Office Installation Errors

How to Fix Invalid Redirect URI Error in Mendeley Cite for Word

Adam Davis Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an invalid redirect URI error that appears when installing or downloading the Mendeley Cite add-in.

How to Fix the Invalid Redirect URI Error in Mendeley Cite

Product: Microsoft Word / Mendeley Cite
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Installing, downloading, or authenticating the Mendeley Cite add-in within Microsoft Word.
Observed behavior: An invalid redirect URI error is displayed during the installation or authentication process, preventing the add-in from functioning properly.

Before you start

Ensure that your computer is connected to a stable internet connection and that you have the necessary administrator privileges to install updates for Microsoft Office.

Solution 1Recommended

Update Microsoft Office and Reinstall Mendeley Cite

Updating both your Office suite and the Mendeley Cite add-in resolves most authentication misconfigurations and URI redirect mismatches.

The 'invalid redirect URI' error typically occurs when the authentication token from Mendeley's servers does not match the expected web address in older versions of Word or the add-in itself.

Update Microsoft Office

Open Microsoft Word, navigate to 'File' > 'Account', click on 'Update Options' under the Product Information section, and select 'Update Now' to ensure you are running the latest version.

Remove the Outdated Add-in

Go to the 'Insert' tab, click on 'Get Add-ins', and switch to the 'My Add-ins' tab. Find Mendeley Cite in the list, click the three-dot menu icon next to it, and select 'Remove'.

Reinstall Mendeley Cite

Return to the 'Get Add-ins' store menu, search for 'Mendeley Cite', and click 'Add' or 'Get it now' to install the freshest, most up-to-date version of the plugin.

Contacting Mendeley Support: Mendeley is a third-party service provider. If updating your software does not resolve the URI error, the issue may be on Mendeley's authentication servers. In this case, please contact Mendeley Support directly for further assistance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does an invalid redirect URI error mean?

This error means there is a mismatch between the web address Mendeley's secure authentication server expects to send you back to and the address provided by your Word add-in during the login process. It is almost always caused by using an outdated version of the add-in.

Why is the Mendeley add-in not updating automatically in Word?

While add-ins from the Microsoft Store generally update on their own, strict enterprise security settings, restrictive firewalls, or outdated base installations of Microsoft Office can block these background updates, requiring you to update them manually.

Can I manage my citations without using the Mendeley Cite add-in for Word?

Yes, Mendeley offers a standalone desktop application (Mendeley Reference Manager) and a web version for organizing your research. However, to automatically format and insert citations directly into your documents as you type, an active word processor add-in is required.

Installation & Activation