Fix: Word Add-in Not Loading or Appearing

Why Word Add-ins Stop Loading

Add-ins can stop working due to updates, crashes that trigger automatic disabling, or conflicts between multiple add-ins.

Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1: Check If the Add-in Is Installed

1. Go to Insert > Get Add-ins (or My Add-ins in older versions)
2. Click the My Add-ins tab
3. Look for your add-in in the list
4. If it’s there, click it to activate

Step 2: Check Disabled Add-ins

Word automatically disables add-ins that cause problems:

1. Go to File > Options > Add-ins
2. At the bottom, change the Manage dropdown to Disabled Application Add-ins
3. Click Go
4. If your add-in is listed, select it and click Enable

Step 3: Check COM Add-ins

1. Go to File > Options > Add-ins
2. Change Manage to COM Add-ins and click Go
3. Check the box next to your add-in
4. Click OK

Step 4: Clear the Office Cache

1. Close Word completely
2. Press Windows + R, type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef
3. Delete all folders inside
4. Reopen Word and reactivate the add-in

Step 5: Reinstall the Add-in

1. Go to Insert > Get Add-ins
2. Search for the add-in name
3. Click Add to reinstall
4. Follow any setup prompts

For GenText Users

If GenText isn’t loading:

1. Check you’re using Word 2016 or later (or Microsoft 365)
2. Clear the Office web cache (Step 4 above)
3. Sign out and back in to your Microsoft account
4. Visit GenText on AppSource to reinstall