Sync Preferences
To access these settings, go to the Edit menu, select Preferences, and then click Sync in the list of preferences.
This dialog saves subscription credentials and sync settings to automate the process of synchronizing your EndNote library with your EndNote Web/online library.
Sync Preferences allow you to set your preferences so that:
- You only have to enter your e-mail address and password once in Sync Preferences and not each time you manually synchronize your references between EndNote desktop and EndNote Web/online.
- You can have EndNote automatically begin the Sync process every 15 minutes (background processing) by selecting the Sync Automatically checkbox.
You must first register and have an active EndNote Web/online account to initiate the Sync process. Registration is fast and easy and activates your three-year EndNote Web/online account enhancement. When completed, EndNote automatically proceeds with the Sync process and updates your new EndNote Web/online library to match the groups in your EndNote library.
To access Sync Preferences, go to the Edit menu, select Preferences, and then click Sync in the list of preferences.
Enable Sync Button
Your purchase of EndNote entitles you to a three-year free subscription to EndNote Web/online—our online versions of EndNote.
If you have not previously set up EndNote Sync, open the library you want to sync and follow the instructions below. You can only sync one EndNote library and it must be the active library when you begin the sync process.
I Already Have an EndNote Web/Online Account
- Click the Enable Sync button to go to an EndNote Web/online login dialog.
- Enter your e-mail address.
- Enter your EndNote Web/online password.
- Press OK.
Since you already have an EndNote Web/online account, EndNote populates the fields on the Sync Preferences page with the e-mail address and password that you entered on the EndNote login dialog. Later you can change the data in these fields if you ever change your e-mail address or password.
I Do Not Have an EndNote Web/Online Account
If you do not have an EndNote Web/online account, then you must create one. Registration is fast and easy and activates your three-year EndNote Web/online account when completed.
- Click the Enable Sync button to go to an EndNote login dialog.
- Click the Sign Up button to go to an EndNote Registration dialog.
- Enter your email address in the EndNote Registration dialog. Retype your email address, and then click the Submit button.
- Enter your name and a secure password, read the EndNote End User License Agreement, then click the Agree button if you wish to create your account.
- Click the Sync button to begin synchronizing your EndNote Web/online library with your EndNote library.
- Before synchronizing for the first time, you will be prompted to create a compressed library backup. Click the Yes button to create the backup.
- Choose the location for your backup, then click the Save button.
Once you create your EndNote Web/online account, EndNote 2025 populates the fields on the Sync Preferences page with the e-mail address and password that you entered during registration. Later you can change the data in these fields if you ever change your e-mail address or password.
Note: We recommend that you create a compressed library backup the first time that you initiate the Sync process. See Saving a Compressed Copy of a Library for more information.
See The Sync Feature for information on how to initiate the Sync process from the Library.
EndNote Web/Online Account Credentials Panel
Once you register and activate your EndNote Web/online account, you can edit the fields in the EndNote Account Credentials panel.
- Enter your e-mail address. EndNote uses your e-mail address to verify your identification.
- Enter your EndNote Web/online password.
EndNote uses these credentials to access your EndNote Web/online library. Once you save this information, you will not have to enter it again. EndNote saves the information until the next time you access Sync Preferences and decide to make changes.
Note: If you need to change the e-mail address or password for your EndNote Web/online account, sign in to your account using your browser and select the Options tab to access the Password and E-mail Address options. These cannot be changed in EndNote desktop. After changing them online, update the credentials in EndNote 2025 to match.
Sync This EndNote Library Panel
This field contains the name of the EndNote desktop library that you have synchronized with your EndNote Web/online library. You cannot edit this field.
If this field is blank when you first access Sync Preferences, EndNote will populate the field with the path and file name of the currently opened EndNote library after you run Sync.
Notes: You can always change the name of the library in this field by opening another library from the EndNote window. Click the Sync Now button in the Sync Status window to complete the process. The two libraries will be merged and the name of the opened library will appear in this field. See Merging Libraries through Sync.
This field is not active until you register and create an EndNote Web/online account.
Sync Automatically Check Box
The Sync process works automatically in the background (every 15 minutes) when you select this checkbox.
When you close EndNote, the system prompts you to Sync your EndNote desktop library with your EndNote Web/online library.
EndNote Defaults and Revert Panels
See EndNote Preferences for a description of the EndNote Defaults and Revert Panel buttons.