How to Add Grammarly to Microsoft Word (And What to Expect)

Grammarly works inside Microsoft Word through a dedicated add-in — a small plugin that connects your Word document to Grammarly's writing assistant in real time. Whether you're on Windows or macOS, the setup process is straightforward, though a few variables affect exactly how it looks and behaves on your machine.

What the Grammarly Add-In for Word Actually Does

Once installed, the Grammarly add-in appears as a sidebar or floating panel inside Word. It scans your text as you type and surfaces suggestions for grammar, spelling, clarity, tone, and — depending on your plan — style and plagiarism detection.

This is different from Grammarly's browser extension, which works inside web-based tools like Google Docs or Gmail. The Word add-in is a standalone integration built specifically for the desktop app, and it requires its own installation.

What You Need Before You Start

Before installing, a few requirements apply:

• A Grammarly account — free or paid. You'll need to log in during setup.
• Microsoft Word — the desktop version (not Word Online). Grammarly's add-in targets the locally installed Office application.
• A supported operating system — Windows 10 or later, or macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later are generally required, though this can shift with updates.
• An active internet connection — Grammarly processes text through its servers, so offline use isn't supported.

💡 If you're using Word through a Microsoft 365 subscription or have a standalone Office install, both typically work — but versions older than Office 2016 may run into compatibility issues.

How to Add Grammarly to Word on Windows

1. Go to grammarly.com and download the Grammarly for Windows desktop app. The Word add-in is bundled inside this installer — you don't download the add-in separately.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. During setup, check the option to enable the Microsoft Office add-in (it's usually selected by default).
4. Open Microsoft Word. You should see a Grammarly tab appear in the top ribbon.
5. Click Open Grammarly within that tab and log in to your account.

If the tab doesn't appear immediately, restarting Word — or your computer — usually resolves it.

How to Add Grammarly to Word on macOS

The macOS path is slightly different:

1. Download the Grammarly for Mac desktop app from grammarly.com.
2. Install the app and open it.
3. Inside the Grammarly desktop app, look for the Microsoft Word integration option under settings or the app's home screen.
4. Follow the prompts to enable it, which may ask you to grant permissions.
5. Open Word — the Grammarly button should appear in the toolbar or ribbon.

On Mac, system permissions around accessibility and app access can sometimes require an extra confirmation step. This is a macOS security feature, not a Grammarly error.

Installing Through Microsoft Word's Add-In Store (Alternative Method)

You can also install Grammarly directly through Word without downloading the desktop app first:

1. Open Word and go to Insert → Add-ins → Get Add-ins (or "Office Add-ins").
2. Search for Grammarly.
3. Click Add on the Grammarly for Microsoft Word listing.
4. Once added, it will appear in your ribbon. Log in to activate.

This method works well on machines where you prefer not to install the full desktop app, though some users find the desktop app route gives a more stable, feature-complete experience.

Free vs. Premium: What Changes Inside Word

The add-in itself is free to install and use with a free Grammarly account. What differs is the depth of suggestions you'll receive:

The sidebar in Word will reflect whichever plan is tied to the account you've logged into.

Common Issues and What Causes Them

The Grammarly tab isn't showing in Word. This usually means the add-in didn't fully register during installation. Restarting Word, re-running the installer, or manually enabling the add-in under Word's COM Add-ins settings (on Windows: File → Options → Add-ins) typically resolves it.

Suggestions feel slow or don't load. Grammarly depends on a live server connection. Slow or unstable internet directly affects response time inside the add-in.

The add-in works on one Word version but not another. If you have multiple Office versions installed (common on machines that upgraded from Office 2016 to 365), the add-in may only register with one. Reinstalling and targeting the correct Office version usually fixes this.

The Factor That Varies Most: Your Word Environment

How smoothly Grammarly runs inside Word isn't uniform. IT-managed devices — common in corporate or academic settings — may block add-ins through Group Policy settings, which no amount of reinstalling will override without admin access. Personal machines with standard installs rarely hit this issue.

macOS users also encounter more permission-related friction than Windows users, particularly on machines running newer versions of macOS with tighter app sandboxing.

And for anyone working primarily in Word for the web (the browser version) rather than the desktop app, the Word add-in won't apply — that's where the browser extension takes over instead.

How the integration ultimately performs depends on which version of Word you're running, how your system handles permissions, and what you're actually trying to accomplish with the tool.