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BriefCatch Next: Add-in Error: You don't have permission to use the add-in

Technical & Troubleshooting

If you see the error below, or a similar permission related message, use the steps in this guide to troubleshoot the issue and restore access to BriefCatch.

briefcatch-addin-error-permission

Contents

Word Online

Office add-ins are tied to your Microsoft account and validated through Microsoft’s cloud services. Permission related errors in desktop Word are often caused by sign-in issues, cached account data, or device-level configuration problems.

To help determine whether the issue is account related or device specific, start by checking BriefCatch in Word Online: https://word.cloud.microsoft/

Sign in using the same Microsoft account you use in desktop Word, then open or create a document and confirm whether the BriefCatch add-in loads and functions normally.

If BriefCatch works in Word Online

If BriefCatch loads successfully in Word Online, this strongly indicates that your account is licensed correctly, and you have permission to use the add-in.

In this case, the issue is likely tied to your local device or desktop Word configuration. Common causes include:

  • Not being fully signed in to Word on the device

  • Stale Office add-in cache data

  • A device account that needs to be refreshed

Continue with the troubleshooting steps below to resolve the issue.

If BriefCatch does not work in Word Online

If BriefCatch does not load in Word Online, this suggests a broader permission or assignment issue with your Microsoft account. In this case:

  • Your IT administrator may need to verify that the add-in is assigned to your account

  • Additional permissions or configuration changes may be required at the organization level

Reach out to your IT team before proceeding with further device-level troubleshooting.

Microsoft Account & Licensing

Office add-ins are tied to your Microsoft work or organization account. This permission error commonly occurs when desktop Word is not fully signed in, is signed in with the wrong account, or is using stale account information.

To verify your account status, open Word and navigate to File - Account:

word-account-info

What to Check

Confirm that:

  • Word shows your work or organization account (not a personal Microsoft account)

  • The account listed matches the one you use in Word Online

  • Office shows as activated under Product Information

Refresh your sign-in (recommended)

Even if the correct account appears, refreshing the sign-in can resolve cached authentication issues.

  1. Click Sign out

  2. Fully close all Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.)

  3. Reopen Word

  4. Sign back in using your work or organization account

  5. Close and reopen Word once more

  6. After signing back in, check whether BriefCatch loads correctly.

If the issue persists, continue to the next troubleshooting step.

Optional Connected Experiences

BriefCatch relies on Microsoft’s connected services to validate and load add-ins in desktop Word. If Optional Connected Experiences are disabled, Word may block add-ins from loading and display permission-related errors.

Follow the steps below to confirm this setting is enabled.

Windows

  1. Open a document in Word.
  2. Click File, then on Account along the left sidebar.
  3. Under Account Privacy, click on Manage Settings.
  4. Check the box next to "Turn on optional connected experiences", then click OK.

word-optional-experiences

If this was disabled, completely close Word, then reopen, and see if BriefCatch now loads.

Mac

  1. Open a document in Word.
  2. At the top of your screen, navigate to Word - Preferences - Privacy.
  3. Check the box next to "Turn on optional connected experiences", then click OK.

word-optional-experiences-mac

If this was disabled, completely close Word, then reopen, and see if BriefCatch now loads.

Clear the Office Add-in Cache

Sometimes clearing the cache will refresh deployed add-ins and permissions, allowing you to use the BriefCatch add-in.

To clear the Office cache, follow these steps:

Windows

  • Close all Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.)
  • In explorer, navigate to the following folder:
    • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef\
  • Delete all contents inside this folder (but not the folder itself)
  • Reopen Word and try launching the BriefCatch add-in again


Mac

  • Close all Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.)
  • Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G to open Go to Folder.
  • Paste the following path and press Enter:
    • ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2/Data/Documents/WeF
  • Delete all contents inside this folder (but not the folder itself)
  • Reopen Word and try launching the BriefCatch add-in again


Clearing the cache removes locally stored add-in files, which forces Office to re-download them the next time the add-in loads. This can resolve display or loading issues caused by corrupted or outdated cache data. This does not affect documents, user data, or other Office settings and does not remove centrally deployed add-ins, those will reappear automatically.

After clearing the cache, you may need to manually re-add BriefCatch to the ribbon by going to Home - Add-ins - See all, then clicking on the BriefCatch icon.

Verify and Refresh the Device’s Work or School Account

In some cases, permission errors occur because the device’s Work or School account is no longer fully synchronized with Microsoft’s identity and device trust services. This can happen after Office updates, device provisioning, password changes, or policy updates.

Refreshing the device’s account connection forces Word to re-establish trust and revalidate add-in permissions.

Follow the steps below to reconnect your account:

  1. Close all Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.)
  2. Clear the Office cache (explained above)
  3. Navigate to Windows Settings - Accounts - Access work or school
  4. Find User's account, expand, then click Disconnect.
  5. Click Connect. Sign in with your organization email address.
  6. Launch Word.
  7. When prompted, sign in again with your organization account
  8. Wait 30 seconds for BriefCatch to appear. If it does not appear automatically, go to Home - Add-ins and allow the list to refresh. You may have to click the BriefCatch icon under this list.

This process:

  • Resets the device’s Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) registration

  • Clears stale authentication tokens

  • Forces Word to revalidate add-in entitlements

  • Resolves permission errors that persist even after cache clearing

This step has resolved many cases where BriefCatch works in Word Online but fails in desktop Word.

Perform an Office Repair

If none of the steps above resolve the issue, you can try repairing the Office installation. This can help in rare cases where Office components are corrupted or not functioning correctly.

This guide from Microsoft explains how repair: Repair an Office application

After the repair completes:

  • Restart your computer

  • Open Word

  • Check whether BriefCatch now loads correctly

Contact Support

If you're still having trouble after following these steps, please contact our support team for further assistance:

We're happy to help!