Word Online cannot connect to Office Add-ins catalog, while Excel Online and PowerPoint Online work correctly

Fernando RS 0 Reputation points
2026-05-30T09:16:07.3833333+00:00

Hi Microsoft Community,

I am experiencing a persistent issue with Office Add-ins in Word Online using my personal Microsoft account.

In Word Online, when I try to open or add any Office add-in, I receive the following error:

“Cannot connect to the catalog server {0} for this add-in.” In Dutch: “Er kan geen verbinding worden gemaakt met de catalogusserver {0} voor deze invoegtoepassing.”

Sometimes I also see:

“Kan geen verbinding maken met de catalogus.”

This happens for all Word Online add-ins, not only one specific add-in. For example, it happens when trying to use Claude for Word, but also with other add-ins such as PolicyTech Tools.

The strange thing is that Excel Online and PowerPoint Online can connect to the add-in catalog without any problem. The issue seems to be specific to Word Online.

I have already tried the following troubleshooting steps:

  • Tried Microsoft Edge
  • Tried Google Chrome
  • Tried incognito/private mode
  • Cleared all browser history, cache, cookies, and site data
  • Signed out and signed back in to my Microsoft account
  • Tried a mobile hotspot instead of Wi-Fi
  • Disabled browser extensions/ad blockers
  • Tried accessing Microsoft AppSource directly
  • Tried creating a new blank Word Online document
  • Tried opening Word through Microsoft 365 and OneDrive
  • Verified that I am using my personal Microsoft account, not a work or school account
  • Confirmed that Excel Online and PowerPoint Online add-ins do work with the same account and browser

Because Excel Online and PowerPoint Online work correctly, it does not seem to be a general network, browser, account, or AppSource issue. It appears to be specific to Word Online’s connection to the Office Add-ins catalog.

Could someone from Microsoft please check whether there is a known issue with Word Online add-ins or whether something might be broken/restricted for my personal Microsoft account?

I would appreciate any help, because I have already tried all standard troubleshooting steps and the issue still persists.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-30T09:16:21.85+00:00

    The provided information does not describe this specific Word Online–only catalog connectivity issue or any Word Online–specific service incident for personal Microsoft accounts. It only covers general Office add-in error patterns, deployment/configuration problems, and client-side troubleshooting.

    No additional, supported troubleshooting or confirmation steps for a Word Online–only catalog connection failure can be given based on the available context.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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