Why is my add-in showing a blank panel?

Add-in task panes are essentially web pages that load inside Word. A blank panel usually means the page failed to load — either due to internet issues, cache corruption, or the add-in's server being down.

Fix: Word Add-in Task Pane Is Blank or White

Why Add-in Task Panes Go Blank

Word add-ins run as web applications inside a task pane. When the pane is blank, the web content failed to load.

خطوة بخطوة

Step 1: Check Internet Connection

Most add-ins require an active internet connection:

Open a browser and navigate to any website
If your internet is working, proceed to Step 2

Step 2: Clear the Office Web Cache

Close Word completely
Press Windows + R
Type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef
Delete all folders and files inside
Reopen Word and launch the add-in

Step 3: Check for Proxy/Firewall Issues

Corporate networks may block add-in connections:

Try loading the add-in on a personal network
If it works, contact your IT department to whitelist the add-in’s URLs
Common domains to whitelist: *.office.com, *.microsoft.com, and the add-in vendor’s domain

Step 4: Update Office

Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now
Install all updates and restart Word

Step 5: Try Word Online

Open the document in Word Online
Try the add-in there
If it works online but not in desktop Word, the issue is with your local Office installation

For GenText Users

If GenText shows a blank pane:

Make sure you’re signed in to your Microsoft account in Word
Clear the Wef cache (Step 2)
Try in Incognito/InPrivate mode in Word Online to rule out extensions
Contact support@gentext.ai if the issue persists