Mendeley Integration

This capability is provided by ayaka-notes/ayakaleaf-pro with OAuth 2.0 support and is available from v6.3.0. We welcome your feedback if you encounter any problems.

Setup Mendeley Integration

1. Navigate to this link to register a Mendeley OAuth application
2. Configure Redirect URL as: ${OVERLEAF_SITE_URL}/user/mendeley/oauth/callback
3. Note the generated ID (ususally digital like 24061 as below) and Secret of your application
4. Modify your config/variables.env
5. Just keep Authorisation Flow: Elsevier (as recommended)

config/variables.env

#################
#   Mendeley    #
#################
# 'mendeley' must be in ENABLED_LINKED_FILE_TYPES (keep 'zotero' too if you use both)
ENABLED_LINKED_FILE_TYPES=project_file,project_output_file,url,mendeley

# From a Mendeley OAuth application (register at https://dev.mendeley.com/myapps.html)
# Redirect URL -> ${OVERLEAF_SITE_URL}/user/mendeley/oauth/callback
MENDELEY_CLIENT_ID=
MENDELEY_CLIENT_SECRET=
# Encrypts the Mendeley OAuth tokens in mongo; if unset, a key file is generated
# in /var/lib/overleaf/data on first use
# How to generate: `openssl rand -hex 32`
MENDELEY_CIPHER_PASSWORD=
# Optional: route the module's server-side Mendeley requests (OAuth + API) through
# an HTTP proxy (must be reachable from the web container; same as github-sync)
# http://10.0.0.1:10808
# (Optional) MENDELEY_PROXY_URL=

mendeley must be included in ENABLED_LINKED_FILE_TYPES (keep zotero in the list too if you use both). MENDELEY_CLIENT_ID and MENDELEY_CLIENT_SECRET come from your registered OAuth application. The cipher password encrypts the Mendeley OAuth tokens in MongoDB (generate one via openssl rand -hex 32); without it a key file is generated in the data volume on first use. Optionally set MENDELEY_PROXY_URL to route the server-side Mendeley requests (OAuth + API) through an HTTP proxy accessible from the web container.

Notes

When upgrading an existing installation with Mendeley linked bibliography files to the re-released 6.3.0, follow the Zotero / Mendeley migration instructions. New installations do not need this migration.

Since Ayakaleaf is a collaborative platform, to improve security, starting with version 6.3.0, only the original creator of a Reference bib file will be allowed to update the imported file.

For example, suppose the project owner, User A, enables link sharing and creates a test.bib file in the project, linking it to their own Zotero account. If another user, User B, accesses the project through the shared link, User B will still be able to read and download test.bib, but will not be allowed to update or re-import the file from Zotero. Only User A, as the original creator of the Reference file, can perform updates. Conversely, only the original creator of the .bib file has permission to update it.