> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Mendeley Integration

> Link your Mendeley account, import a library into a .bib file, cite from it, refresh it and unlink.

Import a Mendeley library into a project as a `.bib` file, then cite from it as usual. The file is a copy: it changes only when you click **Refresh**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If you see no Mendeley option in **Account settings**, ask your administrator to turn on [Mendeley Integration](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/configuration/overleaf-toolkit/integrations/mendeley-integration.md).

## Link your Mendeley account

You do this once.

**1. Open your account settings**

Click **Account**, then **Account settings**. Under **Reference managers**, find **Mendeley** and click **Link to Mendeley**.

![The Mendeley section of the account settings with a Link to Mendeley button](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-link.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=43a88271d557e5660f474ae8e3e80cc0)

Mendeley in the account settings

The **Mendeley** card in the editor's **Integrations** panel takes you to the same place, in the same tab.

![The Integrations panel with the Mendeley card](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-integrations.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=586224f164bf209f8b2d61c71730a5ef)

The Integrations panel

**2. Authorize on Mendeley**

Mendeley opens. Sign in if you are asked to, then authorize the application.

**3. Check the link**

You are back in the account settings. A green message says **Reference manager linked**, and the button now says **Unlink**.

![The Mendeley section of the account settings with a green message and an Unlink button](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-linked.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=bf37ef9eb9855e8de7b64877fba05670)

Your Mendeley account is linked

If you do not allow access on Mendeley, the same section says **Sorry, something went wrong**. Click **Link to Mendeley** to try again.

## Create a file from your library

**1. Open the Add files dialog**

Open a project. In the file tree, click **New file**, then **From Mendeley**. This entry is only there once your account is linked.

**2. Choose the file name and the library**

**File Name** starts as `mendeley.bib`. Keep the `.bib` ending: without it you get no preview, and neither `\cite` nor `\bibliography` finds its entries.

**Library** starts as **My Library**, and also lists your groups. One file holds one library.

![The From Mendeley tab of the Add files dialog with mendeley.bib and My Library](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-new-file.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=81c9f863e1a6da6682d085b9527a5656)

A file from your personal library

**3. Click Create**

The dialog closes and the file is in the file tree. Click it: it shows when it was imported, and its entries. You cannot edit it in the editor.

![The imported mendeley.bib open in the editor with a Refresh button](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-file.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=3cb1a53b2e2e3d1e9c8fb052d6f746ae)

The imported file

If **Create** seems to do nothing, a file with that name already exists. Choose another name.

### Import a group

Do the same again, with a file name of its own, and choose the group under **Library**. A project can have several of these files.

![The From Mendeley tab with the file name journal-club.bib and the library Journal club](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-group.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=36e33f80803a06290ecba88187949079)

A file from a group

## Cite from the file

**1. Start a citation**

In a `.tex` file, type `\cite{`. The list shows the entries of all the `.bib` files in the project. Click one to insert it.

![The editor listing citation keys under a citation](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-cite.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=644bc6dd85a43536dc1a9929c9d1f493)

The entries of the imported files

**2. Or search by title or author**

Click **Search** under the list, or press Ctrl+Space inside the braces. Type to filter, click one or more entries, then click **Insert**.

![The Search the .bib files in this project dialog with one entry selected](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-search.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=66f386c49395254cfc7745a36b78a973)

The reference search

**3. Add the bibliography**

Add these lines before `\end{document}`, using the name of your file without `.bib`. For several files, separate the names with commas.

```latex theme={null}
\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{mendeley}
```

Click **Recompile**. The reference appears in the PDF.

![The editor with the citation and bibliography, and the compiled PDF with a reference](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-compiled.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=a8cb25d3dd0768cb595735884b6bca5b)

The compiled reference

Imported files are not offered in **Settings** under **References**, **Main bibliography file for this project**, so the list stays empty if the project has no other `.bib` file. You can still cite from them.

![The References tab of the project settings with an empty, disabled list](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-settings-references.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=f2b0b675644de3d7060919be3f9f0bbe)

The empty list is expected

## Refresh the file

Changes in your Mendeley library do not reach the project on their own.

**1. Open the file**

In the file tree, click the imported file.

**2. Click Refresh**

The whole file is imported again from the library you chose when you created it: new entries appear and removed ones disappear. The time at the top changes.

![The refreshed mendeley.bib with a new entry and a new import time](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-refresh.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=3470237d13a4053875d1f7dafc1915d7)

The refreshed file

**3. Recompile**

Click **Recompile** to update the PDF.

Each file refreshes on its own: refresh your group's file separately. For who can refresh a file in a shared project, see the [notes for administrators](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/configuration/overleaf-toolkit/integrations/mendeley-integration.md#notes).

## Unlink your Mendeley account

In **Account settings**, under **Mendeley**, click **Unlink**, then **Unlink** again in the dialog. The button says **Link to Mendeley** again.

![The Unlink Mendeley Account dialog](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-unlink.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=efaa5a483adc0fb81d35db0e4c2276ac)

Unlink your account

The files you imported stay in your projects and still compile. **From Mendeley** is gone from the **Add files** dialog, and **Refresh** shows an error until you link your account again.

![An imported file with the error Could not load references from Mendeley, please re-link your account and try again](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-relink-error.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=5aea2772a815befa17c3cf67d8a787d6)

Refreshing without a linked account

After you link again, **Refresh** works on the same files.

## If something goes wrong

**Could not load references from Mendeley, please re-link your account and try again**, or **There was an error accessing your Mendeley data** in the **Add files** dialog: Overleaf can no longer read your library, for example because you removed its access on Mendeley. In **Account settings**, click **Unlink**, then **Link to Mendeley**. **Create** also fails until then, with the message **The project that contains this file is not shared with you**, even in your own project.

![The From Mendeley tab with both error messages](https://mintcdn.com/ayakaleaf-pro/PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw/images/on-premises/mendeley-access-error.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PeD9iteXIf8j4GXw\&q=85\&s=dd8bf5a40a1f9df1ee7e091a4b3b1249)

Overleaf can no longer read your library

**The remote service produced an error** when you click **Refresh**: the request to Mendeley failed. The file keeps its content. Click **Refresh** again later.


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