop app.

If the problem began immediately after installing version 2506 and continues on your system, the Q&A thread describes rolling Office back to version 2505, build 18827.20202, using the Office Deployment Tool. Users in the thread recommend selecting the Monthly Enterprise Channel.

If Mendeley Cite remains unreliable

Mendeley Cite is a web add-in distributed through Microsoft Marketplace. Its availability can be affected by your organization’s Office policies, local security settings, internet access, and compatibility with your current Word build.

If problems continue after you have tried the steps above:

1. Record your Word version and build number.
2. Note whether the problem occurs in Word Desktop, Word Online, or both.
3. Take a screenshot of any error message.
4. Contact Elsevier support or your organization’s IT team with those details.

If Mendeley Cite continues to interrupt your work, you may want to evaluate an alternative reference manager. Paperpile supports citations in both Word and Google Docs, so Google Docs can provide an alternative writing environment if your organization restricts Word add-ins.

If you decide to try Paperpile, our Migrate from Mendeley guide explains how to transfer your Mendeley library.

You can also read Does Word have a reference manager? for an overview of Word’s built-in reference tools.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mendeley Cite

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