Where Does Mendeley Store Its Database and PDFs?
Mendeley Desktop keeps its SQLite database and downloaded PDFs in one data folder. Paths for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus backup tips.
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Mendeley Desktop stores your library in a local SQLite database. The file carries your account email in its name, like [email protected]@www.mendeley.com.sqlite. If you never signed in, it is simply called online.sqlite. Your PDFs sit in a Downloaded subfolder next to it.
Press Ctrl+Shift+D inside Mendeley Desktop (Cmd+Shift+D on a Mac) and click Open Data Directory to jump straight there. For a backup, copy the whole folder while the app is closed. Grabbing only the .sqlite file leaves your PDFs behind. These paths belong to the classic Mendeley Desktop, since the newer cloud Reference Manager syncs differently.
Where Mendeley stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Mendeley Ltd.\Mendeley Desktop
The database file plus Downloaded, which holds your PDFs. Copy the entire Mendeley Desktop folder for a full backup, with the app closed.
~/Library/Application Support/Mendeley Desktop
Same layout as Windows. The Library folder is hidden in Finder, so use Go > Go to Folder and paste the path.
~/.local/share/data/Mendeley Ltd./Mendeley Desktop
Same files under a different root. Later Mendeley Desktop versions encrypt this database, so migrate through sync if an import tool cannot read it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up my Mendeley Desktop library?
Copy the whole data folder listed above to another drive while Mendeley is closed. The .sqlite file holds metadata and the Downloaded subfolder holds PDFs, so you need both. You can also find it from inside the app with Ctrl+Shift+D, then Open Data Directory.
Where are my Mendeley PDFs stored?
In the Downloaded subfolder of the data directory, filed under coded names. Don't rename them by hand. If a PDF seems missing, search by its title inside Mendeley rather than digging through the folder.
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