By George Curta · Last updated 2026-04-07
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Solutions to common issues with the anonym.legal Office Add-in for Microsoft Word.
White screen after update
The add-in panel shows a blank white page after a version update.
Why this happens
Word's embedded browser caches JavaScript modules aggressively. After an update, the cached modules conflict with the new version, causing a blank render.
How to fix
- 1.Close Word completely
- 2.Clear your browser cache and cookies (Edge or the default system browser)
- 3.Reopen Word and launch the add-in
Alternative: Open Word Online in an Incognito/InPrivate window, remove the add-in from Insert → My Add-ins, and re-add it.
Add-in shows old version (manifest caching)
The add-in loads but displays an outdated version number or is missing new features.
Why this happens
Word Online caches the add-in manifest (XML configuration file) for extended periods. Even after a server-side update, your browser may continue serving the old manifest.
How to fix
- 1.Open an Incognito or InPrivate browser window
- 2.Navigate to Word Online
- 3.Go to Insert → My Add-ins
- 4.Remove the anonym.legal add-in
- 5.Re-add it from the Store or via sideloading
Encryption key selector not appearing
You selected "Encrypt" as the method but the key selector dropdown is not visible.
Why this happens
The encryption key selector is tied to the Preview Window's method selection, not the Settings panel. If you change the method in Settings but the Preview Window still shows a different method, the key selector will not appear.
How to fix
- 1.Open the Preview Window (analyze your document first)
- 2.In the Summary Bar at the top, select Encrypt from the method dropdown
- 3.The encryption key selector will appear below the method selector
Formatting issues after anonymization
Bold, italic, or other formatting is lost or looks different after anonymization.
Why this happens
The "Preserve Formatting" option works by reading each entity's formatting and applying it to the replacement token. This works well with simple inline formatting but may not handle complex layouts.
How to fix
- Enable Preserve Formatting in Settings if it is not already on
- For complex tables or tracked changes, review the document after anonymization and fix manually
- Use Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo if the result is not acceptable
Add-in not loading
The add-in fails to appear or shows an error when you try to open it.
Checklist
- 1.Verify you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription or Office 2021+
- 2.Check that your organization allows third-party add-ins (IT admin may have restrictions)
- 3.Try removing the add-in from Insert → My Add-ins and re-adding it
- 4.If using Word Online, try a different browser (Chrome or Edge recommended)
- 5.If using Word Desktop, restart Word completely
Connection errors
Errors when trying to analyze or anonymize, such as "Network error" or "Failed to fetch".
Why this happens
The add-in requires an internet connection to communicate with anonym.legal servers for PII detection and anonymization. Connection errors can be caused by network issues, firewalls, or proxies blocking the requests.
How to fix
- 1.Check your internet connection
- 2.Try refreshing the add-in (close and reopen the panel)
- 3.Ensure your firewall or corporate proxy is not blocking requests to anonym.legal
- 4.If the issue persists, contact support with the error message
Still Need Help?
If none of the above solutions work, reach out to us and we will help you resolve the issue.
About this page
We update this page when our platform or the law changes.
Read our founder note for how we work.
Each change shows up in the timestamp at the top.
Related reading
- Common questions
- Glossary
- How tokens work
- Security posture
- Where we comply
- What we detect
- Case studies
- Release notes
We follow these rules
- GDPR (EU 2016/679).
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
- NIS2 (EU 2022/2555).
- HIPAA safe harbor under 45 CFR § 164.514(b)(2).
Our promise
We do not sell your data.
We do not train models on your text.
We store your files in Germany.
You can delete your account at any time.
You own your work.
Where we run
Our servers live in Falkenstein, Germany.
We use Hetzner. They hold ISO 27001 certification.
All data stays in the EU.
Backups run every day.
Need help?
Email support@anonym.legal.
We reply within one business day.
How we test
We run a full check suite on every release.
Each surface gets its own sweep script and report.
Human reviewers spot-check the output each week.
We track recall and precision on a labelled set.
Bad runs block the deploy.
What we never do
- We never sell your information to third parties.
- We never train models on what you upload.
- We never keep your work after you delete it.
- We never share keys with any outside firm.
- We never run ads inside the product.
Plans in plain words
We sell credits, not seats.
One credit covers one short job.
Long jobs use a few credits each.
You can top up at any time.
Unused credits roll over each month.
Read the plans page for current rates.
Who built this
A small team of engineers and lawyers built this.
We ship from Europe and work in the open.
Our founder note spells out why we started.
Where to start
- Open the web app and try a sample file.
- Learn how credits get counted.
- See current plans and limits.
- Meet the team behind the product.
How the parts fit
A browser add-on cleans text inside Chrome.
A Word plug-in handles drafts in Office.
A small desktop tool works on whole folders.
An agent protocol link feeds large models safely.
All four share one core engine and one rule set.
Words from our team
We started this work after a lunch about cookies.
One friend kept getting odd ads on her phone.
We asked why a court file leaked through a draft.
We sketched the first build on a napkin that week.
By month three we had a tiny demo for a friend.
She used it on her first case the next day.
Common questions we hear
Can the tool read scanned PDFs? Yes, with OCR.
Does it work on long files? Yes, in small chunks.
Can I roll my own rule set? Yes, save it as a preset.
Does it run offline? The desktop build runs offline.
Do you keep my files? No, the cloud build wipes after each run.
Will it learn from my work? No, we never train on inputs.
A short tour of the workflow
Upload a file or paste a snippet of prose.
Pick the entities you want gone from the draft.
Choose a method: replace, mask, hash, encrypt, or redact.
Press run and watch the side panel show each hit.
Skim the result and tweak any rule that misfired.
Save the cleaned file or send it to a teammate.