Office Settings & Configuration

How to Remove the Mendeley Cite Add-in from Microsoft Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is unable to delete or completely remove the Mendeley Cite add-in from Microsoft Word.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to clean up the Word interface by uninstalling an unwanted or malfunctioning citation extension.
Observed behavior: The Mendeley Cite document or add-in persists within Microsoft Word and cannot be deleted using standard removal methods.

Before you start

Ensure that all your active Microsoft Word documents are saved and closed, as you will need to restart the application to apply the add-in changes.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable the Mendeley Add-in via COM Add-ins

Turn off the add-in directly within Microsoft Word settings to prevent it from loading on startup.

Open Word Options

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

Access Add-ins

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

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the window next to 'Manage:', select 'COM Add-ins' from the dropdown menu and click the 'Go...' button.

Disable the Plug-in

In the COM Add-ins window, locate the Mendeley plug-in, uncheck the box next to it, and click 'OK'.

Restart Word

Close Microsoft Word completely and reopen it to ensure the Mendeley add-in is no longer active.

Solution 2

Uninstall the Mendeley Plug-in via Control Panel

If disabling the add-in within Word does not work, remove the software completely from your operating system.

Solution 3

Contact Mendeley Support

Reach out to the official Mendeley support team if the add-in remains stuck after trying the previous methods.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Mendeley Cite add-in keep reappearing in Word?

This usually happens if the add-in was installed globally at the system level or if your school/institution enforces its installation via group policy. Uninstalling it directly from the Windows Control Panel or contacting your IT administrator can resolve this.

What is the difference between the Mendeley Desktop plugin and Mendeley Cite?

Mendeley Cite is a newer, standalone add-in distributed through the Microsoft Store, whereas the older Mendeley Desktop plugin was installed locally via the Mendeley Desktop application and is managed through Word's COM Add-ins menu.

Can I remove add-ins from the 'My Add-ins' store menu instead of COM Add-ins?

Yes, if you installed Mendeley Cite via the Microsoft Office Store. Go to Insert > Get Add-ins > My Add-ins, click the three dots next to Mendeley Cite, and select 'Remove'. If it was installed via the desktop app, you must use the COM Add-ins method.

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