How do I add a file(s) to Mendeley Desktop?

There are several ways you can add references and files to your Mendeley Library:

1. Drag and drop files from your machine
2. Use the 'Add' button
3. Create entry manually
4. Import library data exported from other Reference managers

How

Drag and drop files

Add papers to Mendeley by dragging and dropping a PDF into the Mendeley Desktop window. Mendeley will automatically extract the details from the document and create a library entry.

You can also drag and drop a folder containing multiple papers - Mendeley will work its way through the contents, creating library entries for the PDFs it finds.

Use the 'Add' button

Use the 'Add' button on the top left hand side of your screen. Use this option to browse and select a specific paper from a location on your computer and add it to your Mendeley library.

Manually create an entry

Use File - 'Add Entry Manually…' to manually input the details of a reference. Select the appropriate document type and complete the fields to create a library entry using the details you provide. This can be used to create library entries for items that you do not hold in PDF form - such as books, articles and other types of media.

Tip: You can use a DOI, PMID or ArXiv ID to look up the details of a reference. Paste the identifier into the appropriate field, and click on the magnifying glass. This will look up the item in the Mendeley Catalog and return the details provided by other Mendeley users. If the reference is completely new to Mendeley, the details will be retrieved directly from the appropriate identification service.

Import from other software

You can transfer your library from EndNote, Papers, Zotero, Refworks, Jabref and more.

1. Use the Export option within the other software to extract your references to RIS, BibTeX, or EndNote XML file format.
2. In Mendeley Desktop, click File - 'Import' and select the exported file to add its contents to your Mendeley library.