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.ENW file extension

To open .ENW files on Windows, open EndNote (desktop) and open the library you want to add references to.

To open an .enw file, import it into EndNote (desktop) using EndNote’s import feature. If you received it from a site like Google Scholar, download the .enw file and then import it into your EndNote library.

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Last updated: October 13, 2026

Open on your device

Choose your operating system for a dedicated step-by-step opening guide.

How to open .ENW files

Use these platform-specific instructions to open .ENW files safely.

Windows

  1. Open EndNote (desktop) and open the library you want to add references to.
  2. Use EndNote’s import command (e.g., File > Import) and select the downloaded .enw file.
  3. When prompted for an import option, choose the EndNote Import / tagged import option (as indicated in library guidance) and complete the import.
Full Windows guide

Mac

  1. Open EndNote (desktop) and open the library you want to add references to.
  2. Use EndNote’s import function to import the .enw file into the library.
  3. If asked for an import option, select the EndNote Import / tagged import option and finish the import.
Full Mac guide

Linux

  1. There is no common native Linux application support cited for importing .enw directly; transfer the file to a system running EndNote.
  2. On a Windows or macOS machine with EndNote installed, import the .enw file into an EndNote library using EndNote’s import feature.
Full Linux guide

iOS

  1. If you obtained the .enw file on a mobile device, transfer it to a computer with EndNote installed and import it into your EndNote library.
Full iOS guide

Android

  1. If you downloaded the .enw file from a site like Google Scholar, move it to a Windows or macOS computer with EndNote and import it into your library.
Full Android guide

Security notes

  • .enw files are citation-import files, not executable programs, but importing untrusted files can still expose you to malformed-record parsing issues in any software that reads them; only import .enw files from sources you trust (e.g., reputable databases).
  • Treat unexpected .enw email attachments with caution: a sender can mislabel any content with a .enw extension, so verify the source and that the content is actually a citation export before importing.
  • When .enw is downloaded from the web, it may be served under nonstandard content types (commonly seen as application/x-endnote-refer in the wild); if the download looks wrong (HTML error page saved as .enw), do not import it—re-download from the source.

Can't open this file?

These are the most common causes and fixes when .ENW files fail to open.

Common reasons

  • EndNote imports nothing or imports garbled fields
  • Double-clicking .enw opens the wrong program or shows unreadable text
  • Browser/site downloads the citation file but it won’t import correctly

Fix steps

  1. Re-run the import and explicitly select the EndNote Import / tagged import option (library guidance maps .enw to EndNote Import).
  2. If the .enw was obtained from an export (e.g., Google Scholar), re-download the .enw and import again to rule out a partial download.

Recover a deleted or lost .ENW file

If the file was deleted by mistake or the drive was formatted, data recovery software may be able to get it back. Stop writing to that drive right away, because new data can overwrite what you want to recover.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Windows software that recovers deleted or lost files from PCs and external drives such as HDDs, SSDs, USB drives and memory cards, after deletion, formatting or a crash.

Wondershare Recoverit

Windows and Mac software that recovers deleted or lost files from computers and external drives such as HDDs, SSDs, USB drives and SD cards.

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OS-specific troubleshooting

What is a .ENW file?

An .enw file is an EndNote Import File intended to transfer bibliographic citation data (e.g., author, title, keywords) into EndNote. PRONOM identifies it as the “EndNote Import File” format, and EndNote documentation describes importing tagged formats via Import Options.

Background

The .enw extension is strongly associated with EndNote’s import workflow: it acts as a transport file for citation records that can be added to an EndNote library. FileInfo describes it as containing citation data such as author, title, and keywords, and it is typically used for database-to-EndNote transfers rather than long-term storage.

In practice, many users encounter .enw files when exporting citations from discovery tools and web databases. The University of the West of Scotland notes that Google Scholar downloads citation exports as files ending in .enw, which are then imported into EndNote.

Within EndNote, .enw handling is tied to Import Options. The University of Washington Libraries’ guidance maps the .enw extension to EndNote’s “Import Option” (EndNote Import), and EndNote’s own documentation explains how import options are used to bring tagged reference data into a library.

Common MIME types: application/x-endnote-refer

Further reading

Authoritative resources for more details on the .ENW format.

Common .ENW issues

EndNote imports nothing or imports garbled fields

This commonly happens when the wrong import option/filter is chosen for a tagged EndNote import file.

  1. Re-run the import and explicitly select the EndNote Import / tagged import option (library guidance maps .enw to EndNote Import).
  2. If the .enw was obtained from an export (e.g., Google Scholar), re-download the .enw and import again to rule out a partial download.

Double-clicking .enw opens the wrong program or shows unreadable text

.enw is meant to be imported into EndNote; opening it in a text editor may show tags/structured text, and file associations may be incorrect.

  1. Open EndNote first, then use EndNote’s Import function to bring the .enw into your library instead of double-clicking.
  2. If you want double-click to launch EndNote, change the file association in your OS to EndNote (where available).

Browser/site downloads the citation file but it won’t import correctly

Some websites deliver EndNote/Refer-style exports and the download may be blocked, altered, or served with a nonstandard content type; the file may also be incomplete.

  1. Try downloading again and ensure the file is saved with the .enw extension (not renamed to .txt by the browser).
  2. Import the file using EndNote’s import workflow and the appropriate tagged import option rather than dragging it into the library.

FAQ

Can I open an .enw file in EndNote?

Yes—.enw is an EndNote import file. In EndNote, use the Import function and choose the EndNote Import / tagged import option to bring the references into your library.

Why did Google Scholar give me an .enw file?

Google Scholar can export citations for reference managers. Library guidance notes that Google Scholar downloads citation exports as .enw, which are then imported into EndNote.

Is there an official IANA MIME type for .enw?

The IANA media type registry is the authoritative source for standard media types. A commonly used (non-IANA) type associated with EndNote/Refer-style citation exports is application/x-endnote-refer.

What kind of data is inside an .enw file?

It contains bibliographic citation data such as author, title, and keywords, intended for import into an EndNote library.

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