Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Mendeley Plugin Missing from Microsoft Word

Steve K Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to locate the Mendeley plugin in Microsoft Word and needs to restore it to manage citations.

How to Restore a Missing Mendeley Plugin in Microsoft Word

Product: Microsoft Word, Mendeley
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Writing an academic paper or document requiring citations using the Mendeley reference manager.
Observed behavior: The Mendeley plugin does not appear in the Microsoft Word ribbon, even after reinstalling the Mendeley application.

Before you start

Ensure that you have administrator privileges on your computer, as modifying COM Add-ins and repairing program installations requires elevated permissions. Also, save and close any active Word documents before troubleshooting.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable the Mendeley Add-in via Word Options

Often, Word disables third-party plugins automatically if they slow down the startup process. Re-enabling it in the COM Add-ins menu usually resolves the issue.

Microsoft Office has a built-in feature that disables add-ins that cause performance issues. Checking the disabled add-ins list is the most common fix for this issue.

Open Word Options

Open Microsoft Word, click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Navigate to Add-ins

In the Word Options dialog box, click on 'Add-ins' located in the left-hand sidebar.

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the window, locate the 'Manage' dropdown menu, select 'Word Add-ins' or 'COM Add-ins', and click the 'Go...' button.

Enable Mendeley

Check the box next to the Mendeley add-in in the list, then click 'OK' to restore the plugin to your ribbon.

Enable the Mendeley Add-in via Word Options

Tip: If you don't see Mendeley in the COM Add-ins list, check the 'Disabled Items' list in the Manage dropdown menu to see if it was forcefully blocked.

Solution 2

Repair the Mendeley Desktop Installation

If the plugin files are damaged, running the built-in repair tool for Mendeley can restore the necessary files required for the Word integration.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word automatically disable my Mendeley plugin?

Microsoft Word monitors add-ins for performance. If an add-in takes too long to load during startup, Word may disable it automatically to improve application launch speed. You can easily override this in the Add-ins menu.

Is the newest version of Mendeley Cite compatible with older versions of Word?

Mendeley Cite generally requires Office 2016 or newer. If you are using an older version like Office 2013, you might need to use the older Mendeley Desktop application and its legacy plugin instead.

What should I do if the Mendeley add-in is missing from the COM Add-ins list entirely?

If it is completely missing, the integration was not installed correctly. Open your Mendeley Desktop application, go to 'Tools' in the top menu bar, and click 'Install MS Word Plugin' to manually push the add-in into Word.

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